17.00 USD

Fantastic image of bathing beauty in an "out of studio," on location shot. Wonderful bathing suit. Love those stripes, and she is awfully cute :)
Nice unposted condition. Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

14.00 USD

Maiden at the Well 2. Photogravure by Leopold Reutlinger, Posted 1909

Au Bord du Puits, or At the Well, a truly lovely image of a young woman drawing water. A photogravure by Reutlinger of Paris, and one of five cards out of a series of probably six, that we recently acquired for the shop.

The "woman at the well" can easily be counted as its own sub-genre of picture postcards. Though perhaps not as collectible today as Pierrot, or paper moon images, at the time this card was printed, the "woman at the well" was a theme that resonated deeply.

Though technology and industry were moving forward with lightning speed by the year 1900, it was more part and parcel of the urban experience. Village life was still, in many places, not terribly different for the average villager than it had been a hundred years before.

Indoor plumbing was not the norm (actually, even in the 1970s, in the USA, though the "village well" may have been a forgotten fixture of the past, indoor plumbing was still a stranger to many rural American households) and the village, or shared, well in turn of the century France was, as it had always been, an important gathering place, a hub of village life.

In addition to those ancient mythical concepts of the well as a source of life, of wisdom, and so on, there is also a common association of the water jug, urn or vase, with womanhood, motherhood, and fertility. Add to that the fact that the well was often that place in the village where a young man or woman might first have begun a shy courtship with their future mate, and it is no wonder this theme was so very popular.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

Reutlinger,vintage postcard,french postcard,photogravure,art print,belle epoque,1900s,well,fertility,woman,village life,au bord du puits

14.00 USD

Au Bord du Puits, or At the Well, a truly lovely image of a young woman drawing water. A photogravure by Reutlinger of Paris, and one of five cards out of a series of probably six, that we recently acquired for the shop.

The "woman at the well" can easily be counted as its own sub-genre of picture postcards. Though perhaps not as collectible today as Pierrot, or paper moon images, at the time this card was printed, the "woman at the well" was a theme that resonated deeply.

Though technology and industry were moving forward with lightning speed by the year 1900, it was more part and parcel of the urban experience. Village life was still, in many places, not terribly different for the average villager than it had been a hundred years before.

Indoor plumbing was not the norm (actually, even in the 1970s, in the USA, though the "village well" may have been a forgotten fixture of the past, indoor plumbing was still a stranger to many rural American households) and the village, or shared, well in turn of the century France was, as it had always been, an important gathering place, a hub of village life.

In addition to those ancient mythical concepts of the well as a source of life, of wisdom, and so on, there is also a common association of the water jug, urn or vase, with womanhood, motherhood, and fertility. Add to that the fact that the well was often that place in the village where a young man or woman might first have begun a shy courtship with their future mate, and it is no wonder this theme was so very popular.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

16.00 USD

Au Bord du Puits, or At the Well, a truly lovely image of a young woman drawing water. This is an unidentified photogravure of actress Lilian Greuze by Reutlinger of Paris, and one of five cards, out of a series of probably six, that we recently acquired for the shop.

After initially listing this card, we were contacted by one of our wonderful customers with the information that the model in this image is none other than Mlle. Lilian (also Lillian) Greuze, French stage actress, model, and later, film actress. We have no bio on her unfortunately, but we know she was associated with both Sarah (la Divine) Bernhardt, and Polaire, appeared in several silent films, and went on to appear in the talkies as well, into the 1930s!

The "woman at the well" as a theme, can easily be counted as its own sub-genre of picture postcards. Though perhaps not as collectible today as Pierrot, or paper moon images, at the time this card was printed, the "woman at the well" was a theme that resonated deeply.

Though technology and industry were moving forward with lightning speed by the year 1900, it was more part and parcel of the urban experience. Village life was still, in many places, not terribly different for the average villager than it had been a hundred years before.

Indoor plumbing was not the norm (actually, even in the 1970s, in the USA, though the "village well" may have been a forgotten fixture of the past, indoor plumbing was still a stranger to many rural American households) and the village, or shared, well in turn of the century France was, as it had always been, an important gathering place, a hub of village life.

