5 Antique French Bergeret Postcards – Les Cinq Sens – Five Senses Belle Époque c. 1903

Les Cinq Sens – The Five Senses of the Belle Époque

A charming set of five original antique French photographic postcards published by A. Bergeret & Cie in Nancy, France, in the early 20th century.

Entitled Les Cinq Sens (The Five Senses), this delightful series features a young girl portraying the five human senses through expressive poses and carefully staged photographic scenes.

Dressed in a beautiful period costume with delicate lace details, the girl appears in five different compositions, each illustrating one of the senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste and touch.

The photographs capture the innocence, playfulness and theatrical charm of French Belle Époque postcard photography.

Each card bears its original numbered title printed in red, along with the publisher's imprint, Phototypie A. Bergeret & Cie, Nancy.

The Five Postcards

No. 1 – La Vue (Sight)

The young girl admires herself in an ornate handheld mirror, beautifully illustrating the sense of sight.

No. 2 – L'Ouïe (Hearing)

With a lively and mischievous expression, the girl raises her hands near her ears, representing the sense of hearing.

No. 3 – L'Odorat (Smell)

Holding a bouquet of flowers, the young girl gently smells a blossom, creating a delicate and poetic composition.

No. 4 – Le Goût (Taste)

A delightful humorous portrait showing the girl enjoying a spoonful of jam from a small jar labelled Confiture.

No. 5 – Le Toucher (Touch)

In the final photograph, the girl adopts a playful pose with her hands, illustrating the sense of touch.

Together, these five postcards form a coherent photographic series, combining childhood portraiture, visual storytelling and the elegant aesthetics of early 20th-century French postcard publishing.

Product Details

• Title: Les Cinq Sens (The Five Senses)

• Publisher: A. Bergeret & Cie, Nancy, France

• Period: Early 20th century, circa 1903

• Origin: France

• Quantity: 5 original antique postcards

• Numbering: Cards 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

• Subjects: Sight, Hearing, Smell, Taste and Touch

• Dimensions: Each postcard measures approximately 9 × 14 cm (3.5 × 5.5 inches)

• Technique: Antique phototypie photographic printing

• Language: French

• Reference: BG-04

• Sold as: One set of five original antique postcards, exactly as photographed

Condition

Original antique postcards showing natural signs of age and previous postal use.

The cards display age-related discolouration, scattered foxing, minor surface marks and occasional wear to the edges and corners.

Several postcards feature handwritten inscriptions or dates on the illustrated fronts.

The Smell and Touch postcards retain original postage stamps applied to the illustrated sides.

The reverse sides show handwritten addresses, postal cancellations, old postage stamps, pencil markings and areas of foxing.

The postcards have not been restored and retain their authentic antique appearance.

Please examine all photographs carefully, as they form an essential part of the description.

A Charming Collection of French Postal History

A delightful set for collectors of antique French postcards, Belle Époque photography, childhood portraits, historical ephemera and early photographic printing.

The five expressive scenes also make an attractive decorative ensemble for a personal archive, vintage-inspired interior or cabinet of curiosities.

You will receive the five original postcards numbered 1 to 5, exactly as shown in the photographs.