The Bibliotheque Historique des Postes et des Telecommunications (BHPT),
(Historical Library of Posts and Telecommunications), a remote and obscure
library recently reopened. For those researching people who lived in France
in the 20th century this is the only repository open to the public
containing nearly all the French telephone directories ever published,
including those in France's territories and overseas departments. They may
be viewed on microfilm. To see the website and what is available online go
to: http://www.bhpt.org/ and under Decouvertes (discoveries) then click on
Ouvrages numerises (digitized works).

The BHPT also includes the history of the postal service. This includes
maps, showing waterways and roads used for transporting the mail as well as
where your ancestors may have traveled. Before railways, the mail was done
by land routes-same for your ancestors going to a port to emigrate, or
otherwise travel. Postal network maps are online and may be viewed at:
https://iis7sh2ws10.domicile.fr/bibliotheq/resopost.htm

The site is in French only, therefore a translation aide such as Google
translate may be helpful.
https://translate.google.com .

To read the article on this library and archive in The French Genealogist
see:
https://french-genealogy.typepad.com/

Thank you to Stan Diamond, President of JGS Montreal for sharing this
information.

Jan Meisels Allen
Chairperson, IAJGS Public Records Access Monitoring Committee