In addition to those ancient mythical concepts of the well as a source of life, of wisdom, and so on, there is also a common association of the water jug, urn or vase, with womanhood, motherhood, and fertility. Add to that the fact that the well was often that place in the village where a young man or woman might first have begun a shy courtship with their future mate, and it is no wonder this theme was so very popular.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

Reutlinger,vintage postcard,french postcard,photogravure,art print,belle epoque,1900s,well,fertility,woman,village life,au bord du puits

16.00 USD

Au Bord du Puits, or At the Well, a truly lovely image of a young woman drawing water. This is an unidentified photogravure of actress Lilian Greuze by Reutlinger of Paris, and one of five cards, out of a series of probably six, that we recently acquired for the shop.

After initially listing this card, we were contacted by one of our wonderful customers with the information that the model in this image is none other than Mlle. Lilian (also Lillian) Greuze, French stage actress, model, and later, film actress. We have no bio on her unfortunately, but we know she was associated with both Sarah (la Divine) Bernhardt, and Polaire, appeared in several silent films, and went on to appear in the talkies as well, into the 1930s!

The "woman at the well" as a theme, can easily be counted as its own sub-genre of picture postcards. Though perhaps not as collectible today as Pierrot, or paper moon images, at the time this card was printed, the "woman at the well" was a theme that resonated deeply.

Though technology and industry were moving forward with lightning speed by the year 1900, it was more part and parcel of the urban experience. Village life was still, in many places, not terribly different for the average villager than it had been a hundred years before.

Indoor plumbing was not the norm (actually, even in the 1970s, in the USA, though the "village well" may have been a forgotten fixture of the past, indoor plumbing was still a stranger to many rural American households) and the village, or shared, well in turn of the century France was, as it had always been, an important gathering place, a hub of village life.

In addition to those ancient mythical concepts of the well as a source of life, of wisdom, and so on, there is also a common association of the water jug, urn or vase, with womanhood, motherhood, and fertility. Add to that the fact that the well was often that place in the village where a young man or woman might first have begun a shy courtship with their future mate, and it is no wonder this theme was so very popular.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

16.00 USD

Au Bord du Puits, or At the Well, a truly lovely image of a young woman drawing water. This is an unidentified photogravure of actress Lilian Greuze by Reutlinger of Paris, and one of five cards, out of a series of probably six, that we recently acquired for the shop.

After initially listing this card, we were contacted by one of our wonderful customers with the information that the model in this image is none other than Mlle. Lilian (also Lillian) Greuze, French stage actress, model, and later, film actress. We have no bio on her unfortunately, but we know she was associated with both Sarah (la Divine) Bernhardt, and Polaire, appeared in several silent films, and went on to appear in the talkies as well, into the 1930s!

The "woman at the well" as a theme, can easily be counted as its own sub-genre of picture postcards. Though perhaps not as collectible today as Pierrot, or paper moon images, at the time this card was printed, the "woman at the well" was a theme that resonated deeply.

Though technology and industry were moving forward with lightning speed by the year 1900, it was more part and parcel of the urban experience. Village life was still, in many places, not terribly different for the average villager than it had been a hundred years before.

Indoor plumbing was not the norm (actually, even in the 1970s, in the USA, though the "village well" may have been a forgotten fixture of the past, indoor plumbing was still a stranger to many rural American households) and the village, or shared, well in turn of the century France was, as it had always been, an important gathering place, a hub of village life.

In addition to those ancient mythical concepts of the well as a source of life, of wisdom, and so on, there is also a common association of the water jug, urn or vase, with womanhood, motherhood, and fertility. Add to that the fact that the well was often that place in the village where a young man or woman might first have begun a shy courtship with their future mate, and it is no wonder this theme was so very popular.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

16.00 USD

Au Bord du Puits, or At the Well, a truly lovely image of a young woman drawing water. This is an unidentified photogravure of actress Lilian Greuze by Reutlinger of Paris, and one of five cards, out of a series of probably six, that we recently acquired for the shop.

