Uniforms
Parisians were amazed to people from all over the world streaming through the city during the war. They had never seen so many different uniforms and costumes. Soldiers from the colonies, on leave or convalescing, allied troops, foreign volunteers in military hospitals and exotic foreign laborers caused fascination but also fear. The image of "indigenous" colonial soldiers blended heroism with the picturesque and innocence with cruelty, inspiring both admiration and mockery. But everyone suffered in the same way, and although a sense of superiority and prejudice was sometimes in evidence, there was also a feeling of solidarity and gratitude. This was apparent in charities for soldiers and laborers brought from the colonies, and in 1917, a day "for the African army and colonial troops" was organized in their honor. People’s curiosity about each other replaced initial distrust, and true interest emerged in the original cultures of colonial troops. This was particularly true of artists. Some people were even beginning to see a new position for "natives" in society.
