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Jim Patt

1940? Six different French postcards with colored picture on one side and room for a message and address on the other. Just over 3½" x 5½". The visual works are signed apparently by "Jim Patt." A line or two of La Fontaine appears under the picture of each card. Imprimé en France. Paris: M.D. $10 for OF at Foster City, Feb., '97. 40 Francs each for the similar two from Annick Tilly at the Clignancourt flea market, August, '99. 40 Francs for the presumably earlier version of MM with bold print from P. Bresch, Clignancourt, August, '01. €5 for TMCM from Dominique Chapelon, Yronde et Buron, at the Paris Post Card Exhibition, Jan., '05. €5 each for FS and TH at the Paris Post Card Exhibition, Jan., '05. Extra copy of TH for €4 from Akpool, Feb., '19.  Extra copy of FC on thinner paper and without postcard formatting for €5 from Albert van den Bosch, Antwerp, June, '23.  Click on any image to see it full-size.

"Le Corbeau et le renard": A young boy with a basket watches the usual scene between a fox and crow. The latter has not yet let go of the cheese.

"La Grenouille qui veut se faire aussi grosse que le boeuf": A boy and an ox watch as a frog on a lilly pod explodes. The bottom of the card quotes LaFontaine's lines 9-10: "La chétive pécore s'enfla si bien, qu' elle creva."

"La Laitière et le pot au lait": A very young girl holds a surprised hand to her mouth after she has let her pot not only fall but also break. Chicks, rooster, and other dreamed-of animals are arranged around the scene.

The extra copy of MM, presumably earlier, has bold print on the picture side; the message side has "Fabrication Française" instead of "Imprimé en France" and adds "2601." The card was filled out completely in 1941.

"Le Rat de Ville et le Rat des Champs": This card may have been cropped slightly. It seems smaller than the others in the series but is otherwise identical. What is the human being doing looking over the scene of their meeting in the country?

"Le Lièvre et la Tortue": Patt's particular contribution to this scene seems to be the presence of a boy and a girl, both apparently surprised by the results. "Imprimé en France." Never used. Again, this card is smaller than the others.

"Le Renard et la Cigogne ": This card is printed on heavy stock. The message side has "Fabrication Française" instead of "Imprimé en France" and adds "2603." Again, what are human beings doing looking over the scene of the meeting of fox and stork? In this case, the ever-present children are hiding behind a tree.

Le Loup et l'Agneau": 2024.  Source?