Title Information
Title
Garde Impériale Voltigeur
Title Information: translated
Title
Imperial Guard light infantryman
Name: Personal
Name Part
Crémière, Léon
Name Part: Date
1831-1913
Role
Role Term: Text
photographer
Origin Information
Place
Place Term: Code (MARC Country Code)
fr
Place Term: Text
Paris
Publisher
C et H
Date Issued
1869-1871
Date Issued: Start
1869
Date Issued: End
1871
Physical Description
Extent
1 photograph
Abstract
A traditional part of the French Army, cantinières were attached to battalions of the French army and wore a soldier's uniform, as represented in this "carte de visite". While they would be primarily in charge of carrying food and drink to soldiers, they would also participate in some assaults or battles such as those of the Franco-Prussian War (1870-1871). Despite the horrific defeat of the French by the Germans in this war, the city of Paris refused to surrender to German occupation of the capital. Although the newly elected French National Assembly, under the direction of Adolphe Thiers, accepted a peace agreement with Prussia and negotiated terms of surrender in March of 1871, the city of Paris refused submission to Thiers and the Germans, and opted instead to elect a municipal council known as the Commune of Paris. Officially established on March 18th and comprised mainly of members of the working class, the Commune was considered to be a socialist government formed by and for the people, and represented an attempt for Parisians to rewrite laws and reclaim power from the bottom. Shortly after establishing itself, the Commune passed laws that lowered rent, granted freedom of the press, separated church and state, and improved general working conditions for Parisian citizens. The Commune's socialist approach depended on representation of the city as a whole, including women. Women played an active role in participating in various committees and serving as soldiers in battles against the Versailles government. One club, known as the "Union des femmes pour la défense de Paris et les soins aux blessés," founded by Marx's friend Elizabeth Dmitrieff, was an especially active association of women who helped to aid wounded communards. The cantinières were affiliated with this group, and were responsible for providing food and drink to the National Guard of the Commune. They were known to carry coffee or brandy in their casks and were often observed marching and fighting with their battalion.
Subject
Topic
Women soldiers
Geographic
France
Temporal
19th century
Subject
Temporal
Franco-Prussian War, 1870-1871
Topic
Food supply
Subject
Geographic
France
Topic
History
Temporal
Commune, 1871
Subject
Topic
Vivandière
Subject (displayLabel="Thematic Category")
Topic
Art
Topic
Photographs
Subject (displayLabel="Thematic Category")
Topic
Social Life
Topic
Gender studies
Subject (displayLabel="Thematic Category")
Topic
Government and Politics
Topic
Wars
Subject (displayLabel="Thematic Category")
Topic
Art
Topic
Fashion
Subject (displayLabel="Historical Period")
Topic
1870-1871 (War, Siege, the Commune)
Related Item: Host (displayLabel="Collection:")
Title Information
Title
Prints, Drawings and Watercolors from the Anne S.K. Brown Military Collection
Identifier: COLID
6
Identifier: URI
http://dl.lib.brown.edu/paris
Identifier: METSID
1113403726284750
Type of Resource
still image
Access Condition: rights statement (href="http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/")
No Copyright - United States
Access Condition: restriction on access
Collection is open for research.