After initially listing this card, we were contacted by one of our wonderful customers with the information that the model in this image is none other than Mlle. Lilian (also Lillian) Greuze, French stage actress, model, and later, film actress. We have no bio on her unfortunately, but we know she was associated with both Sarah (la Divine) Bernhardt, and Polaire, appeared in several silent films, and went on to appear in the talkies as well, into the 1930s!

The "woman at the well" as a theme, can easily be counted as its own sub-genre of picture postcards. Though perhaps not as collectible today as Pierrot, or paper moon images, at the time this card was printed, the "woman at the well" was a theme that resonated deeply.

Though technology and industry were moving forward with lightning speed by the year 1900, it was more part and parcel of the urban experience. Village life was still, in many places, not terribly different for the average villager than it had been a hundred years before.

Indoor plumbing was not the norm (actually, even in the 1970s, in the USA, though the "village well" may have been a forgotten fixture of the past, indoor plumbing was still a stranger to many rural American households) and the village, or shared, well in turn of the century France was, as it had always been, an important gathering place, a hub of village life.

In addition to those ancient mythical concepts of the well as a source of life, of wisdom, and so on, there is also a common association of the water jug, urn or vase, with womanhood, motherhood, and fertility. Add to that the fact that the well was often that place in the village where a young man or woman might first have begun a shy courtship with their future mate, and it is no wonder this theme was so very popular.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

Reutlinger,vintage postcard,french postcard,photogravure,art print,belle epoque,1900s,well,fertility,woman,village life,au bord du puits

14.00 USD

Splendid image of beautiful young woman posing with urn. Puts us in mind of paintings by Pre-Raphaelites like Dante Gabriel Rosetti. Stamp on the card face is postmarked 1907.

Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of sudden increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

19.00 USD

Leopold Reutlinger, the Belle Epoque photographer, took thousands of photographs of famous Parisian actresses. These were published in cartes de visite or cabinet card formats, later as postcards, cropped to close up and republished, hand tinted, glittered, sequined, published again, and when every imaginable possibility had been explored, he superimposed these images onto wonderfully fantastic, often surreal backgrounds. The "Artiste with Bird" series is one of our favorites, quite collectible, and we've seen a fair number of them pass through our shop, though not usually in condition this fine.

One of the issues with Reutlinger's "fantaisies," is that although the artiste's name was usually printed on the face of the card in its early incarnations, by the time they evolved into these dramatically imaginative versions, the artiste's name would often be left off the card. This was fine at the time, since their faces were very well known, just as we sometimes see 1970s era posters of unidentified movie stars, like Paul Newman and Robert Redford dressed up as cowboys.

But, of course, their having left off the names on some of these old postcards gives us the opportunity to play the "Name That Face" game, one of our favorite pastimes :).

The beautiful actress in this image is Marguerite Brésil. Born in 1880, she made her first appearance on the stage of the Théatre Gymnase in Paris, in 1899, and within a few years was a tremendously successful star.
This card was published by NPG (Neue Photographische Gesellschaft) of Berlin, and utilized the extremely effective Oranotype method for photo reproduction. Very nice condition on this one, dated on the back 1906.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of sudden increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

18.00 USD

Though perhaps fitting from a certain perspective, Méaty, in this case, is not an adjective, but the proper name of one of our favorite Parisian stage beauties, Méaty (may-ah-tee) Fleuron (ending with one of those nasal "lettres muettes" the French language throws at us :). Follow link to hear it pronounced.

http://www.forvo.com/word/fleuron/

Most of the images of her we find were made by the Parisian photographer J. Oricelly, for whom we have found no biography as yet.

From the little we've learned, Méaty seems to have enjoyed most of her popularity during the1890s, and perhaps not so much after the turn of the century. Many images of her were produced during the time she was performing at the Caf'Conc Parisiana, but like her better known sister, Lise Fleuron, she probably traveled and performed internationally.

