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.
Cauvin - Deer Hunt
This card is likely one of Cauvin-father’s earliest, from 1916 and printed by a Japanese firm.
The image captures three soldiers who have just brought down a deer in the hills of Cap Saint-Jacques. They wear collar insignia—though the details are barely visible here. A note on another card even suggests the standing hunter may be the photographer himself. To hunt and own a personal rifle, they would have had to be officers or NCOs.
But why a Japanese printer? In 1916, Japan stood as France’s ally in World War I. Though trade with Europe was strained, Tokyo used this alliance to deepen ties with French Asian colonies—especially Indochina—and expand its influence across Southeast Asia. That’s how Japanese prints came to circulate in French-administered territories.