191 Cauterets - Chiens des Pyrenees

I waited a long time to add this rare vintage card to my collection.  It is probably the oldest one I have dating back to the late 1800s.  It has an undivided back which places it prior to 1907 and the wording on the back "Ce cote est exclusivement reserve a l'adresse" puts the card in the 1881 time period.  When I first saw this card in 2004 it went on auction for $56.00 (US dollars) to a serious Pyr collector, far too steep for me at that time.  I still paid a hefty price for owning it and would do it again in a heartbeat.  Les Pyrenees Illustrees. Imp. Royer et Cie, Nancy.

80 Chien des Pyrenees BR.

Bloc Freres. Editeurs - Bordeaux.  One of the saddest Pyrenees I have come across while collecting.  I just want to take him home.  His defined face markings are not seen in today's dogs but you often see them in the vintage cards from France and the Pyrenean Mastiffs (Spain) of today.  

74 Les Pyrenees

Types regionaux - Haute Montagne. Cabane de berger.  Editions Chantecler - Pau.  This appears to be a hut where the cheese is produced, with the shepherds cabin in behind.  I'm not an expert on cheese making but there are clues - the milk jugs, the wrapped block of cheese the shepherd appears to be holding, the bag of curds? hanging by the door to drain the liquid.  I am interested in your thoughts on this.

Les Pyrenees - Chien de la Montagne

Another beautiful card from France, postmarked in 1907.  A. Villatte, editione is typed on the bottom of the card but the rest is blocked by the image itself.

164 LOURDES (3 postcards)

Three of my favourite series of cards - Un Eleveur de Chiens de Montagne.  This family gathering of young children, donkeys, dogs and squirming puppies tells a story.   The stoic expressions of the girl in the center, the pouting boy on the right, the very upset baby girl...one wonders what they thought of the photographer taking so many shots.  I feel sorry for the Mom who looks like she has a bit of a handful in her young daughter.  And then there are the men..first there are two, then there is one.  Use your imagination.  These postcards are postmarked 1907 and they are not the only ones from this family grouping.  The others feature only the dogs.

Storing your Postcards

If you are mounting the cards in frames for display or in an album, use photo corners that are archival quality and make sure the pages and/or matts that are touching the cards are of acid free paper.  Display away from direct sunlight as the sun will cause the card to fade and discolour, preferably on an inside wall if you have moisture problems in your home.


If you wish to store your cards in a binder in plastic sleeves, look on the package for PCV Free / Archival Quality pages.  The ones I use are BCW Pro Pages (120 Micron Polypopylene) and are available in many different configurations.  Most vintage postcards can be stored 4 per page side.  The larger (later) cards can either be put in the 3 per page (2 vintage size cards on the top and 1 larger opening on bottom for the bigger card) or in the 2 per page format.  Don't forget the other trade cards - the tea, tobacco, cereal cards that are the size of business cards...the sleeves that baseball/hockey card collectors use are perfect for those.  

Bonne Annee

This card dates from the 1914 to 1930s.  The phrase "Bonne Annee" is embossed onto the card, unlike the etched greetings from a previous post.  This card is hand coloured with dyes.  No identification on the back for publisher.  There is at least one other card in this series...on my wish list to find.

Geraldine's Collection (part 2)

Children and dogs just go together.  The quality of these images, the endearing children, the expression and calmness in the Pyrs, just makes you smile.  I can speak to the card in the lower right corner - Les Pyrenees (2e Serie) Jeune Chienne des Pyrenees (MUNIA) with two different card numbers that I'm aware of - 965 or 711 - probably from the 1910s.

Geraldine's Collection (part 1)

Geraldine is lucky to have family in SW France and on her trips overseas is able to leisurely browse the shops and open markets for Pyrenees items.  She sent me these scans of some of the postcards she has collected.  Who can't help but love these!  Many of the early cards have dogs with very deep markings and the question always arises "Is it really a Pyr?" or one of the "cousin" breeds?  For hobby collectors, it often doesn't really matter as the dog has many similar features to a Pyrenees even if it is not identified.  For the purists in the breed, you may just pass the card off as a pretty photo of a dog and stick only to the postcards that you "know" are Pyrs.  Again, does it matter?  That is up to the individual.