What is a Caf'Conc? With the ending sound of the word probably comparable to that lettre muette that ends the name Fleuron, The Caf'Conc (short for Café Concert) was an establishment that combined stage shows, and sometimes ballroom dancing, with drinking and dining (apparently with an accent on the drinking). The difference between the traditional Caf'Conc and the Parisian Music Hall is in the revenues from entertainment, versus the revenues from refreshments. Apparently the Music Hall was an idea imported by English entrepreneurs, who moved out the tables, and moved in the rows and rows of seats, to accommodate a larger audience, key being a "paying" audience, whereas with the Caf'Conc, admission was often free, but the food and drinks cost you. The decline of the Caf'Conc began in earnest in about 1900, and by the end of la Belle Epoque (around 1914), they had largely gone the way of the era. In keeping with that trend, the Parisiana was relatively short lived as a Caf'Conc, and was closed in 1908, becoming an early cinema house by 1914.

The name of Méaty's sister, Lise Fleuron, was actually Marguerite Raucher, but we don't know if Méaty shared that name, or not. It may have been Lise's name after marriage. It is said that Lise was known for her ample bosom and low necklines which were apparently much talked about at the time, and if anything Méaty was more "ample," but what we love most about her are her intense facial expressions, and, of course from this particular series of Oricelly images, with such wonderful lighting and contrast, her absolutely bizarre coiffure :)

A very nice, unposted card, with minor foxing on the reverse side.

Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully insured, first class, shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

16.00 USD

In Mlle. Miéris' era, well known actresses were frequently referred to by last names only, in much the same way as were "Garbo" and "Dietrich" in the 1930s. Even in those theatrical notices, from periodicals of the time, that we came across in our research, she is identified only as Miéris, or Mlle. Miéris. We can find no biographical information on her, but enough theatrical history to suggest that she was, at least primarily, a serious stage actress rather than a singer/dancer (not to suggest that those mediums are necessarily exclusive of one another). In fact, in 1906, she enjoyed the distinction of appearing not only with Coquelin aîné (Coquelin the elder) one of France's most loved actors at that time, and only three years before he passed away, but also with his son, Jean Coquelin, in Alfred Capus' "L'Attentat" at Théâtre de la Gaîté in Paris.
From our image oriented perspective, she had one of the sweetest faces appearing on postcards at that time. Just lovely. And very nice hand-coloration on this one, as well.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, or in a padded envelope reinforced for protection of the merchandise. We happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of recent increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more.
We do not profit from shipping, shipping materials, or handling. Shipping as we normally do, first class, fully insured, and in secure packaging to prevent damage to our cards, we generally accept a small loss in shipping expenses, whether domestically or internationally.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

59.00 USD

As per convos.

24.00 USD

Okay, in that early time, the magic of OZ had not yet spread thru La Belle France, so this was probably not an OZ convention...they had plenty of children's fantasy on their own...but it coulda been! Too darling for words :)

Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

29.00 USD

Great circus image on this German postcard from the early 1930s. The "Cilly" on the card refers to Fraulein Cilly Hayderich, a wild animal trainer who was employed at Circus Krone in Berlin. The circus was founded in 1905, survived two world wars (though a permanent structure housing it in Munich, Germany was destroyed by allied bombing in WWII) and its Munich branch is still in operation today.

We have no bio on Fraulein Hayderich (or her tiger), but from a Sunday, April 1933 edition of the Portsmouth Daily Times of Portsmouth Ohio, we learned that our trainer was five feet two inches tall, and weighed one hundred and eight pounds, and that her tiger weighed four hundred pounds.

Apparently, according to Cilly, it was simply a matter of weight distribution. She didn't actually lift the animal, but rather whispered a command, and the tiger just flopped onto her shoulders (presumably from a pedestal of the appropriate height). Then she stood there for a few moments while the crowd went wild.

The Daily Times quoted Fraulein Hayderich as saying, "The tiger I chose for a neckpiece is what I call a natural performer. He never has had to be whipped or bullied to obey my commands and he is therefore genuinely fond of me. I have other tigers which I would not trust around my neck, but I think this one is as safe as a kitten. He wouldn't scratch me for anything."

From the beginning, Circus Krone has apparently prided themselves on their love of animals.

A great circus item. Probably a card that was sold by vendors at the circus. Very nice unposted condition. Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

11.00 USD

We love this image so much we've made it our Facebook cover image.

