Pelee (Martinique).
The site of one of the most devasting (in terms of lives lost)
eruptions of the 20th Century.
On May 8th 1902, nuee ardentes swept down the side of the
volcano and killed all but two inhabitants of the town of Saint-Pierre,
an estimated 29,000 people.
The first postcard below is part of a series produced by H.
Cunge
who lived at Fort-de-France on the island of Martinique.
One of the other cards in this series, illustrating a cadaver, is dated
May 10th.
This would seem to imply that this photo was taken about the same time.
As such, it makes it one of the earliest, post-destruction photos of the
volcano.
The undivided back to the card is commensurate with an early 1900 age.
Card courtesy of Bill Longley
The philatelic cover below commemorates the 20th anniversary
of the Mt.St Helens eruption but contains a stamp issued by France in 1999,
depicting Pelee and the town of St. Pierre at its foot.
(courtesy Jean-Paul Raynal)
The next two stamps were issued in 1924
(courtesy of Matthew Healy)
The stamps below were issued June 2nd, 1947.
The last stamps to be issued before Martinique became an integral
part of the Republic of France.
The stamp below was issued by France in 1955
The next is a color proof of the previous
Courtesy of Bob Lodge
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