Perhaps I mentioned it here, perhaps on one of my other blogs. We bought some postcard albums in the autumn that came from a chateau. The albums belonged to a little girl and her mother. The little girl, Odette, used to stay with her Granny the countess when her parents were travelling. Because of the postcards we sold, the present owner of the countess’s chateau got in touch with us. Odette’s mother didn’t exist in any of the records he had!
This week I received a package in the post. With a little help from us and a lot from other places, he had pieced together the life of Odette’s mother. She wasn’t really the Countess’s daughter but the illegitimate child of a close relative (who died) and a nobleman (who acknowledged her as his daughter) Granny, the Countess brought her up as her own. There was a lot more in the document sent to me. Odette lived into her 80’s and died in 1983. Her only child, a daughter, died a year ago, unmarried and childless. This is how we came to buy the albums at auction. I’ve often pieced together the lives of the people whose postcards we’ve bought in the past, but never have I had anything confirmed like this. I think that you can imagine how pleased I am. Odette’s father, a Doctor, earned the legion d’honneur in the first world war and helped the Jews in the village where he was Mayor escape from the German army during WWII. I always knew he’d turn out to be a hero.
I’ve still got plenty of cards left in Odette’s album… and I’m still looking for more clues.
If you're interested, you can read here about the floods in Paris exactly 100 years ago.
4 comments:
It is really good when the story comes together, isn't it? -and with people doing good things, too!
I love Anything like this! SO interesting! Happy weekend Sweetie!!hughugs
How interesting, I've never been able to find that much information about any of the old objects I've bought, if only they could talk eh?
I am going to start posting again on my blog I've just been really busy as I'm doing an open university degree now. I had to post something when I got the sheet music to Ruby Tuesday and Brian Jones name wasn't on it as it was so strange. I thought they would have to credit him even if he is dead and had left the band at the time of his death.
And James "Tappy Wright (Hendrix's Roadie) has actually agreed to talk to me after I found him facebook, I'm just waiting until he gets back to England and I'm going to phone him. It will be interesting to see what he has to say as he actually knew Hendrix and claims that the manager confessed to him.
Dru: Yep, even though I don't usually find out as much as I have this time, I still enjoy dreaming...
Donna: I'll keep you posted if I find out more.
Nancy: it's good to see you again. Looking forward to more developments.
Cute: Unfortunately my daughter isn't around to translate for me. Thank you for your comment.
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