Ephemera
Padova Freres Postcards
This Jewish Smyrna trading house produced a series of photo-postcards that are unique in that many of these historic images record the exact dates of the photos in the crucial stages from the end of the First World War to the establishment of the Turkish Republic and are thus unique visual records of this defining period - arranged in chronological order when date is indicated.
Captions: The entry of the British warship ‘M29’, 5-11-18 - interestingly 6 days before the formal end of WWI, as part of the Allied occupation of Smyrna post WWI defeat as an ally of Germany.
The caption in all 3 photos reads: ‘Noel Hissement du drapeau Italien chez les Dominicans, Smyrne 25-12-918’ - which equates to Christmas celebrations by the Italian Levantine community at the Catholic Rosaire church at Alsancak. The sailors seen are probably from a visiting Italian battleship, probably part of the vanguard of the occupation of the city by Allied powers shortly after the end the WWI.
Caption: Scene aboard the French cruiser ‘Democratie’ Smyrna, 2-2-19.
Caption: Embarkation of French marines from the cruiser ‘Democratie’ for a ‘promenade in the city’, Smyrna, 5-2-19 - The French command detached Démocratie from Constantinople to Smyrna to prevent Italy from occupying the area. Though Italy and France were both Allies during WW1 they did not trust each other and the Greeks were afterwards allowed (6 May 1919) to occupy Smyrna precisely to prevent the Italians from doing it. The Italians wanted to create an extensive colony in Anatolia in extension to their recently Dodecanese Islands (1912) and left the Paris conference on 24 April 1919 and when they returned on 7 May they were already side-lined by the other Allies. When Italian prime minister Vittorio Orlando’s inability to get concessions from the Allies rapidly undermined his position, and he resigned on June 19, 1919. France also soon lost interest in this occupation and somewhat regretted the green-light to the Greeks as they were more concerned with the establishment of a viable Ottoman state from which they could recoup their considerable loans.
The main building visible is the Sporting Club which neighbours Cafe Alhambra which in turn neighbours the French consulate which is half-visible.
Caption: The entry of the British minesweeper ‘Aberdare’, 6-3-19 - as part of the Allied occupation of Smyrna post WWI defeat as an ally of Germany.
Caption: The majestic entry of the Italian dreadnought ‘Dvilio’ Smyrna, 29-4-19.
Captions: The landing of the Hellenic troops in Smyrna, 15-5-19.
Caption: Italian troops in Ephesus (in reality it is probably the Scala Nova region to the south), 10-6-19 - part of the international contingent of the Allied occupation of Smyrna region
Caption: The amusement of the first detachment of the 138th regiment of the Evzones, Smyrna, 1-8-19.
Caption: The arrival of General Milne, the commander-in-chief of allied forces in Asia Minor, Smyrna, 6-8-19.
Caption: His Honour Rabbi Aaron Teitelbaum from the New York delegation of [Near Eastern] American relief commission passing through Smyrna,, 12-9-19 - part of the international contingent of helping Armenian suffering post 1915, Rabbi Teitelbaum in 1918 was named a member of the Near East Relief Commission investigating distress conditions under the leadership of Herbert Hoover (later becoming US president). The guard of honour of boy scouts were probably the local Italian Levantines who embraced this Anglo origin movement with greatest enthusiasm amongst all the various communities. Rabbi Teitelbaum seems to be flanked from their dress by leaders of the local Jewish dignitaries to one side and local US officials / Levantines to his other and the man sporting the double breasted jacket is probably the local US Consul, George Horton.
A military ceremony at the St Rosaire Church, Izmir - 15-9-1919. 15th September was the birthday of the heir prince Umberto II (born in 1904), son of king of Italy Vittorio Emanuele III.
Caption: Mass in memory of the soldiers felled on the Italian front, 22-9-1919
A photo postcards from 28-9-1919, showing Greek, Jewish and Armenian boy-scouts of Smyrna on an excursion in Bournabat.
A photo postcards from 12-10-1919, showing Italian boy-scouts of Smyrna on an outing on the suburbs (now part of built up greater Izmir) of Poligon in the Hatay district.
A photo postcard from 25-11-1919 showing a football match between from the name clearly a Jewish team ‘Maccabi’ and the British Wanderer team that was the local Bornova team which boasted players from the La Fontaine and Whittall families. The playing field was by the Greek Orthodox cemetery of Michael Archon (Archangel) of Darağaç, as can the tombstones be seen in the distance. This field was at the time home to Panionios (the local Greek team) and is today’s Altay Alsancak stadium.
Caption: The French Mission presided by the Cardinal Dubois, Smyrna 16-2-1920.
Caption: The presentation of flags in a military ceremony by the occupying Greek army in Smyrna, 6-5-1920.
Caption: An important demonstration in honour of the Return in front of General Paraskevopoulos, Smyrna, 28-7-1920.
Caption: The visit of the Greek King Constantine XII, Cordelio, Smyrna,1921.
No date or caption, the ‘Hotel Institutions Francaises’ possibly refers to an informal French seamen’s rest, in a similar way as other nations catered for their merchant and navy mariners in different ways in these various ports.
