The Tale of the Mont Saint Michel Album, a Haunted French Souvenir Photograph Album, Éditions d'Art Yvon, Paris, c. 1926 - Sepia Prints, Handwritten Captions

Item Number: RSF - P - 3 - γ - 66

Object Description:  The small album was meant as a souvenir of the iconic Mont Saint Michel, which was founded in 708 AD. With over 1300 years of pilgrimage, Mont Saint Michel is one of the great sites of the Catholic religion and features a beautiful cathedral that becomes an island once the tide comes in. The photo album itself features a few clues as to its age. First, the design cover is in the Art Deco style, consistent with the 1920s and 1930s. Moreover, the stunning French cursive helps solidify the date.

Physical Details: The album is made with bromide sepia technique, meaning it was a higher end souvenir rather than the mass produced rotogravure. It consists of ten (10) photographs. There is an index of the photographs in the packaging, which indicates there are twenty (20) total photographs in a complete set. In other words, this set is half complete. The maker is Yvon (Pierre Yves Petit 1886 - 1969). Pierre-Yves Petit worked under the trade name Yvon and established Éditions d'Art Yvon in Paris in 1919/1922. He's considered one of the most recognizable yet historically underappreciated French photographers of the 20th century. 

Dimensions: 4” x 3”

Tradition: This item falls in the Catholic tradition, specifically French Catholic and northern French Celtic traditions.

Story: 

The last names of the families affected by this story have been omitted for their safety and privacy.

Guillaume was the biggest boy of his class, and all of his classmates wanted him on their side when they played knights and moors. As the strongest boy, Guillaume was responsible for ensuring the horses were mucked and fed at this provincial boarding school. It was a decrepit building, built in the 18th century for a nobleman in Louis XVI’s court, once the Revolution came, it was turned into a school for orphan boys and remained that way for the next 120 years or so. 

One evening in February, Guillaume’s favorite horse, Rocinante, escaped from the stables. Guillaume walked the countryside, desperately looking for his white steed. The sun began to set, and Guillaume noticed that he did not know where he was. He had no map and had never been more than a few miles from his school. He began to retrace his steps, not letting the nerves get to him. 

As the moon rose, his pace quickened. Was it this the way or was it that fork over there? Guillaume could see the cottages in the distance begin to turn on the lights. He decided he would seek refuge or at least information as to his whereabouts from one of the inhabitants. As he approached the cottages, he began to hear a sound he had never heard in his life. He smelled the salt in the air. He must be by the coast. How did he get so far away from the school?

The waves crashed on the rocks and dragged the lights with them so now the lights were floating in the middle of the vast ocean. Guillaume heard some voices, so he turned around but decided against approaching the speakers. He hid behind the rocks. They were dressed in peculiar clothes, like those characters he had seen in children’s books. A fear ran down his back. Who were these strange beings?

So we will cross in the morning? Said a young woman with a pointed hat. Her voice was like a bell, soft and angelic. Her comrades agreed, and they began to sing songs around the fire. Guillaume listened to the ballads which spoke of old kinds and knights. He listened until he fell asleep.

The next day, he awoke to an empty camp. He saw footprints, and then looked out to the sea where he saw the magnificent Mont Saint Michel. In the low tide, a passage to the cathedral was revealed. Guillaume followed the path. He turned back and saw the path behind him began to flood once again. He hurried to the end of the path.

Once inside the cathedral, Guillaume did not see a soul. He wandered the halls of the giant fortress, calling out for anyone, but no one was there. Then once the sun had gone down, the halls glowed with thousands of candles. The strange figures appeared once more, each with voices of children but with the intensity of adults. The figures began to dance and sing. Guillaume observed and fell asleep.

The next day he arose and the path to the shore was back. He walked back to the shore where Rocinante was waiting for him. Guillaume climbed on his back. Rocinante knew the way home. Once he returned to the school, Guillaume reached into his pocket and he found this photo album of Mont Saint Michel. He wrote the name of each photograph in his schoolboy handwriting to remember that bizarre experience.

Throughout his life, Guillaume said that the figures would appear in one of the photographs when tragedy was at his door. It is said that once a figure appears on the photograph, that photograph will be lost forever. Currently, there are only ten photographs left. 

Provenance: Guillaume c 1926 Paris ( kept in the family until 2020), Rooks - St. Felix (2020 - Present)

Supernatural Scale: 3 This photo album exhibits protective qualities. Whoever owns it can feel a sense of relief. That being said, that protection acts like the actual Mont Saint Michel. During full moons and high tides, the protection of the owner is at its maximum. During low tide or new moons, the owner’s protection is at its minimum.

The photo album will also exhibit very strange phenomena with electronics from the 1920s. When listening to music from the era, it will become active and interfere with the music. Thus, it likes to communicate with spirit boxes. Observed phenomena include birds slamming into windows, paintings falling down, internet service going haywire, and saved documents becoming lost. The beautiful penmanship is Guillaume’s mark on the photo album. 

Maintenance Scale: γ - gamma: Intermediate. The grading for this is tricky, because the photo album does not need any maintenance. In fact, playing music from the 1930s activates some negative qualities. However, the album has a protective charm to it, thus it could be rated α were it not for the negative effects. The entities involved in this album are more likely Celtic Fae or Pixies known to inhabit Northern France where Mont Saint Michel is located. These forces have lived side by side with Catholic cosmology for over 1500 years.