Marble topped dressing table from cafe used as rendezvous point by French resistance
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 32.375 inches (82.233 cm) | Width: 27.750 inches (70.485 cm) | Depth: 19.500 inches (49.53 cm)
Archival History
The dressing table was acquired by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 2005.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection
Scope and Content
Dressing table from cafe-coiffeur (cafe-hair dressing salon) of Mère Beylier in the village of Château-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], the Chateaus Chabannes and Montintin. Both homes sheltered Jewish children and other young refugees from deportations during the German occupation of France. The café, 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
Rectangular, wooden dressing table with 4 legs and a gray veined white marble top. The table back and sides have raised wooden edges painted to resemble the marble top. The front edges are sloped. A center drawer with 2 compartments is attached below the table top. The legs are square and braced by a shelf, with the joints secured by nails or dove-tails.
Subjects
- World War, 1939-1945--Underground movements--France.
- France--History--German occupation, 1940-1945.
- Jewish children in the Holocaust--France--Limousin.
- World War, 1939-1945--Refugees--France.
- Jewish refugees--France.
Genre
- Object
- Furnishings and Furniture