1909 Grand Carriage Race Crillon Hotel Paris France Vintage Postcard

About This Vintage Postcard

This early 20th-century monochrome postcard captures a lively scene titled Journée des Drags - Le Départ (Drag Day - The Departure) in front of the Hotel de Crillon in Paris. The image shows an elegant crowd and horse-drawn carriages gathered at the Place de la Concorde for the Course des Drags, a high-society coaching event popular during the Belle Époque. The Hotel de Crillon, originally commissioned by King Louis XV in 1758, is showcased here shortly after it officially opened as a luxury hotel in 1909. The scene is a remarkable historical record of Parisian social life and transportation at the turn of the century.

Details

Era: Divided Back (Circa 1909-1914)
City: Paris
State or Region: Ile-de-France
Country: France
Topic: Belle Epoque Social Life, Horse-Drawn Carriages, Luxury Hotels, Place de la Concorde
Condition: Uncirculated
Postage: Unposted; no postmark or stamp
Address Side: divided back
Orientation: Horizontal (Landscape)
Artist / Photographer: B.F. Paris
Publisher: Berthaud Freres (B.F.), Paris
Printer: Berthaud Freres
Print Type: Collotype

Additional Information

The card was published by Berthaud Freres, a prestigious Parisian firm located at 9 Rue des Ursulines, identifiable by the B.F. PARIS initials on the front left edge. This specific event, the Journée des Drags, was a major highlight of the Parisian social calendar, usually held in June during the racing season. Given that the building only reopened as the Hotel de Crillon in 1909 and the divided back format was standard during this time, the card dates between 1909 and the start of WWI in 1914. The wavy central divider is a common design element for Berthaud Freres cards from this period.

Love it ♡
Get it ☆
Get Lucky 💋 Vintage