Identity Card



Jeanne Calment had an identity card dated January 11th, 193x where the last digit of the date is not visible in surviving copies. The card was signed by Georges Valantin who was officially the commissaire central for Arles from May 12th, 1931 until August 11th, 1936, when he transferred elsewhere. However, he held the title of Comissaire in Arles already in 1929 and was described as Comissaire central in newspapers. So the card could have been issued as early as 1930 or as late as 1936. The 11th of January in 1931 was a Sunday so it is improbable for that reason. Another identity card from Arles dated August 1934 can be found online and has a different design. This means a date after 1934 is unlikely. Whereas a card from 1932, issued in a different area, has the same template. A journal article from 1995 claimed that the card was from 1930.



The photograph is thought to have been taken around 1923 so it was roughly 7 years out of date. That would not have been a problem at the time especially as Jeanne was still recognisable, but it is still surprising that they did not get a new picture taken. Madame Calment looked similar to the ID photo especially when she smiled. However, Jeanne's nose looks smaller.

The card indicates that a passport was produced to justify it. So Jeanne also had a passport. Why did she also need an identity card which was not mandatory until 1942? It could be that the passport was about to expire but then she would most likely renew her passport so that she could travel abroad if necessary. French citizens who stayed in Leysin for more than three months were obliged to have a passport.

The card names a witness "Paule Caumont". This could mean that Jeanne was not present when the card was obtained. There was a Pauline Caumont born in Arles the same year as Yvonne.

The personal details were probably copied straight from the passport. They showed Jeanne's hair and eyes to be black. This was probably said for any sufficiently dark eye colour.

Jeanne's signature on the card matches her known signatures since 1933, but it is significantly different from her signatures before 1927.

In sharp contrast to her ID document, in later life Madame Calment's eyes were light green, as can be seen on the Arles Magazine cover from 1986 (see below). Some have suggested that her eyes could have drastically changed colors as she aged, however Madame Calment told Paris Match that her eyes were green and hair brown even when she was young. Her height was recorded as 150 in 1986 in dissertations by her doctors Garoyan and Levraud. The later lower height of 143 was measured by Ipsen after her hip fracture when she was unable to stand. Jeanne Calment probably indeed had black eyes while Yvonne Calment had eyes more compatible with those of Madame Calment.