INDOCHINA CARTACARO.COM A year ago, we promised to unveil Captain Péri’s rare photographs of the 1909 Battle of Yen Thé. Today, the wait is over! Over 80 never-before-seen images are now available.
Alfred Raquez in color
We have examined the color postcards of Fievet, Planté, and Demange—now let’s turn to Raquez.
Now, after Fievet, Planté, and Demange, we look at Raquez.
At the time, color postcards were a premium product, and publishers kept a close eye on the competition. Raquez—or rather, those who published his work after his death—followed the trend.
His cards, divided into six series (A to F) around 1908, show no clear organizational logic. Likely compiled by someone unfamiliar with Laos, its culture, or its customs, the arrangement often feels arbitrary. Why is this image here and that one there?
The colors also betray the limitations: bright, sometimes harsh tones, with stencil work that bleeds or even trembles at the edges.
