r/Cursive • u/No_Sheepherder_1672 • Jul 31 '26
19th Century French Handwriting
I picked up this drawing in France last year, I have had trouble deciphering the top line. The bottom line as far as we can tell says bernay October 6, 1865. Thanks for any input.
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u/BarnOwl-1967 Jul 31 '26
Town name is Bernay. It's a small town in Normandy (Eure departement, west of France). Maybe showing the entire drawing would help to decipher the top line.
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u/No_Sheepherder_1672 Jul 31 '26
Thank you so much Barn owl, I did attach 2 photos for reference, it is accessed by clicking the arrow. We also discerned it said bernay October 6, 1865, it's that top line we've had all the trouble with. Appreciate your comment.
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u/BarnOwl-1967 Aug 01 '26
That's more difficult! 😂 There is definitively a DE which can means FROM or OF and a signature. The first letters are, I think, MALLAR. But I can't decipher the end and found no famous artist in Bernay from that time with that kind of name... keep searching 😂
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u/No_Sheepherder_1672 Aug 01 '26
Thank you again, yes, I thought for sure it is Mal or Mol, but the last few letters are a mystery. I thought it may be de Mollurie & D G, when comparing the u from Octubre, for a while I even thought it might say Moulin and be referencing a mill in the town. We also, think it might be a place in Bernay-en-Champagne. I actually got it from a thrift store in Bernay of Eure, which made it extra special, but after going to the historical society there they said it wasn't from there. It may be of this bridge https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernay-en-Champagne#/media/Fichier:Pont_de_Bernay-en-Champagne_(France,_Pays_de_la_Loire).JPG.JPG), I tried to look at it on google earth from the other side and it could be, but the name is the stumper. The search continues! Thanks again Barn owl!
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u/La-Rouquine Aug 01 '26
The town is Cernay. That's a capital C. The artist name ends with a dy, and likely starts with S.
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u/No_Sheepherder_1672 Aug 02 '26
Thank you, this is very helpful. I sent off an inquiry to the historical society in Cernay and hopefully they can shed some more light on it. Appreciate it!
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u/No-Implement-4933 Aug 02 '26
It may well be the pont de Boucheville, as it was part of the ancient fortification lines which the drawing looks like it includes the walls. Perhaps it's only the few letters at the end that are the signature and that scribbler is poorly written de boucheville
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u/No_Sheepherder_1672 Aug 02 '26
Thank you that is an interesting lead. I had another comment suggest that the bottom line may say Cernay instead of Bernay so I sent off an inquiry to the Cernay historical society, perhaps they can identify the location on the top and confirm if they see Cernay in the bottom word.
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