Visitor's itinerary

From the 19th century on, handkerchiefs were no longer printed only with decorative motifs, but also with narrative pictures, supplemented by text.
Initially the reserve of political current affairs, printed handkerchiefs, becoming increasingly widespread, adapted themselves to the ordinary people who were essentially their users.
Topics featured were therefore relevant to everyday life: recipes; handy tips on running a household: cooking, gardening, hygiene, medicine etc...
These objects therefore give an extremely vivid picture of French society during the Second Empire and early days of the Third Republic.
Instructional handkerchiefs, destined specifically for soldiers between 1874 and 1905, provide evidence of every aspect of training for military life.
They are both evidence and symbols of the army during the Belle Époque.