Photo 1263(1)

Miniature print mounted as a carte de visite, with descriptive letterpress on mount. The photograph is a reduced image (much faded) of the front page of L'International sent by pigeon during the Franco-Prussian War. The overmount, on which is printed descriptive letterpress describing the use of reduced copies of The Times sent by pigeon post between Bordeaux and Paris during the war, clearly relates to a different image. The correct caption for the present photograph, as given above, is printed on the lower mount, to which the image itself is affixed.

The letterpress on the overmount reads as follows: 'A pigeon's letter. A memento of the Great War of 1870-1 when Paris, for several months, depended solely on the carrier pigeons for all information from the outer world. 'The Times' containing several columns of French advertisements, etc., to relatives in Paris. This photograph was sent to M. Gambetta for transmission by pigeon from Bordeaux. When received in the bureau at Paris, it is magnified, by the aid of the magic lantern, to an enormous size and thrown upon a screen. A staff of clerks immediately transcribe the messages, and send them off to the parties indicated.'