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Friday, April 10, 2015

Parisian Wartime Postcard

 I found this 1940s postcard at an ephemera sale. The elegant building pictured is now known as Le Musée d'Orsay, which holds the largest collection of impressionist and post-impressionist art. Monet, Degas, Renoir, Van Gogh...joy of joys!! But wait--its history is equally fascinating. It was built around 1900 as La Gare d'Orsay, a train station. Then during WWII it was used as a post headquarters for sending packages to prisoners of war, as well as a place that welcomed those soldiers after Liberation. 
The writing scribbled on the back of this postcard says, "This building is at present the home of Canadian boys on leave in Paris. The ballroom is magnificent. River 'Seine'." Just incredible!

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