1909 Le Vieil Amiens: Place des Huchers and Pont Piperesse
This exceptionally rare postcard, titled “Le Vieil Amiens,” captures the historic Place des Huchers and the Pont Piperesse in Old Amiens, framed by the majestic spires of the Cathédrale Notre-Dame d’Amiens. The image preserves a district that was largely destroyed during World War Two, including rue Saint-Firmin-le-Confesseur and part of rue des Rinchevaux, making it an irreplaceable visual record of the city’s early twentieth-century urban landscape.
The postcard derives its historical resonance not only from its architecture but also from the local lore it preserves. The Pont Piperesse and adjoining square are linked to Marie-la-Piperesse, the wife of the cathedral’s piper or watchman, and the square’s historic name, Place des Huchers, refers to the Old French verb “hucher,” meaning to call out or shout. This was the location from which watchmen once sounded alarms and summoned townspeople, a civic function that gives the site its evocative nickname, sometimes translated as the “Place of Yelling.” In this way, the postcard conveys a sense of the social and civic life of Amiens before the disruptions of modernity and war.
The card bears the imprint of Herbout, a distinguished local stationer and printer, on the front: “Herbout, 10 rue de Noyon, Amiens.” In the early twentieth century, Herbout operated as both a papeterie and a photographic printer, producing high-quality postcards that documented the streets, bridges, and historic monuments of Amiens. The front-facing imprint confirms the card’s provenance and authenticity, showing that it was produced and distributed with pride by a respected local establishment serving both residents and travelers. Herbout’s involvement links the image to the broader history of French postcard production, where regional workshops played a crucial role in capturing and disseminating local heritage.
Visually, the postcard is a masterful composition, situating the Pont Piperesse in the foreground, the bustling square in the midground, and the cathedral rising elegantly in the background. The layered narrative conveys architecture, civic tradition, and social life simultaneously, making it a multidimensional artifact rather than a simple souvenir.
In vintage condition, with the gentle patina of age, this postcard is a rare and highly desirable item for collectors of French ephemera, early twentieth-century photographic postcards, railway and civic history, or Gothic architecture. It offers not only an image of a vanished part of Amiens but also a tangible connection to the city’s social history, its civic traditions, and the artistry of regional postcard production, making it a remarkable acquisition for discerning collectors and institutions alike.
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