78 La Douce France - Les Pyrenees

Le Col d'Aubisque.  Edition d'Art YVON, Paris.  Reproduction Interdite.  Fabrication francaise.  This card was postmarked from Cauterets Hautes Pyrenees and dated 1930.  The signature Yvon appears on several cards in my collection.  These vintage cards look wonderful matted and framed and hung in a grouping on the wall...miniature works of art to be enjoyed.

C 175 Vallee d'Aure

"Altesse" chienne des Pyrenees (Hotel Loste a Guchan)  ARUM-EDITIONS 1, rue Cornac - BORDEAUX.  A more recent card, likely from the 1960s.

79 Les Pyrenees

Types Regionaux Ossaloise allant a la Fontaine.  Editions Chantecler.  Postmarked 1953.  If I remember correctly (now I'll have to check) this dog appears in an identical pose in another card from the same era.  I don't have that particular card in my collection, yet, so I'll have to rely on a web search to confirm.  The publisher's/photographer's logo appears in the lower right corner, a rooster, with the lettering Chantecler underneath.  It is times like this that I realize that I am not that far away from getting a better pair of glasses or, at least, a magnifying glass to read the fine print on some of these cards.

10002 St. Jean-d'Aulph (Hte-Savoie)

alt. 810 m. Paturages, vers Clos-Florine.  Les Editions J. CELLARD 13, rue de l'Economie - BRON (Rhone).  Rarely do you see a Pyrenees postcard with the dog tending to a flock of sheep...even less so working among cattle...so this card almost passed me by.  I'm glad I found it as it gives a different perspective to the working dog in the mountains.

M Leon Ross

Directeur des Grottes de Betharram.  C'est ce Breton de Saint-Malo qui a eu l'idee l'audace de faire de tres grands travoux pour amenager ces merveilleuses Grottes.  De ce fait, Leon Ross a ouvert ou tourisme une des plus belles curiosites naturelles des Pyrenees.  Collection des Grottes de Betharram.  This card was included in a postcard booklet for sale to tourists, probably dating from the 1930s.  Because of the detail in the description, I am sure that this M. Ross can be traced through a bit of research into the Grotto.

Hartelijh Gefeliciteerd (part two)

Remember the card from an earlier post?  Well, here are two more in the series of the little girl with her Pyrenees.  This time the dog is riding in a peddle car and sitting on a chair.  The dog must have the patience of a Saint (not the Bernard kind) to put up with such fuss and still be photographed in such endearing poses.  All 3 cards have the same number in the corner - 1090 - and only state "Made in France" on the back.  One has a postmark from the 1930's.  Each card was hand coloured using vibrant dyes.  I know that there is at least one more card in the series.

1078 Le Tourmalet

Les Pyrenees. Edit. ALIX, Bagneres-de-Bigorre - Reproduction interdite.  There are at least 2 other cards in this series - the same man with one and two dogs.  The date marked on this particular one is July 10th1937 with the stamp "Refuge ou Col du Tourmalet par Bareges, Altitude 2114 m. Chez Joseph", difficult to read as the stamping is blurred.

Comments? YES!!

