Marble topped dressing table with mirror from cafe used as rendezvous point by French resistance
Extent and Medium
a: Height: 45.630 inches (115.9 cm) | Width: 32.500 inches (82.55 cm) | Depth: 17.500 inches (44.45 cm)
b: Height: 14.750 inches (37.465 cm) | Width: 11.500 inches (29.21 cm) | Depth: 1.250 inches (3.175 cm)
Archival History
The dressing table and mirror were acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2005.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
Scope and Content
Dresing table with mirror from cafe-coiffeur (cafe-hairdressing salon) of Mere Beylier in the village of Chateau-Cherviz, in the Limosin region of France. The cafe was near two orphanages operated by the Oeuvre de Secours aux Enfants [OSE: Children’s Aid Society], Chateaus Chabannes and Montintin. Both homes sheltered Jewish children and other young refugees from deportations during the German occupation of France. The cafe, which was the town gathering place, also served as a resource center and temporary refuge for Jews and others who opposed the German occupation and the pro-German Vichy government. In this village of 3,000 people, over 1,000 Jews were provided assistance and temporary refuge.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Conditions Governing Reproduction
No restrictions on use
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
a. Rectangular, wooden dressing table with 4 legs and a white marble top with gray veining. The back and sides of the table have marble-lined, raised wooden edges with wood molding edging the top. There is a center drawer, with a recessed handle, below the table top with two compartments. The left side has a decorative towel bar attached with knobs. The right side has 2 holes for a missing towel bar. The front legs are turned with ball feet and attached to the square, back legs by a horizontal brace. The back of the table has 2 decorative sides attached to hold a mirror, with a stopper brace at the base. b. Mirror enclosed in rectangular, decorative beveled wooden frame, with inset wooden back for support. There are 2 screws with butterfly nuts to secure the mirror to the stand.
Subjects
- Jewish refugees--France.
- Jewish children in the Holocaust--France--Limousin.
- World War, 1939-1945--Refugees--France.
- France--History--German occupation, 1940-1945.
- World War, 1939-1945--Underground movements--France.
Genre
- Furnishings and Furniture
- Object