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@absurdbird
That mid stay position was the most common for pre war derailleurs and some French builders continued using them until the early 60s. Cyclo made them first in the early 20s and made millions. Apparently they worked really well but made rear wheel removal a pain so weren't much used in competition. Rene Herse made a rear hub in 2 parts which left the freewheel in the frame when you removed the wheel.
Fancy French constructeurs made hangers from tube to save weight and be flash and also would sometimes run the cables internally and conceal the long return spring you can see under the stay on that Porteur.