My apologies to those visitors who tried to leave comments about this postcard collection.  When I did the initial set up of the blog I somehow missed a section that included my preferences for comments.  Unfortunately it defaulted to private members only but that was NOT my intention.  You will be pleased to know that it is now OPEN for all to post comments!!  I am looking forward to reading what you have to say about what I have posted thus far.  Perhaps you can fill in many of the gaps in my limited research and/or direct other collectors to other resources on the early Pyrenees postcards.  Thank you for stopping by!!
   -- Sharon

161 Chien des Pyrenees (front and back)

Sajous, lib., a Bagneres-de-Bigorre.  PHOT. A B &Co. NANCY.  Here is an example of how to read the date of a card, despite the obvious that it was written on the 27th of January, 1908.  There are many clues to dating - the postmark (1908) - this only tells you when it was posted but not always when it was produced.  The fact that it is a divided back allowing for a message on one side and an address on the other signifies that the card was printed after 1907 when the divided back first began.  The "CARTE POSTAL", in particular underneath that "Ce cote est exclusivement reserve a l'adresse", was used as early as 1881.  The amount of postage - 10 centime - was required from 1878 (within France) up until 1917 (unless the card contained 5 words or less).  Now, if only I could read written French...I will need a translator for this one.

2 Chien des Pyrenees

Just when you think you have all the postcards of a dog lying on the grass, you'll find another, and another, and another... In this process of posting all the Pyrenees postcards in my collection (and generously borrowed from other private collections) you will begin to notice familiar dogs.  Is this the same dog as "Jer" who I posted earlier?  Makes you wonder.

402 Eaux-Bonnes - Le Casino

Le Casino must have been a popular site for locals and tourists as there are many postcards of this magnificent building nestled into the slopes of the Pyrenees hillside.  Most of the cards featured shots of this ramp leading up to the building with various carriages on the roadways and pedestrians milling about on the sidewalks or sitting on the railings.  Pretty, I thought.  I almost missed it...the Pyrenees!  Needless to say this card came home to my collection.  I wonder if this building is still standing?  The photograph must have been taken in the early 1900s.  Another mystery that I must unravel.  In the lower left corner is the name Royer and Nancy.  I would expect this was the photographer.  There is nothing on the back to identify the publisher of the card.  Les Pyrenees Illustrees.

1 Ossaloise et Chien des Pyrenees

Described as a semi-modern postcard by the seller, nevertheless, this card showcases the breed "in the rough" with his flock.  Les Pyrenees Illustrees.  It is a reproduction card by the Soc. des Cartes Postales A P A Poux, Albi.  Veritable photographie. Reprod. interdite.  Several of the earliest cards were reproduced in the 1950/1960s for the tourist market.  This one is on photo paper with a crimped border and divided back for posting.  The initials APA appear in the lower right corner.

1016 Jeune Chien des Pyrenees (1 mois)

And just how do you get a 1 month old puppy to stay put long enough to capture a shot?  Obviously this photographer was talented!  Les Pyrenees (2 Serie).  Phototypie Labouche freres, Toulouse.

Chien des Pyrenees "Jer"

An example of one of France's early show dogs - "Jer". The front of the card reads "Chien des Pyrenees "Jer" 1st prix Exposition Canine de Cauterets 1920 - A.M. Roubaud Hotel Ermitage - LOURDES".  Some more digging is required to identify the dog, kennel, and owner which, I hope, one of our readers may have the answer.  This is a hand coloured card produced in the 1920s.

Scenes et Types des Pyrenees - BOOKLET

Often a collection of postcards from the Pyrenees region of France would be placed together in booklet form.  This particular booklet contains 12 hand coloured postcards of various scenes in the Pyrenees, including 3 cards of the breed itself.  Each card is separated by a sheet of tissue to protect the surface of the card.

206 Chien des Pyrenees

This card has also come with the caption on the front "Series 12. Scenes et Types des Pyrenees - Chien de Montagne L.L."  One card was dated 1908.  A little difficult to find but not impossible if you take a bit of effort.  I've noticed that in the photos many of the dogs are on chains.  Sometimes the chains are edited out (see previous comment on the removal of major distractions in cards).

2033 Un Guide et son Chien

Les Pyrenees.  I was fortunate to locate two of these cards - one for my personal collection and another for a dear friend, Kerry.  The postage stamps (5c) were both cancelled making it easier to date these cards to the years 1905 and 1907.  If you look closely in the background you will find a woman holding a large Pyrenees puppy.  This may explain why there is so little coat on the adult.  A printer's mark of a cloverleaf with the letters M, T, I, L appears in the lower right corner.

