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49.00 USD
So Saucy! Wonderfully evocative pose and costume. Image by that master of theatrical portrait, Leopold Reutlinger of Paris. Not a common image in any case, but in this instance a rare item because it was signed by the dancer herself for, one can only imagine, a patron at one of her performances.
Beginning her career at the age of 15, at the Ambassadeurs, in Paris, Eugénie Fougère (1865-Unknown), a Spanish Jew in origin, was a performance artiste whose international career spanned almost the entirety of that period known as La Belle Epoque.The g's in her name (a pseudonym), are pronounced with that soft "j" sound we don't really use in English.
In this listing, we also offer for your viewing pleasure, though ***not for sale,*** a beautifully hand-colored image, obtained from the site of the New York public library, of Mlle. Fougère, taken by that famous American theatrical portraitist, Napoleon Sarony, of New York, 1893. Mlle. Fougère spent many years touring the U.S.
She is probably best known for her interpretations and popularizing of African-American music and dance of the period, such as the "cake walk." Her routines were considered outrageous and scandalous by many, and were not always welcomed by audiences, particularly in America. Though well received in Harlem, she was hissed off the stage in Kansas City, according to a very informative article on Wikipedia (Thanks as always Wikipedia!).
Even today, her work is misunderstood by writers who, apparently unaware of the American plantation slave origins and attendant cultural milieu of dances such as the cake walk, misinterpret existing examples of her dancing as either inept, or intentionally ridiculous. This is understandable when taken in context, imagining the possible misinterpretations of even dances such as the "jerk," or the "twist," by an uninitiated commentator 100 years from now :)
Also negatively affecting her reputation was her arrest and conviction in London, in 1906, for shoplifting, which, though eventually thrown out (and apparently for good reason, if one delves more deeply into the case), still resulted in inflammatory articles in London periodicals that were reprinted in American Newspapers.
Scandal seemed to follow her, and in more than one touring location, once in Italy, and again in America, there were instances of her reporting the theft of valuable jewelry from her places of residence. At this point, it is difficult to say whether or not some of this notoriety might not have been intentionally created in order to stimulate publicity.
Additionally, there was the grisly murder of her namesake, the "demimondaine" Eugénie Fougère, who was found strangled with her maid at a popular resort in France, in the early 1900s. Both dancer, and demimondaine, lived in Paris at the same time, knew one another, had friends in common, and even, for a time, resided on the same street. Even today, the two are frequently mistaken for the same person historically, and, given the scandalous reputation of the demimondaine, who was known to use opium and ether, and get up to all kinds of wild mischief, this could only have added to the reputation of our dancer, Mlle. Fougère.
Finally, whether one takes the position that she was guilty or innocent, gifted or ridiculous, Eugénie Fougère was, and remains, a very important figure in the history of theater, music and dance, particularly of la Belle Epoque, and we are very excited to have stumbled upon what appears to be a card signed by this dancer!
The dedication was written diagonally, running into the border of the card. "Une amie qui vous aime, Eugenie," are the words, meaning, "A friend, who loves you, Eugenie." Sweet!
We didn't even notice the dedication at first, since the senders of these cards, particularly of those cards with undivided backs, frequently scrawled brief messages intended for the friends to whom the cards were being sent (at that time, postal regulations strictly prohibited the writing of anything other than the address on the backs of postcards).
We assumed the writing was just another message from a sender, but on closer examination, we saw the name, "Eugenie." and looking even closer, saw that the handwriting on the back of the card was not the same as that of the dedication, and that the ink used was also different.
Below is a link to a very short film provided by the Library of Congress of Eugénie Fougère performing a "cake walk" like dance. Filmed in 1899, it was copyrighted, 1902.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjTnX9H3pTk
The Scala, at 13 Boulevard de Strasbourg in Paris, where Mlle. Fougère was performing when this photograph was taken, was a very popular Cafe-Concert, or Music Hall (one of literally hundreds), booking some of the finest acts of the day. Starting life as a tavern in the late 1700s, it became a music hall in the mid-1800s, was enlarged, and had built into its roof, a great glass dome, so that its patrons could enjoy the starlight while taking in a show, even when the weather was inclement.
By 1903, it began offering screenings of silent movies, by the teens, it opened its arms to vaudeville style productions, and in 1936, was revamped in a wonderfully reviewed Art Deco style (with a highly decorative mirrored lobby), into a full time cinema.
By the late 1970s, its generous single screen auditorium was split into five separate theaters, and with the advent of home video, the Scala's offerings, following the money, gradually focused more and more on pornography, until it became exclusively a porn house.
In 2000, the building was purchased by the Universal Church of the Kingdom of God, a mega-pentecostal-evangelical outfit originating in Brazil, but due to suspicious activities attributed to the church, the French government blocked their use of the space, and the old treasure has lain dormant since then.
Ah well, so goes time. We almost hear David Bowie in the background :)
"Time, he's waiting in the wings,
He speaks of senseless things,
His script is you and me, Boy."
Which is one of the reasons we treasure our cards so. They offer us a precious glimpse into a time and place that might be forgotten, but for the slender, glittering trails they've left behind them--these magnificent images remain, reminding us of the vibrant magic of that golden era. And not only as images, but the cards themselves, purchased by everyday people of la Belle Epoque, who might very well have whistled through their work-day the melody of a song performed on La Scala's stage, by Mlle. Fougere! From their hand, to yours. A very nice card, historically significant, and signed by the dancer.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.
