Portrait Memories of Carpentras 1914

 

portrait WWI et II
portrait WWI et II

 

 

 

 

Glued on the stone columns along the arcade in Carpentras was the reproduction portraits from Louis Rama

who earlier in the year had an exposition of portraits he created of WWI.

Louis Rama called the exposition "Our Faces 1914" their memories.

 

 

The exhibition was of portraits of soldiers curated from old photographs entrusted by families from Carpentras and the surrounding area. The families,  inhabitants of Carpentras, had fathers, grandfathers, great grandfathers, who have been caught up in the agony of war. The project of this exhibition was to give them a face, to revive their memory in the face to face of drawings and paintings, and thus to make their presence appear amongst them, to make it evident in the walls of their town, as in their collective history that their stories, their lives are still amongst them.

 

portrait WWI et II

The other day after the brocante, Yann and I went to Lunch as we walked to our favorite bakery in the area (JOUVAUD) we saw these amazing eye-catching portraits, we read their descriptions, their stories. I instantly took photos of each of them and shared them to my stories on Instagram knowing later I would write about them here.

 

 

 

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Along each portrait is a hand-me-down memory, a tale, a snippet of each man's story from their families memory bank. The reflective memories not only tell a part of their lives in some way reflects our journey, our struggles, our dreams, our lives…

 

 

WWI Portraits
WWI Portraits
WWI Portraits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WWI Portraits

 

WWI Portraits

 

 

WWI Portraits

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WWI Portraits
WWI Portraits
WWI Portraits


WWI Portraits
WWI Portraits

 

 

 

WWI Portraits
WWI Portraits



Comments

12 responses to “Portrait Memories of Carpentras 1914”

  1. Donna Boucher

    Thank you for sharing this story. I love how they were displayed, in a way that the common folks could read and learn and honor the people who served. A story for all.

  2. So interesting, thank you for sharing. My husband’s family live in Carpentras, it’s a nice city.

  3. These are marvelous. They are all so different, and they emanate the personalities. Thank you for sharing them, and bravo to Carpentras for such a thoughtful remembrance project.

  4. Remembrances! How special that someone wanted them not to be forgotten.

  5. RebeccaNYC

    Thanks for sharing this ! We’ll be staying very near Carpentras this year. I am really looking forward to getting to know this town that I don’t know anything about!

  6. Ella Dyer

    As always, your blog is beautiful. Merci et grâce à les hommes et ses familles.
    The second photo stopped me in my reading tracks as it looks hauntingly like my late brother-in-law (who was not French, nor even near the generation of WW!). I will send your blog to Dennis’ sister as she will see the resemblance as well.
    Please continue to share your stories for we never know how they will touch readers and others.
    Bien cordialement,
    Grandma Ella

  7. charland

    What an amazing collection. One can almost feel in one’s bones the horror and glory of them.

  8. Teddee Grace

    I love the idea of posting these images in this manner on the same streets these men walked so they are still a part of the population.

  9. Chico Sue

    Thank you, Corey, for displaying this stunning collection of portraits. I wonder if anyone in the town of Carpentras could have imagined, in 1914, that the images of their loved ones would be honored and sent around the world through your blog. Could they even have understood what a blog was, or the internet, or thousands of other incredible sources of communication? Once again, you have offered the gift of sharing and love.

  10. Barbara Blizzard

    Frank and I will now be sure to visit Carpentras while we are in Provence at the end of the month – I have a friend who has just published a biography of his father who served in the Balloon Corps in Meuse-Argonne from 1917 to the Armistice in 1918 so he will appreciate us gathering these stories as well. Thanks for bringing us this awareness.

  11. This is so amazing. What a wonderful way of remembering the soldiers of Carpentras. I visited here once many years ago and I seem to remember this village as being very ‘touristy’, beautiful, with many fountains and a lovely old city (am I remembering correctly?)
    This is an ‘exhibition’ to behold – unique, special and a kind, gentle way of paying a tribute once more to these brave men, so long ago! Thanks for sharing.

  12. Yes, Ella. I see the resemblance What a beautiful story and collection of images. It would be nice to be able to read them too.

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