283 Cauterets - Groupe de Guides a Pied

Les Hautes-Pyrenees.  Three Guides in their traditional uniform of jacket and beret with a very reluctant Pyr in the middle.  The Guides and their dogs were a popular subject of the early photographers.  Several postcards have them posing for the camera enroute with a menagerie of dogs, puppies, donkeys, women and kids in tow.  Often several versions of similar poses were published in a series.

Hartelijk Gefeliciteerd

The title to this post are the words that are etched into the surface of this card, other than that the only identifying information is the printer's seal and the number 1090 in the lower left corner.  The back states that the card is made in France.  This delightful series all features the little girl and her big Pyrenees in various poses - several with the dog house in the background and one with a pedal car.  I know of at least 5 cards in the series...there may be more.  This particular card is hand coloured which was popular before photography was available in colour.  Women would be hired to hand colour each individual card using a paint brush and ink dyes.  Unfortunately the women would wet the bristles of the brush in their mouths and since the dyes contained lead, many women died of lead poisoning as a result before the practise was finally discontinued.

Wish Lists and Trading

When I first started collecting Pyrenees postcards I searched all the Pyr magazines and books I could find to locate photos of cards that I could place on my wish list.  These photos I copied and placed in a binder under the tab "to Locate".  More pages were added as I befriended other breed collectors when they sent me their copy pages of the cards they had in their collections.  Over the years I have been able to find many of them but there are still one or two that have eluded me all this time.  Occasionally I find new images to add to the wish list of cards that are old, but new, to me.  Several of the cards I saw on ebay and, while I would have dearly loved to bring them home, I was often out bid by those with pocket books a lot deeper than mine.  If I knew the card was going way over my budget I just passed the information on to those collectors that I knew would be able to bid up and place the card in their own collection.  This weekend I hit the bonanza!  At least 3 cards on that wish list will be crossed off and replaced with the real thing...will post them up when I get them.  The neighbours must of thought I was off my rocker when they heard screeches of delight coming from my office when I was the successful bidder on one card that I wanted very badly.  I LOVE the hunt!


Of course, over time a collector will find themselves with duplicates.  This usually happens when you find a card in better condition than the one you have or when friends discover a Pyr card in their travels and purchase it for you.  Trouble is, what to do with them.  I often thought it would be a great idea to have a card exchange at every National and Regional Specialty.  The cards would certainly attract interest for those who attend and it would be a great opportunity to fill in some of the gaps in your collection.

560 Col du TOURMALET (H.-P.)

A card which I only recently discovered and have since seen many copies available at auction.  The milestone reads "Route du Pic" and the signature "Jove" appears in the lower left corner.  This card was mailed from Lourdes to Portugal, dated 04/08/62.  The back reads "Chien des Pyrenees.  Descente sur Bareges."  Auction sites such as eBay can be a treasure trove of postcards but can also be pricey.  Contact your local postcard club (Google it) to see if there are any show & sales coming up that you could attend.  Be prepared to go through tons of cards to locate any Pyrenees cards.  Some vendors sort down to individual breeds, others just clump the dogs cards under the "Animal" heading.  Prices vary substantially but I have found that postcard shows are cheaper than eBay if, and when, you can find a Pyr card.  

52 Scenes et Types des Pyrenees

Two cards, same number, two different descriptions.  One reads "Jeunes Chiens des Pyrenees" and the other "Petits Chiens de Montagne - Du Chenil Club d'Argeles".  A fairly common card that comes in black and white, sepia, and coloured versions.  The initials C.A.P. appear on the front lower right corner..a publishing? company in Paris.  Mary Milliken of Ripples kennel in the USA was a big collector of cards and she sent me several to get my own collection started.  This was one of them.  She has since passed and I believe that her cards were distributed to Pyr friends and family.  Mary even published her own set of 6 cards featuring one of her litters which she kindly donated to our Club as a fundraiser.

