• Photographic postcards of African soldiers. [France, Belgium, and colonized Africa, ca. 1905–1920].

Curatorial note:

Depicting the military life of African soldiers from French-colonized Senegal, Morocco, and Madagascar, as well as the Belgian Congo, this collection of 103 postcards calls out for historical analysis and contextualization. Although these troupes coloniales posed proudly in their uniforms, often with their families, their military experiences almost always ended in adversity and dissolusionment, if not injury or death. During World War I, nearly half a million African troops faced mandatory recruitment, poor training, rapid deployment, intentional misuse as ‘cannon fodder’ in combat, and—for the survivors— broken promises of legal rights they earned but never enjoyed.

Collections:
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  • Rare Books
  • Treasures of Rare Book Division
Title:
  • Princeton University Library collection of photographic postcards of African soldiers
Language:
  • French
Call number:
  • Electronic Resource
Extent:
  • 103 postcards.
Format:
  • Visual material
Type:
  • Pictorial works
Publisher:
  • approximately 1905-approximately 1920.
Subject:
  • Soldiers—France—Colonies—Pictorial works
  • Soldiers—Congo (Democratic Republic)—Pictorial works
  • France. Armée—Colonial forces—Africa—Pictorial works
  • Belgium. Armée—Colonial forces—Africa—Pictorial works
Title sort:
  • Princeton University Library collection of photographic postcards of African soldiers.
Spatial:
  • Senegal
  • Morocco
  • Madagascar
  • Congo (Democratic Republic)
  • France
  • Belgium
Created:
  • 1905-01-01T00:00:00Z/1920-12-31T23:59:59Z
Date:
  • 1905-1920
Location:
  • RCPXX Electronic Resource
  • ELF1 Electronic Resource
Identifier:
  • ark:/88435/k930c198h
Edm rights:
  • No Known Copyright
Abstract:
  • Mainly black and white photographic postcards from France, Belgium, and colonized Africa. One is chromolithographic, and one is a colored ink drawing. Many have postage stamps which indicate place and date; some have French messages written on the reverse. They depict military life in French-colonized Senegal, Morocco, Madagascar, and in the Belgian Congo.
Range label:
  • Logical
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