The international type passport
On 21 October 1920 the Conference on Passports, Customs Formalities and Through Tickets, held in Paris under the League of Nations, asked every government to issue one uniform passport, "identical for all countries", by 1 July 1921. Its Annex I draws the model as a Spanish passport, in Spanish and French.
This is the booklet Bearer prints when the issuing state is one the dataset does not hold, or one you invent. Every word on its printed pages is the Annex's.
Bearer makes an investigator's papers for Call of Cthulhu and any 1920s or 1930s tabletop campaign: the passport a consul would have filled in, with the visas and frontier stamps a campaign leaves in it, and the permits, certificates and tickets of the period, to print or to share.
An example
Open this example in the office
The rules of the model
- 32 pages. The first four are printed; the other 28 are numbered and hold the visas.
- At least two languages: the national language and French.
- Bound in cardboard, the name of the country at the top, its coat of arms in the centre, the word "Passport" at the bottom.
- A passport whose pages are entirely filled is replaced by a fresh one.
- Issued for a single journey or for two years, and renewable. Exact size 15.5 by 10.5 cm.
The first four pages
| Page | What it carries |
|---|---|
| 1 | The notice "this passport contains 32 pages"; the arms of the country; a round revenue stamp; the word Passport; the name of the country; the number; the name of the bearer; "accompanied by his wife" and the number of children; nationality. |
| 2 | The description of the bearer and, beside it, of his wife; below, the children: name, age, sex. |
| 3 | The photographs of the bearer and of his wife under one embossed stamp; their signatures; the signature of the issuing officer. |
| 4 | The countries for which the passport is valid; the date it expires "unless renewed"; where and when it was issued; four lines for renewals. |
| 5 to 32 | Numbered and blank, for visas. |
The printed words
| Español | Français | English |
|---|---|---|
| Este pasaporte contiene 32 páginas | Ce passeport contient 32 pages | This passport contains 32 pages |
| PASAPORTE | PASSEPORT | PASSPORT |
| NOMBRE DEL PAIS | NOM DU PAYS | NAME OF THE COUNTRY |
| Nº del pasaporte | Nº du passeport | No. of passport |
| Nombre del portador | Nom du porteur | Name of bearer |
| Acompañado de su esposa | Accompagné de sa femme | Accompanied by his wife |
| y de … hijos. | et de … enfants. | and by … children. |
| NACIONALIDAD | NATIONALITÉ | NATIONALITY |
| SEÑAS PERSONALES | SIGNALEMENT | DESCRIPTION |
| Esposa | Femme | Wife |
| HIJOS | ENFANTS | CHILDREN |
| Nombre | Nom | Name |
| Edad | Age | Age |
| Sexo | Sexe | Sex |
| Foto | photo | photograph |
| FIRMA DEL PORTADOR | SIGNATURE DU TITULAIRE | SIGNATURE OF BEARER |
| Y DE SU ESPOSA | ET DE SA FEMME | AND OF HIS WIFE |
| Firma del Expedidor : | Signature de l'agent délivrant le passeport : | Signature of the issuing officer: |
| Paises en los cuales este pasaporte es válido | Pays pour lesquels ce passeport est valable | Countries for which this passport is valid |
| La validez deste pasaporte terminá : | Ce passeport expire le : | This passport expires on: |
| a menos que se renovado. | à moins de renouvellement. | unless renewed. |
| expedido en | délivré à | issued at |
| fecha | date | date |
| RENOVACIONES | RENOUVELLEMENTS | RENEWALS |
| VISADOS | VISAS | VISAS |
| Profesion | Profession | Profession |
| Lugar y fecha del nacimiento | Lieu et date de naissance | Place and date of birth |
| Domicilio | Domicile | Domicile |
| Rostro | Visage | Face |
| Color de los ojos | Couleur des yeux | Colour of eyes |
| Color del cabello | Couleur des cheveux | Colour of hair |
| Señas particulares | Signes particuliers | Special peculiarities |
As the Annex prints them. The English column is ours: the League drew its model in Spanish and French only.
The same paper elsewhere
Still to be confirmed
- English wording. What would settle it: an English-language passport of the international type (the British booklet of the twenties).
- the heading of the visa pages, which the League's annex does not draw. What would settle it: a real booklet of the international type.
- Spanish for the three marks the annex names in French only (arms, revenue stamp, embossed stamp): left empty. What would settle it: a Spanish booklet of the twenties.
Sources
- League of Nations, Advisory and Technical Committee for Communications and Transit, Resolution adopted by the Conference on Passports, Customs Formalities and Through Tickets in Paris on October 21st, 1920 (Passport Conference, Preparatory Documents II), C.641.M.230.1925.VIII (read directly)
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