French WWI Photo Medallion - 150th Infantry Regiment

This is a photo medallion, manufactured from celluloid on metal. Around the period of the First World War (1914–1918), these items were produced on a large scale as a personal commemorative monument for the home.

Historical Context & Characteristics:

• Function: They served as a "tangible memory" (souvenir de guerre) for a soldier's family, often placed on a mantelpiece or sideboard.
• Material: Mostly a convex metal plate with a celluloid coating, which protected the photo from fading for decades.

Characteristics of the French Uniform (First World War):

• The collar tab (Patte de col): The number 150 on the collar tab means that this soldier served in the 150th French Infantry Regiment (150e Régiment d'Infanterie, or simply 150e RI). This was a well-known and heavily tested regiment during the First World War.
• The cap (Bonnet de police): The soldier is wearing a typical French field cap, colloquially known as a bonnet de police or calot, which was part of the French field uniform (Bleu horizon) at the time.