World War I Souvenir Handkerchief, France, 1918. Silk handkerchief, pale pink with a lace trim (about one inch wide); in one corner of the silk there is embroidery with the words, "Souvenir de France, also "1918" is embroidered in mostly red, white and blue (showing flag designs within the numbers). Dimensions: Approx. 14” square
Personal mementos such as this handkerchief, sent or brought home by soldiers from the theater of war they served in, represent not only the efforts of citizens in the midst of the fighting to maintain a livelihood, but the need for those doing the fighting to maintain ties with those they left behind..
ATHM Collection - # 1996.62.3; Gift of M. Eleanore Porter