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Discover authentic postcards from the first half of the twentieth century — and follow a new mystery.
Ready for a new adventure?
Ready for a new adventure?
A year has passed, and as promised, I was back in Geneva. My friend Paul invited me to dinner at his home. There, he showed me a bag he had found a few weeks earlier, filled with postcards. He had no idea why the bag had been left in front of his house, or why no one had come to collect it.
A year has passed, and as promised, I was back in Geneva. My friend Paul invited me to dinner at his home. There, he showed me a bag he had found a few weeks earlier, filled with postcards. He had no idea why the bag had been left in front of his house, or why no one had come to collect it.
So, I put on my detective hat and took a look inside...
So, I put on my detective hat and took a look inside...
Oh! What a mystery!
Look, Paul! This postcard is marked “No. 1”, and it shows the English Garden. And there's a message on it: “Dear cousin… I promised you a series of postcards for your collection.” So, these postcards were meant to be sent to someone, but somehow they never reached their destination. I wonder why they were all left in this bag. And who put them here? Tomorrow morning, I'll have a look around the English Garden. Maybe I'll find a clue!
In 1903, it was card “No. 1” in a series sent to a cousin. Today, it is once again “No. 1” in a new series, which I hope you will enjoy just as much.
♦️ At that time certain colours were often added by hand, creating a unique charm with the colour sometimes overflowing the photographic lines. Real detectives always have magnifying glasses!
The weather was perfect to sit on a bench in front of the monumental fountain, watching people stroll through the English Garden. I had postcard No. 1, but how could I connect it with the other cards?
Yes, of course! The next one must be the one written in English!
♦️ In the 19th century, it was fashionable to create fake ruins. This Neo-Gothic tower was part of the Champel Baths, a hydrotherapy resort on the banks of the Arve River dedicated to treating patients who suffered most commonly from rheumatism, digestive issues, circulation problems, and nervous disorders. The tower served as a tea room for the guests.
Let's see if we read the text the same way!
Let's see if we read the text the same way!
« Windy, but hoping for the best!
We are thinking of staying here
in Geneva. There is a nice
garden. Went to see Aunt Ellen
she thought looks like Barth !! Love Jo »
I headed to Champel to explore the beautiful park of the baths. I asked a curious-looking man for directions. He helped me, and we chatted for a little while. “I live in Lausanne,” he told me. Before going on his way, he gave me a photographic postcard of himself.
♦️ During the Belle Époque, photographic postcards became very popular. People could have their portrait taken by a photographer and have it reproduced as a postcard.
Who was the "Père Idéal"?
This eccentric figure was well known in Lausanne around 1913. No one seemed to know his true name; everyone simply called him “Le Père Idéal” (“The Ideal Father”). People wondered whether he was Russian, Polish or Armenian. To earn a living, he sang opera arias, romances and pastorales. He also decorated objects with drawings. He was also known for loving to give flowers to women at the market.
The back of the postcard
The back of the postcard
Photograph taken by Mr. Girod, Photographer
29, rue de Bourg, Lausanne
The Ideal Father, Poetry designer & Amateur singer.
Sings: Opera arias, Melodies, Romances, Pastorals.
Tribune de Lausanne et Estafette 08/08/1913
Tribune de Lausanne et Estafette 08/08/1913
No clues at the Champel Baths. Let's head back to the city center.
Look at the flower market on this postcard... That reminds me of the curious man I met on my way to Champel, with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. Was it just a coincidence or could it be connected to postcard No. 4?
A Bazaar was held in 1904 to support the Geneva Sanatorium. In the bazaar, there were more than 20 different stands: basketry, trimmings, book stalls... and, as shown on this postcard, a flower market." .
Until the 1950s, a sanatorium was a clinic dedicated to treating patients suffering most commonly from tuberculosis. At that time, it was believed that fresh mountain air and the sunlight were essential to curing the disease. Since the Canton of Geneva has no mountains, Geneva opened its sanatorium near the village of Montana, in the Canton of Valais, in 1903.
Yes, I heard about this bazaar that took place at the Bâtiment Electoral in 1904. Let's go there and have a look!
La boîte à gifles : Because elections held there were notoriously turbulent, the building received the nickname "Boîte à gifles" (the slap box).
La boîte à gifles : Because elections held there were notoriously turbulent, the building received the nickname "Boîte à gifles" (the slap box).
♦️ The Bâtiment électoral (or Palais électoral) was not only a place where the population of Geneva voted but was also used for exhibitions, like Geneva's first car exhibition. Destroyed by fire in 1964 and never rebuilt, the site is now occupied by a 1970s building belonging to Geneva University.
It's already 5 p.m.! Time to meet my friend Paul for a cup of tea and tell him about my investigations.
I explained to Paul that I couldn't find any connection between the places I had visited that day. “I still can't understand why these Geneva postcards have stamps and addresses from different countries, but were never actually sent. Look at this one, Paul…”
"Hmm... That's strange. It has a stamp and a postmark on the front, but there is no recipient's address on the back, or it is not written on the right side."
But who does this bag of postcards belong to?
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