The Hunter and the Young Ladies — A Playful Encounter on the Roads of Auvergne
Noste Ouvergne” (Our Auvergne) series, card no. 9 — Early 20th century (circa 1900–1910)
The scene is set on a country path, in front of a painted backdrop depicting the rolling hills of Auvergne, with a winding road and telegraph poles dotting the landscape. Three figures pose in a studio in a charmingly staged tableau. On the left, a young man wearing a flat cap and carrying a rifle slung over his shoulder plays the part of the hunter. He faces two young women dressed in traditional Auvergnat costume: large fringed shawls crossed over their chests, round bonnets adorned with light-coloured ribbons, aprons, and long skirts. Each carries a wicker basket on her arm, as though returning from market. One of them also holds a closed umbrella — an essential accessory under the unpredictable skies of the Auvergne mountains.
The real charm of this card lies in the bilingual caption at the bottom of the image. In the Auvergnat dialect of Occitan, it reads: “N ye pas de lèbres pereti, li drollès?” with the French translation alongside: “Y a-t-il des lièvres par ici, Mesdemoiselles?” — “Are there any hares around here, ladies?” Under the guise of asking about game, the young hunter is clearly paying a thinly veiled compliment to the two women. The word “drollès” (or “dròllas”), a typical Auvergnat term, is an affectionate way of referring to young girls. This playful rural flirtation, both innocent and cheeky, was a recurring theme in the folklore postcards of the era, which loved to depict country life with a touch of humour.
This card belongs to the “Noste Ouvergne” series, a very popular collection from the early twentieth century that celebrated the costumes, customs, and language of the region through small scenes photographed in a studio setting. The painted canvas backdrop, the slightly theatrical poses, and the artificial lighting are all hallmarks of this type of editorial production, sitting somewhere between ethnographic documentation and humorous postcard. These series helped spread a picturesque — and sometimes idealised — image of Auvergnat life, at a time when rural depopulation was profoundly transforming the French countryside.