As one of our wonderful customers shared with us in arranging for a shipment of postcards, an empty mailbox, or one that holds only bills and ad flyers, can be woefully lackluster.

There's just something wonderful about receiving something real in the mail. No matter how anticipated it may be, the pleasure of opening the mailbox and finding a handwritten letter or postcard, or a package of treats (even the kind you've bought for yourself), just can't be topped. This is even more true today, we think, than it was a hundred years ago. Yes, our virtual mailboxes are full (sometimes too full!), but electronic mail is just lacking in the magic of receiving something a bit more personal.

Lots of fun! Great image, and wonderful contrast and resolution. Probably a German card, posted in Austria in the early to mid 1910s (guesswork, but I think we're close :)

Please examine our high res scans for detail.

Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of sudden increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

14.00 USD

Manon Loti, demimondaine, one of the most beautiful artistes of la Belle Epoque, by Leopold Reutlinger. A really fine, unposted card in a classic Reutlinger presentation style of the pre-divided back, leaving lots of room on the front of the card for a message, at the time when only the address was allowed on the back side.

Very little history for Mlle. Loti, and mostly by association. One in particular is interesting. She had a short but passionate affair with the dashing and fabulously wealthy Russian nobleman Nikolay Felixovich Yusupov. At the age of 25, he and his younger brother, who would become Prince Felix Yusupov II, were amusing themselves in Paris. According to Prince Felix's memoirs, the two lovers were inseparable. He described Manon Loti as beautiful, a famous courtesan who lived in great luxury in a fine house, with carriages, jewelry, etc., and according to Prince Felix, she even employed a "dwarf" as her mascot. The use of animals like cheetahs, defanged poisonous snakes, and yes, occasionally even human beings, as props to raise eyebrows, was not uncommon among our theatrical celebrities, many of whom came from very humble backgrounds, and imaginatively affected the lifestyle of debauched empresses. We have no remembrances of her affair with Yusupov passed down to us by Nikolay himself, who not long afterwards, back in Russia, was killed in a duel over a different woman. Again, this is interesting by association, rather than directly, Nothing to do with Mlle. Loti, really, but it is through our research on her that we meet her lover Nikolay, and his brother Prince Felix, frequenter of opium dens, and who would become one of the murderers of Rasputin! How often our belle artistes may be but a single thread in a great tapestry, but following that thread, we are inexorably drawn into the warp and weft of the entire piece.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully insured, first class, shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

The older son of Zinaida and Felix Sumarokov-Elston, Nikolay Felixovich Yusupov (1883–1908) was killed in a duel at the age of 26 [1]. The last Yusupov Prince was Prince Felix Yusupov II, Count Sumarokov-Elston, the younger son of Zinaida and Felix Sumarokov-Elston, who is famous for his involvement in the murder of Gregory Rasputin. Felix Yusupov II

14.00 USD

Wonderful theatrical portrait by Walery, circa 1905. Not quite certain if this Gerard is actually Lucy Gerard, one of our favorites. Nicely hand-tinted and in nice condition too.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of sudden increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

11.00 USD

Just a very lovely image! Posted to the Cafe de la Gare in Lunel, Herault.
Minor wear to corners.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully insured, first class, shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

16.00 USD

Au Bord du Puits, or At the Well, a truly lovely image of a young woman drawing water. This is an unidentified photogravure of actress Lilian Greuze by Reutlinger of Paris, and one of five cards, out of a series of probably six, that we recently acquired for the shop.

After initially listing this card, we were contacted by one of our wonderful customers with the information that the model in this image is none other than Mlle. Lilian (also Lillian) Greuze, French stage actress, model, and later, film actress. We have no bio on her unfortunately, but we know she was associated with both Sarah (la Divine) Bernhardt, and Polaire (She of the "wasp waist"). Mlle. Greuze appeared in several silent films in the 1910s and 20s, and went on to appear in the talkies too, well into the 1930s!

The "woman at the well" as an image theme, can easily be counted as its own sub-genre of picture postcards. Though perhaps not as collectible today as Pierrot, or paper moon images, at the time this card was printed, the "woman at the well" was a theme that resonated deeply.

