Photographs on passports.

Those of you who read my post on 14th February about the British Passport Centenary will know all about the confusion that was caused when photographs were hurriedly introduced to passports – the holders  were given no guidance on how to pose for the photographs.

But they were not the only people lacking guidance in this area. The passports of the day had not been designed to carry a photograph and so the officials issuing the documents had to find a space to accommodate this unplanned extra. In default of guidance, they used their own judgement. 

This latter was not always up to the standard one would desire.

Passport issued in 1925 to a mother and child by .....?
The name of the country has been obscured by the officially attached photographs.
(It is France)