The wooden knob of this cane depicts a face with stereotypical features often attributed to Jews. This carved decorative element places the cane in the category of opinion canes.
The Popularisation of Antisemitic Canes during the Dreyfus Affair
Towards the end of the 19th century, a number of ornamental objects intended for the wealthy class bore antisemitic and caricatural features. In France, the cane was an essential accessory of men’s attire until the 1930s. Among the many categories of decorated canes are “opinion” or “Anti-Dreyfusard” canes. These usually depict politicians or popular figures in a caricatured way. This wooden cane, donated to the museum by Dolores Rosen, is one of many examples. The cane falls into the category of “opinion” canes. This style echoes the Dreyfus Affair, which began in 1894 when Captain Alfred Dreyfus, a Jew from Alsace, was unjustly convicted of spying and distributing important French documents to the German Empire. The conflict broke out, dividing the French society into two camps: the supporters of Dreyfus’s innocence, the “Dreyfusards”, and their opponents, the “Anti-Dreyfusards”.
Antisemitism before the Second World War
Delores Rosen and her husband Harry bought this antisemitic cane from an antique shop in Montreal. The cane comes from France and dates from the late 19th century. It features a carved head with caricatured features at its knob, a way of humiliating and dehumanizing Jewish communities. Its use shows that intolerance and antisemitism were present in France before racist laws were enacted and enforced by Nazi Germany and Vichy France.
Delores Rosen donated this antisemitic cane to the Montreal Holocaust Museum in 2021.
This project is part of a grant from the Claims Conference.