Naidae and Teddy 1926

I have been blessed with my Great Pyrenees for over 35 years now and it is all because of my love affair with the big dogs since my childhood.  My first dog was "Duke" a golden retriever mix who was HUGE (at some later date I will post a photo of him).  When I moved to Alberta and was sans-dog for the first time in my life, I was determined to have another large dog as a companion.  That's when the Great Pyrenees entered my life.  While sorting through some old family photo albums many years later I stumbled across this early photo of my Mother at age 4.  This photo was taken in Burnaby, British Columbia in the 1920's with Mom holding her cat and with "Teddy" lying at her feet.  I think owning Great Pyrenees is genetic!  I have since turned this photo into a postcard which is available by contacting me through my blog.


BTW My Mom will be celebrating her 90th Birthday this December!!!  Love you Mom!

En parcourant le bearn

Reproduction aquarelle de Charles Homualk.  Berger des Pyrenees.  Made in France.  Editions Gaby.  There are few illustrated cards from the early years.  I'm unsure of the date of this card but would assume it would be in the 40s to 60s era.  It is a beautiful card which captures many components of the life of a shepherd in the Pyrenees - the ruggedness, the villages below, the majestic mountains, sheep and faithful dog.  This card is larger than the earlier cards and has an uneven edging.

Champion Birouk, chien des Pyrenees, a M. Dretzen

"Did I do okay?", my friend Ronna asks.  She found this in a small market in France.  She told me that there were a lot of Pyr cards...she couldn't buy them all...so Ronna picked up ones that she knew I would be interested in.  She "did good" as I didn't know that this card existed and was very glad to add it to my collection.  This Pyr is identified as Champion Birouk belonging to M. Dretzen.  M. Dretzen's name comes up in early breed literature which, at a later time, I will dig up and expand on.  Cartes-postales de "L'Eleveur".  A very striking dog.

No 66 Chiens des Pyrenees

One of my favourite cards. Toute la France.  Editions JOVE Pau (B.P.). Heliogravure de Luxe. Gardiens des troupeaux contre l'ours.  Perros pirenaicos - Guardianes de las reses en la montana - Pyrenean dogs (sheep-dogs against bears).  Once very hard to find, I have now seen quite a few in my searches.  I love the expression on the standing Pyr...makes me smile each time I see it.

2038 Chiens des Pyrenees

A lovely family portrait of two adult Pyrenees and a puppy.  Interesting that the dog on the right has very little coat, especially on the legs.  There is little written on this card to suggest a publisher.  The "clover" on the bottom right might be a publisher mark.  Some more research might lead us to the answer.  This card, and other "family" cards are highly sought after and much more difficult to locate.

Les Pyrenees 1020 BAMBO

Les Pyrenees (2e serie) 1020 BAMBOU Chien des Pyrenees. 1er prix a l'exposition Canine de Toulouse.  I also have the same postcard as the 3e serie.  This dog is identified which makes this card more intriguing.  Who was the breeder?  Who was the owner?  Is this Pyr behind any of your pedigrees?  This is a common card that you should be able to find with a bit of effort.  I can't make out what is written in red in the lower left corner, unfortunately the dark greys interfere with the lettering.  Perhaps you will have better luck.  As with most of the cards here this card is from the 1910's.

Especes Canines. Race des Pyrenees

"Chien blanc, oreilles tachees gris noir - 1 an."  Cliche Gaillard.  Although this postcard looks like a photographic image of a Pyrenees if you look closely you will see that the dog is, in fact, a well executed drawing.  Perhaps the drawing overlayed a photo image of a Pyr.  The card itself does not indicate one way or the other.  In the lower right corner, just beneath the dog's front feet, there appears to be a very faint signature of the artist.  Another postcard may show this clearer.

