The Governor's Palace, Algeria

  

I found a bag of old photos in the mess that is my closet.  I don't think this image has been posted before, but if it has, my apologies for repeating myself. 

Written on the back, "Governors Palace Algeria."   So, there's a lot of information about this building and Algeria out there, so just the highlights.  The governor's palace was built during the Ottoman era, between 1798 and 1805.  After Algeria became a French colony, it was used as an army barracks between 1830 and 1846.  In 1865, it became the summer residence of the French governor.  After the successful Algerian revolution that won independence from the French, it was renamed the People's Palace and became the seat of government.  After a coup in 1965, the seat of government was moved to the El Mouradia Palace.  If you want to know more about Algerian history, don't be lazy.  Look it up yourself. 

Street Scenes, Algeria

In the previous post, a French postcard publisher showed the French presence in Algeria.  In this post, ordinary, day to day life.  I couldn't find any information on the publisher, but with the English captions, and a stamp box on the back that gives stamp prices for the United States and Canada...well, I may be wrong, but I doubt anyone in north Africa ever saw this card.  Note the copyright date of 1909.  This card could have been sold for decades, but does the copyright date reflect when the photos were taken, or when the card was offered for sale?

Mobile Defense

If my translation is correct, that bit of type on the top of the card reads, Algeria, the admiralty and the mobile defense.  This card was published by "LEVY ET NEURDEIN REUNIS."   Levy and Neurdein was in business from 1920 to 1932.  It was a company that was formed when Levy & Sons merged with Neurdein et Cie.  Algeria, of course, was once part of France.  My guess is that the patrol boats seen in this card were part of the French equivalent of the coast guard.  There was once a major French naval base at Mers-a-Kebir on the Algerian coast.  After the fall of France, and the formation of non occupied France, the British government demanded that the French fleet in north Africa head to England and join in the fight against the Germans.  When Admiral Darlan of the Vichy government declined but promised that the French fleet would never be surrendered to the Nazis, Churchill ordered an attack that sank the fleet, killing thousands of French sailors.  Latter, when the Germans tried to seize the rest of the French fleet at Toulon,  Darlan ordered the scuttling of his ships. 

Now, for a movie recommendation,  The Battle of Algiers.  It'll help explain why Algeria is no longer part of France.