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LAITIÈRES FLAMANDES

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Postcards961 of 1654BRUXELLES - LAITIÈRES FLAMANDES WATERLOO - L'ÉGLISE.
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    Posted 10 years ago

    vetraio50
    (751 items)

    Septimus and Clara Miller visited Belgium in 1907. They collected three cards from a series that was quite popular at the time: la Laitière Flamande or het Vlaamse melkmeisje. I was unaware of the series until I began doing the research for these three cards.

    At first I was struck by the folk costume and the clogs. But then I looked a little more carefully at the photos and noticed that the young girls in the photographs were all the same. These photos were very staged; they are very theatrical.

    The milk cans shine.

    But look at the cart! - Two working dogs!

    The term "Laitière" can actually refer to the milk cart or to the young girl as well. The Dutch term is either "Het melkmeisje" or "De melkmeid". She was probably the daughter, wife or maid of a farmer sent to town to sell the farm’s milk on a daily basis.

    Until the 30s of the 20th century there were no adequate means to sterilize milk.

    Milk had to be sold fresh.

    The milkmaids were also known as local beauties - of fair and clear complexion!

    Exposure to ‘cowpox’ on the dairy farms gave them a partial immunity to the disfiguring (and often fatal) disease of smallpox.

    The milkmaid became a symbol of the idyllic countryside.

    The photographer here has placed the two girls in a country landscape near the ‘family farm’, I suppose.

    This is a postcard No 131 published by Thomas van den Heuvel of Brussels.

    I love the warning on the back of the card that not all countries at the time allowed one to write correspondence on the back of the card.

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    Comments

    1. SEAN68 SEAN68, 10 years ago
      the milkmaids are beautiful!!
    2. blunderbuss2 blunderbuss2, 10 years ago
      The dogs don't look too happy.
    3. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Now that is fair comment, BB!!!

      Many thanks to BLUNDERBUSS, SEAN, VIOLETORANGE, KAREN, AGHCOLLECT, GARY, ELISABETHAN 'n GEO too !!!!
    4. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Many thanks MIKELV!!!
    5. Virginia.vintage Virginia.vintage, 10 years ago
      Very interesting, love this post!
    6. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Many thanks PHIL, VIRGINIA VINTAGE, CINDYJUNE, WALKSOFTLY 'n RADEGRUNDER too!!!!!!
    7. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Many thanks TREY!!!!!
    8. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Many thanks TED STRAUB!!!!
    9. toracat toracat, 10 years ago
      Milkmaids look sad, I think there shoes make there feet hurt!
    10. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Clogs were about all there was until recent times, DON.
    11. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Many thanks TED STRAUB 'n PETEY too!!!
    12. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Many thanks TOM!!!
    13. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Many thanks SMIATA 'n MANIKIN!!!!!
    14. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Many thanks TRUNKMAN!!!
    15. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Many thanks NITTYGRITTY!!!!!
    16. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Many thanks BRATJDD!!!!
    17. kivatinitz kivatinitz, 10 years ago
      Your know vetraio I like what you teach us every day. By the way pasteurization was develope (as almost every think) not for milk but for wine or beer...
    18. vetraio50 vetraio50, 10 years ago
      Many thanks KIVATINITZ 'n NORDICMAN !!!!!
    19. vetraio50 vetraio50, 9 years ago
      Many thanks MIKKO !!!!!!!!!
    20. vetraio50 vetraio50, 8 years ago
      Many thanks THOMAS & OROYOROY !!! !!!! !!!
    21. vetraio50 vetraio50, 8 years ago
      Many thanks ROYCROFTBOOKSFROMME !!!!
    22. Sylvester22 Sylvester22, 6 years ago
      Nice post card and enjoyable read. I think I enjoy this website mostly for all the knowledge and curious things people share. Thanks
    23. vetraio50 vetraio50, 6 years ago
      Many thanks THOMAS & SYLVESTER !!!!!!

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