1016 VISCOS Jeune Chien des Pyrenees (1 mois)

First a story...Ronna and I have been great friends for many, many years.  We met at a dog show..she showed her beautiful Landseer Newfoundland puppy and I, my Great Pyrenees.  When I found out that she lived in the same town and had sheep a connection was instantly made.  Over the years we competed together, handled each others dogs and even entered a team obedience competition.  We had 2 teams - the "Ebony and Ivory" team (Pyr, Newf, Pyr, Newf) and the "Oreo Cookie" team (Newf, Pyr, Pyr, Newf).  Needless to say, the dogs did as expected and scored low in the exercises but we were the crowd favourite!  So, why am I telling you this?  Ronna, bless her heart, travels to Europe frequently and occasionally surprises me with what she finds while browsing through the local markets.  I have her to thank for several of the cards that appear in this blog...this puppy one included.


The caption on the face of the card reads, Les Pyrenees (2e Serie) Phototypie Labouche Freres Toulouse.  The card features a Great Pyrenees puppy at the age of 1 month.  I'm assuming that 'Viscos' is either the puppy's name or kennel name.

278 Lourdes. Bergers des Pyrenees

This is for Jan.  Sometimes you live just right.  What looked to be 2 specks in the arms of the shepherds did indeed turn out to be 2 Pyr puppies!  Sold!!  Auctions can be a lot of fun, but they are a lot of work when you are looking for that one new card to add to your collection.  This card is postmarked from the Pyrenees so we can identify the date, however, you can't read it!  It has a wonderful inscription on the backside, written in ink with beautiful strokes of the pen.  It begins..."Chere cousine".. but, alas, my French is limited and I will need to spend more time translating the old script.  Something about impossible to arrive at the home and embarrassment.  Edition F. Viron.

Les Pyrenees 73 Chiens de Montagne

A fairly common card in a variety of editions.  This is a later version.  The original had a large post and fencing that have been removed from the later ones.  Again the series numbers vary - 73 or 401 in the newer cards.  Some cards are hand coloured.  "Yan" is either the photographer or printer (see right lower corner).  Sireygeot, edit. Limoges-Lourdes. Edition QUINAULT, Lourdes.  These wordings appear on other cards.

14 Scenes et Types des Pyrenees

"Guides et Chien de Montagne".  I notice on the card I posted the numbering of the card is different than the two I have in front of me.  The number 22 is on the front of one other card.  On the back of the card - "Scenes Meridionales.  Guides et chien des Pyrenees.  Moins connu que le Saint-Bernard, le chien blanc des Pyrenees, intelligent, docile et resistant, a souvent ete l'auxitiaive precieux des guides de haute montagne".  My apologies for any spelling errors.  This card came out in a vast variety of reprints and sizes, some cards were hand coloured.  This is an easy card to find for those fanciers wishing to start their own postcard collection.  Used to get cards for about $1.00 apiece but their popularity has raised that considerably.  Now it's not uncommon to pay $8 to $20 a card.  

11 Scenes et Types des Pyrenees

This is the first vintage Pyr postcard on this blog.  I will list the name of the card in the title and any details I can decipher in the blog itself.  This card has been reproduced several times.  None of my cards have the date on but my guess would be about the 1910's.  Many of the early cards from France were from recognized kennels in that country.  Lots of dogs appeared on more than one card.  This particular card had "Galeries Catholiques, Lourdes" on  the front and another (same photo) card had the photographer's mark "Cap".  C.A.P. is an abbreviation for who knows what but the address of the printer is 44, rue Letellier, Paris.  Wonder if this printer still exists.  I have seen several connections to Lourdes in my collection of cards.  Would be interesting to find out why this region was so important to the breed.  Any one know the name of this dog?


My goal is to post a card every few days, so keep checking in to see what is new.  If you have an image you would like to share I can be reached through the comments (will contact you privately).

From France with Love

I have had a remarkable 35 years with Pyrs and during that time have discovered the beauty of vintage postcards from their country of origin - France.  This blog is designed to share with you my finds and, hopefully, ones from other Great Pyrenees / Pyrenean Mountain Dog fanciers from around the globe.  Enjoy!