French Family Portrait: Garçon Modèle--Daniel (1947-55)


Figure 1.-- A French reader writes, "A short time ago, I spoke with my neighbour. He was a petit garçon modèle during 1947-55. He told me, "I have fond memories of my childhood and how my mother so carefully took care of me." His mother commonly dressed him in rompers as a little boy until he was about 6 years old. " One photograph shows him wearing a bib-front romper suit with smocking. The snapshot here shows im wearing a traditional barboteuse romper suit. The photograph is black and white, but these suits were often a light blue. As this was a formal occassion, he is wearing a white romper. He is pictured with his mother and older brother who looks to be doing his First Communion.

A French reader writes, "A short time ago, I spoke with my neighbour. He was a petit garçon modèle during 1947-55. He told me, "I have fond memories of my childhood and how my mother so carefully took care of me." His mother commonly dressed him in rompers as a little boy until he was about 6 years old. " One photograph shows him wearing a bib-front romper suit with smocking. The snapshot here shows im wearing a traditional barboteuse romper suit. The photograph is black and white, but these suits were often a light blue. He is pictured with his mother and older brother who looks to be doing his First Communion. Note the boy's long hair. His mother did not have it cut until he was ready to begin school. The family lived close to Paris in a "super" town along the Marne river--Chantilly. This is a famous royal town.

French Text

He has provided an account of his boyhood:

Voici ce qu’a été ma vie d'enfant ; j'ai un frère André qui est né en 1939 ainsi qu'un autre plus jeune Bernard né en 1952, moi-même je suis né le 5 octobre 1947. Il y a donc une différence de 8 années qui est dû au fait que mon père avait été fait prisonnier en Allemagne pendant 5 ans. Quinze jours avant ma naissance ma Grand-mère maternelle qui n’avait que 54 ans est décédée accidentellement , ce qui a provoqué mon arrivé au monde un mois avant la date prévue cars Maman avait très mal supporté ce grand malheur. Du fait que ma Grand-mère maternelle avait déjà choisi mon prénom qui serait Danièle ( cars elle espérait une petite fille) ma Maman a donc gardé ce prénom et y a ajo uté un deuxième, celui de ma Grand-mère qui s’appelait Gabrielle et en les mettant au masculin. Mon père avait une petite entreprise de peinture avec 5 ouvriers. Maman aidait sa mère au café que ma Grand-mère maternelle tenait à Courbevoie, le café a été vendu après le décès de ma Grand-mère. En 1950 mes Parents se sont installés à Nogent sur Marne, j’ai passé une enfance superbe entre Nogent et Chantilly ou mes Grand-Parent paternel habitaient ( j'ai d’ailleurs gardé leur maison) J’ai été en barboteuses jusqu'à l'age de 6 ans. Maman m'avait mis dans un école privée à côté de notre maison car il y avait des filles et des garçons. Jusqu’à mes 9 ans j'ai toujours porté de jolis tabliers unis ou à carreaux et chaque jour ma barrette de filles qui tenait mes cheveux. A partir de 10 ans j'ai mis des blouses et j'étais encore en culottes courtes, il y en avait une pour la semaine et une autre pour le dimanche, celle du dimanche était bleue. Maman me mettait toujours des chaussettes blanches qui montaient aux genoux, je me trouvais très beau ainsi et je me rappelle qu'à ma Communion j'avais cette même tenue sous mon aube. Je pense que j'ai du porter des culottes longues une fois ou deux durant l'hiver et par grand froid . J'aimais bien les culottes courtes contrairement à certain de mes camarades. A ma dernière rentrée d’école je portais encore des culotte courtes et c'était en 1961 l'année de mes 14 ans. Hélas ! Je voyais que ma vie d'ado avançait à grand pas. Avec tristesse je savais aussi que je rangeais barboteuses et culottes courtes dans l'armoire de mon enfance, je crois même avoir versé une larme, j'avais 14 ans et un mois. Maman m'avait acheté mon premier pantalon en novembre 1961.

English Text

This would translate as something like the following. Readers are welcomed to improve on my translation.

Here are some details of my childhood. I have an older brother named André born in 1939 and a younger named Bernard born in 1952. I was born October 5, 1947. There is a difference of 8 years between me and André. This is due to the fact that my father was a prisoner of war in Germany for 5 years during World War II. Fifteen days before my birth my maternal Grandmother died accidently, she was only 54 years old. My mother was so distressed that I was born 1 month before the date envisaged. My maternal Grandmother had already chosen my first name: it was Danièle. (She had hoped for a little girl.) My mother out of reppect thus kept this first name and gave me as a second name. My Grandmother herself who was Gabrielle and put them into the masculine form. My father had a small painting company with five employees. Maman** (my mother) helped her mother at her café-restaurant in Courbevoie**, wich belonged to my Grandmother. After the death my Grandmother, the café-restaurant was sold. In 1950 my Parents settled in Nogent sur Marne **. I have had a wonderful childhood spent between Nogent sur Marne** and Chantilly** where my grand-parents lived. (I have kept this house ). I usually wore rompers untill I was 6 years old. My mother entered me in a private school near home. She liked the idea that there were both boys and girls at the school. Up to the age 9 years old I always wore nice tabliers** plain or gingham cloth. And avery day I wore hair-barrette, the same the girls had. From about age 10, I began wearing blouses** and still I wore short pants. I had two short pants, one was worn for Sunday and other was worn during the week. For Sunday my short pants were navy blue. Maman always put out white knee socks for me so I would look "beautiful" as she would say. For my first Communion I well remember still wearing short pants, and knee socks under my cassock. I think that I was occassionaly dressed in long trousers a few time, only during the winter when it really got cold. I remember I liked the short trousers contrary to the opinion of some of my friends** For my last primary school year I still wore short pants, that was in 1961 when I was just 14 years old. I knew that my life as teenager was going to be a great step. With sadness I knew that rompers and short trousers were put away for ever in the cupboard of my childhood. At age 14 years and 1 month, in November 1961 Maman bought to me my first long trousers.

Some explanations: ** Courbevoie is a city surburbs of Paris ** Nogent sur Marne is a city near Paris on the Marne river. **Chantilly ( 60 kms from Paris ) is a famous French royal city with a big palace and huge land for hunting. ** Tablier = smock for boys 2 to 8/10 years old. Fashion till 1960s. It was buttonned at the back, had a waist belt buttoned at the back too. Made in plain or gingham cloth. The smocks were a pupil garment but could be also worn in the street for playing. **About the short pants. In reality, we, French boys 1940-1950s under 14 years old had not real opinion about it. In fact the teenagers wearing longs pants often were children coming from poor or foreign family. ** Maman = mom. The babies say man-man.







HBC





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