PORTRAIT OF A FRENCH SAILOR AND HIS BATTLESHIP (THE DESTROYER COGNEE) c1909 For Sale

This fantastic cabinet card photograph is truly unusual. An oval photo of a handsome young uniformed sailor is in the center of the image. Below his portrait is a photograph of two navy battleships. The name of the sailors ship is embroidered into his cap. The sailor was on the French navy torpedo destroyer, theCognee.The ship was one of 13 Claymore-class destroyers built around 1905. The photographer of this image is Alphonse Leenaerts and his studio was located in Toulon, France. Toulon is a port city on southern France’s Mediterranean coast. The city serves as a major naval base. Alphonse’s brother Henri, was also a photographer. The pair, who were Belgian, operated in Toulon between 1871 and 1914. They worked independently. Alphonse moved to the address listed on this photograph in about 1903. The reverse of this photo has advertising indicating that Alphonse won a medal for his work in 1909. This photo was taken shortly after that date. This cabinet card photograph is in very good condition (see scans).