1901 postcards sent to a collector in Luxembourg
In August 1901 F Le Gallais (we presume he was Frank, but cannot be certain) heard from his sister that a lady known only as Madame Mougenart, who lived at Avenue Marie Therese in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, was a collector of postcards.
Six postcards which he sent her from Jersey must have been a welcome addition to her collection. Postcards were still very much in their infancy, having first been sent from Jersey only six years earlier, in 1895.
We do not know how Madame Mougenart responded, because the cards, which have recently come to light, only tell half the story. It is noteworthy that the postal cancellations on the reverse show that the cards invariably reached Luxembourg, by sea and rail, within three days. Today's airmail connections would rarely achieve such success.
Neurdein Freres
These cards, were inscribed ND Phot, and conformed to postal regulations which, until they were relaxed the following year, only allowed the address to be written on the back of a postcrd, with messages restricted to the space provided under the photograph. ND Phot referred to the Neurdein brothers, Étienne (1832-1918) and Louis-Antonin (1846-1914), sons of a renowned early French photographer, Jean César Adolphe Neurdein (1806-1867), who used the pseudonym 'Charlet'.
The brothers took photographs for postcards throughout France,, in many foreign countries, and also in Jersey.
27 August 1901 - St Brelade's Bay, with the message indicating that this was the first card sent by F Le Galais
Corbiere, sent later that day, offering to send cards with the stamp on the picture side, if wanted
9 September - Corbiere - 'I hope you are well'
10 September - Westmount - 'a thousand best wishes'
16 September - Corbiere - 'a thousand friendly thoughts'[literally choses = 'things']
17 September - St Helier Harbour - 'I hope you have good weather. We don't; it's a deluge'
The cards bore a stamp with the face of Queen Victoria, who had died in January 1901
The address, in different handwriting, on a card sent to Madame Mougenart in June. Perhaps sent by Mr Le Gallais' sister?
