Figure 1.--Photographic images are often informative for what they do not show as well as for what they do show. World War I decimated an entire genrration of Europeans. French casualties were horendous. The French Army did not break, but was rendered largely incapable of major offensive operations. After the War, we see many French family portraits withiut the father or older brothers. Here we see one of those family portraits ith the father missing. Ehe family is unidentified, but almost certainly the father was lost in the War with the mother left to hold the family together.

World War I decimated an entire genrration of Europeans. French casualties were horendous. The Frenvh Army did not break, but was rendered largely incapable of major offensive operations. Afer the War there were profound social consequences. Ee see many French family portraits without the father or older brothers. Here we see one of those family portraits ith the father missing. The family is unidentified, but almost certainly the father was lost in the War with the mother left to hold the family together. The children look to be about 6-15 years of age. The mother here looks somewhat bewildered, facing the task of holding the family together without her husband who at the time was almost always the bread winner. The portrait is also undated, but looks to us like the early-1920s. The youngest boy is doing his First Communion. He wears a knee pants sailor suit with the ornamental sleeve ribbon and dark long stockings. He has his rosary wrapped arounf his wrist. Usually for the occassion an individual portrait ould have been taken. We are gussing that with father gone, the family finances were strained, so mother used the occassion for a family portrait as well. The older brother wears a long pants suit with some Norfolk styling, but without the belt and verical vents. Notice the cuffs. The two younger girls wear white dresses with large hair bows, one with white long stockings, the other with colored ankle socks. Long stockings were going out of style in France, except for formal occassions. The older sister wears a very plain dark dress. Notice the supporting hand on mother's shoulders.

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Counter set: 9:21 PM 10/6/2011
Last updated: 9:21 PM 10/6/2011