This vintage real photo postcard features two young Montagnard soldiers. They are uniformed, carrying rifles, and wearing ammunition belts. One of the soldiers has markings on his sleeves. I do not know the meaning of the design. Does it designate rank? Note that the men are barefoot. The men are “Tirailleurs”, which means that they were used by the French army as infantry. They were recruited from French colonial territories during the 19th and 20th centuries. The photograph was taken in the province of Lao Cai. The province is located in northwest Vietnam and is known for it’s mountains, rivers, waterfalls, and ethnic hill tribes. These men are Montagnards. This ethnic group, also known as Degar, are indigenous to the central highlands of Vietnam. The translation of Montagnard (french) is “people of the mountain”. This postcard was published by P. Dieulefils of Hanoi, Vietnam. Pierre Dieulefils was the first established professional photographer in Hanoi. In addition, he was a postcard editor and explorer. He had an excellent reputation as a photographer throughout Europe and Indochina. He won many medals at Universal Exhibitions. It is estimated that he produced approximately five thousand photos and postcards and he is considered one of the greatest photographers of the region. His photographic expeditions included such locales as Vietnam, China, and Cambodia. The Cabinet Card Gallery has a nice collection of early Vietnam (Tonkin) postcards that can be viewed by putting the word “Vietnam” in the blog’s search box. This postcard is in very good condition. (SOLD)
