Posted 10 years ago
vetraio50
(756 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.
the milkmaids are beautiful!!
The dogs don't look too happy.
Now that is fair comment, BB!!!
Many thanks to BLUNDERBUSS, SEAN, VIOLETORANGE, KAREN, AGHCOLLECT, GARY, ELISABETHAN 'n GEO too !!!!
Many thanks MIKELV!!!
Very interesting, love this post!
Many thanks PHIL, VIRGINIA VINTAGE, CINDYJUNE, WALKSOFTLY 'n RADEGRUNDER too!!!!!!
Many thanks TREY!!!!!
Many thanks TED STRAUB!!!!
Milkmaids look sad, I think there shoes make there feet hurt!
Clogs were about all there was until recent times, DON.
Many thanks TED STRAUB 'n PETEY too!!!
Many thanks TOM!!!
Many thanks SMIATA 'n MANIKIN!!!!!
Many thanks TRUNKMAN!!!
Many thanks NITTYGRITTY!!!!!
Many thanks BRATJDD!!!!
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...
Many thanks KIVATINITZ 'n NORDICMAN !!!!!
Many thanks MIKKO !!!!!!!!!
Many thanks THOMAS & OROYOROY !!! !!!! !!!
Many thanks ROYCROFTBOOKSFROMME !!!!
Nice post card and enjoyable read. I think I enjoy this website mostly for all the knowledge and curious things people share. Thanks
Many thanks THOMAS & SYLVESTER !!!!!!