Carnac, From the Land to the Sea

Carnac is known worldwide for its megalithic sites dating from the Neolithic period that captured the imagination of observers from the word go.

The first visitors eagerly strolled among the menhirs (or even rode in horse-drawn carriages) pondering these strange "big stones."

Ideas about the origins of these stones abound: "Druid," places of ritual sacrifices, or Roman soldiers petrified on the orders of Saint Cornely, for example.

Postcards also often made references to Breton legends, such as the mother of the Korrigans, a sort of Breton fairy. However, this has a different meaning in Carnac.

The little "Korrigans" photographed here are children from Carnac reciting the legends of the menhirs to the first tourists for loose change.

The typical geography of Brittany consists of towns or villages with a few dozen terraced houses on one or two streets. These small communities offer basic services (school, town hall, church, and stores). These are surrounded by numerous hamlets of three or four homes usually belonging to a farm.

Around 1910, there were around 3,269 inhabitants living in the town of Carnac itself, most of whom worked the land or the many small farms scattered around the town.
An example of this can be seen in the foreground of this card.

Carnac also had a large seafront that allowed some of its inhabitants to access its resources. This included fishing, of course, as well as harvesting shells or seaweed.

Salt farming shaped a large portion of the coast and provided the background to this series of postcards that tell the story of its harvest.

Collecting Salt
From basin to basin, the salt content of the seawater increased until it appeared in "oeillets" (clay ponds) from which the salt worker was able to gather the crystallized salt with the help of his "lousse" (a long pole with a flat board used to skim) for the fleur de sel and the "simoussi" (a long pole with a flat board used to rake) for the coarse salt. It was left there to drain for some time to lose its moisture.

Building Salt Piles
At the height of the harvest, the salt was placed in a mound known as a "mulon". This small, millstone-shaped pile was taken by wheelbarrow or by bins carried on the backs of men, women, and children to an area near the basins.

Packing
Bags of 110 to 154 lbs (50 to 70 kg) of the coarse salt obtained per "oeillet" were then transported to the salt storeroom, as seen in the background of this postcard. As a precious material, the salt was monitored by a customs officer who was never far away.

North of the Loire vineyards produced a small sour wine of debatable taste quality — and an unexpected activity for that area.

Semi-pagan rites were maintained in Carnac, such as the blessing of cows and horses during the pardon of St. Cornely.

In accordance with a long-standing tradition, pilgrims followed the procession that ended with the blessing of the animals in honor of spring.

Although the Auray-Quiberon line was created in 1882, it was the development of a tram line between Etel and La Trinité-sur-mer in 1901 that unveiled Carnac's potential as a seaside resort.
Travelers could also reach Carnac-Plage quickly with the regional fast line.

This triggered the development of seaside tourism and the urbanization of the coast, with many villas that would eventually define Carnac-Plage.

It was these gentlemen, Georges Pajot and Désiré Jamet, who would create Carnac-Plage Ltd. with the intention of "buying all Carnac's beach land for use and development of this territory," which had been empty until that point.

It was an area of 91 hectares with a few isolated villas and a dozen pine trees along the dunes and the sea. The agency office was located there and this was "where all the information was provided for villa rentals and land sales."

Drained beforehand because of its swampy nature, the area became buildable land and saw great architectural diversity in accordance with the plans of Carnac-Plage Ltd.

The villas, fitted with a gable overhang, belonged either to the neo-Norman style or were inspired by the Breton style.

The tourist facilities were not to be outdone, for example, with the construction of the Grand Hotel in 1902. This advertising card illustrates bathing activities on the beach: bathing cabins, racket games, and the virtues of sunshine.

The photographic postcard of the same places revealed lushly vegetated surroundings for the healthiest ambience possible. It even borrowed Mediterranean-climate elements.