Though technology and industry were moving forward with lightning speed by the year 1900, evidence of this growth was more part and parcel of the urban experience. Village life was still, in many places, not terribly different for the average villager than it had been a hundred years before.

Indoor plumbing was not yet the norm (actually, even in the USA of the 1970s, though by then the "village well" may have been a forgotten fixture of the past, indoor plumbing was still a stranger to many rural American households) and the village well, or shared well, in turn of the century France, was still as it had always been, an important gathering place, and a central hub of village life.

In addition to ancient mythical concepts of the well as a source of life, of wisdom, and so forth, there is also the earthy association of the water jug, urn or vase, with womanhood, motherhood, and fertility. If we add to these ideas the fact that the well was often a place in the village where a young man or woman might first have begun a shy courtship with their future mate, it is no wonder that this theme was so very popular.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!

14.00 USD

Odette Valery, Bangled and Bejeweled, by Bassano Ltd. of London. Posted in 1908

Wonderful Rotary Photo card of Odette Valery in costume as (we think) Cleopatra. The photograph was made at Bassano Ltd. of London, a firm originally established by the famed "high society" portraitist Alexander Bassano in 1850. Mr. Bassano had retired in 1903, however, so this portrait was probably not made by him personally.

Born Helene Vasilardi in 1883, Odette Valery was an Italian dancer of Greek parentage who made her début at La Scala (the one in Milan, not the music hall in Paris), in 1898, at the age of fifteen. She was known as a great beauty, with emerald eyes that broke many hearts. Moving to Paris, she danced at the Folies Bergere, and also at the Casino de Paris.

Like the lovely Cleo de Merode, who was also primarily an interpretive soloist, and did very well performing her versions of classical Cambodian dance in traditional costume, Mlle. Valery sought to recreate dances of classical Greece (the homeland of her mother and father) in her bare feet, rather than dancing en pointe with a ballet troupe, which she felt was too "old fashioned" as a performance art.

She played Cleopatra (probably the part for which she was costumed here) with a living asp (de-fanged), and at the height of her fame, in 1910, was earning a thousand dollars a week (a great deal of money at that time, translating today into about 25,000.00 per week, according to some available sources).

She toured in style, with servants. Even her snakes had a personal groom named Robert, who traveled with them on international tours. She also gave the snakes names! Hector was the asp, and her two giant cobras were named Sarah and Helene. She also traveled with a tiny green lizard, whom she allowed to crawl, with apparent affection, all over her face during interviews with the press. It was the groom Robert's job, she said, to go out into the woods and find a particular variety of red ant this lizard liked to eat.

We find plenty of news articles about her and her snakes, from around 1908-1910, but in 1912, she was found in a terribly impoverished state, dangerously ill, and being watched over by her seven year old son Gaeton, in a cheap London boarding house.

A friend managed to get her back to Paris, but by 1914, at the beginning of the war, she was still destitute. At that point the trail all but disappears. Millions of people in Europe were displaced in the war, and apparently she was one of them. There is not even a record of her death that we can locate, which is odd for so famous a dancer.

We found only one more mention of her, an editorial, quite sympathetic and poetically written, which appeared in La Renaissance Politique in May of 1914. "Pauvre Femme," or Poor Woman, it was called. The author described her as a fine woman, a talented artist, and as having gone mad from the abuse of morphine and ether. They went on to describe how she wandered beneath the trees of Sainte Anne's, an asylum for the insane on the outskirts of Paris. So very sad, and terrible for her child. Clearly fame and fortune were no more easily handled then, than now.

So, a relatively short career, but by all accounts a brilliant one, and certainly a colorful life. We would like to hope that she found peace and recovered eventually. This image was made when she was at the height of her fame.

There is a nasty crease in the lower right corner of this card, but thanks to the card format, the crease barely intrudes into this uncommon image.

Many thanks to Wikipedia, as always, and to the New York Times, and La Renaissance Politique by way of lecti-ecriture.com.

Please examine our high res scans for detail.

Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of sudden increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more.

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!