A 5.5x3.5" vintage collotype photo postcard from a large collection of postcards brought back from WW1 by a Pvt John F Farrell of Battery B, 11th Field Artillery.

Photo Overview

This postcard shows the wartime replacement bridge ("Nouveau Pont de guerre" - New War Bridge) spanning the Marne River at Chateau-Thierry, Aisne, France, photographed in 1918 by Marcel Delboy of Bordeaux. The original stone bridge had been destroyed during the intense fighting of World War 1, and this temporary military-engineering span - supported on pontoon-style barge piers - was erected to restore the vital crossing. Rubble from the destroyed original bridge is visible in the foreground, and war-damaged buildings line the far bank, giving a vivid sense of the destruction visited upon this French town.

This postcard was brought back from the Western Front by Pvt. John F. Farrell of Battery B, 11th Field Artillery, U.S. Army - a unit that served in France during the Meuse-Argonne and related 1918 campaigns.

Historical Notes

Chateau-Thierry was the site of one of the most pivotal American engagements of WW1. In late May and early June 1918, German forces advancing during the Spring Offensive reached the Marne River at Chateau-Thierry, and American troops of the 3rd Division helped stop the crossing here - earning the 3rd Division its legendary nickname "Rock of the Marne." The nearby Battle of Belleau Wood (June 1918) further cemented American valor at this location.

After the Armistice in November 1918, reconstruction of Chateau-Thierry began, including the permanent replacement of the destroyed bridge. The town became a major pilgrimage site for American veterans and families; the Chateau-Thierry American Monument, dedicated in 1937, still stands on the hill above the town today as a memorial to the U.S. soldiers who fought and died here. The 11th Field Artillery, part of the 2nd Division, AEF, was actively engaged in the Aisne-Marne offensive and would have passed through or near this very location.

Text Present

Front of card, lower left: "Photot Marcel Delboy, Bordeaux"
Front of card, bottom center: "2. CHATEAU-THIERRY (Aisne) - Nouveau Pont de guerre photo 1918 M. D."
Front of card, below above line: "New bridge"

Back of card: "CARTE POSTALE" (top center); "CORRESPONDANCE" (left); "ADRESSE" (right) - standard French postcard back format, unused.

Print analysis

This is a collotype or early photomechanical halftone postcard produced in France circa 1918-1919, shortly after the photograph was taken. The sepia-toned image with its slightly soft printing and the wartime "Carte Postale" back layout are consistent with French commercial postcards produced in the immediate post-battle period. This would be classified as a Type 1 production, printed within a year or two of the photograph being taken. The photographer credit to Marcel Delboy of Bordeaux confirms commercial photographic postcard production.

Condition

Please see scans of the image we have provided for the most accurate and complete state of the postcard.