Courier-pigeon letter – the siege of Paris 1870

Pigeon-post letter during the Siege of Paris by the Prussians in 1870, containing encoded information. A part of the government postal service had withdrawn to Tours. This letter sent to Paris from Tours is signed by Steinackers, Director General of postal and telegraphic services. It is addressed to Mercadier, subordinate to Germain Rampont, Director General of postal services in Paris, and dated 6 December 1870. Replies to the Capital were "micro-filmed" using René DAGRON's method, then the gelatin based film was rolled in a sheath and attached to a pigeon that returned it to Paris.