Officers and Balloons (French glass stereoviews)

[Ian Ference]

We've added an exquisite new set of 20 glass stereoviews we've titled "Officers and Balloons" to Stereoscope on the WFA homepage. Here are a few samples:

1) General Henri Gouraud at a training exercise for the 13th regiment, 1917

2) Filling a spherical observation balloon at the Somme

3) Decauville engine (Col. Cigna looks on) - According to Martin Haywood, a Great War in 3D correspondent who is also an expert in light rail use in the First World War: "It's the first image I've seen of the French using an Oberursel locomotive in the war. There's a couple of explanations why the French have it, either having captured it from the Germans or it was already in France (in industry) before the war and it got called into war use. Worth noting the missing bodywork but also the open cab - this would have most likely been destined for a mine with height restriction (a "grubenlok" to the Germans). Unfortunately much of Oberursel's locomotive records of the late 19th and early 20th century no longer exist to run checks."

4) Presentation of award to Du Laurens

5) Cap. Laurent Drouot

 

Edited 22 August , 2021 by Ian Ference

[Stereoview Paul]

 

A similar loco but complete with body and cab