18.00 USD

Rose Caron (1857-1930), was an operatic soprano who made her debut in 1880 with great success. She enjoyed a long career, and at 47 years of age, made several recordings. We provide a link below to one. The sound quality is poor, but her voice is sweet and clear, and one can imagine how she sounded in her prime.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7agu-nXMLY

Leopold Reutlinger made great use of his original images. Experimenting with new techniques, he took portraits he'd shot of artistes in the 1890s, which may have been produced as cartes de visite, or cabinet cards originally, and superimposed the original portrait onto decorative, Art Nouveau, sometimes quite surreal backgrounds he hoped would grab the public imagination at the time, and they did!

This card is a particularly fine example of one of his most beautiful Art Nouveau series, in which the pictured artistes are practically deified, which was a common thread running through theatrical portrait imagery of the time. The theatrical performer was magically transformed from an ordinary, though talented, human being, into a celestial goddess, woodland nymph, etc. We have to remember that photography was still a relatively new medium, and at the time this postcard was published, the "real photo" picture postcard was newer still, practically in its first decade of existence. This would have made images like this one seem truly magical to the everyday, uninitiated person!

Mlle. Caron was probably (or, at least appears to have been), still in her twenties or thirties at the time the original image used for this card was taken, but was close to 50 years old when this series was published, so it would seem Monsieur Reutlinger was getting some definite mileage out of his original portrait photograph :). At that time, many performers closely controlled production and sales of their postcard images, drawing sometimes considerable wealth from them in the process. Cleo de Merode, famed interpretive dancer and Belle Epoque postcard queen, was one of these canny business women. We don't know at this time whether or not Mlle. Caron received any additional income from these later Reutlinger montage images, but then, as now, any (or at least most) publicity, was good publicity.

Gorgeous card, in very nice, unposted condition, with minor foxing on the reverse side of the card and slight rounding of the corners.
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

24.00 USD

Wonderful early 1900s image by NPG (Neue Photographische Gesellschaft), one of our favorite German publishers. The young woman is adorned in a classic "costume oriental," and posed as the "Sultan's Favorite," a very popular motif of the period. Of particular interest to fashion historians will be the model's chemise, in what appears to be a flexible ribbed cotton, with a delicately crocheted deep collar, and also her belt, decorated with cameos, set in leather, or possibly metal, bezels, and from which one of the cameos is missing. Marvelous card!
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

A lovely portrait by Leopold Reutlinger of Mary Garden (1874-1967), in Jules Massenet's Manon. Miss Garden was an operatic soprano who enjoyed great success in both France and the United States during the first third of the 20th century.

She was born in Aberdeen, Scotland into a working class family (to a 14 year old mother!), and spent her early childhood there before moving with her family to America. Though she studied voice and music here, it was not in the U.S. that she first gained renown, however, but in France. It was there, at about the time this portrait was made (she performed the title role in Manon, in 1901), that she realized fame at the Opéra Comique in Paris, working closely with the finest composers of the period, like Debussy and Massenet. She also performed the role of Salome, in the Strauss version, and so took part in that Salome craze (we'd love to find an image of her in Salome garb :).

Just a few short years after this photograph was taken, she made a triumphant return to the U.S., and a contract with the ill-fated Manhattan Opera Company. Her career in the U.S. was very successful, particularly in Chicago.

Follow the link below to hear her sing, accompanied by none other than Debussy, himself! This is a direct play of an old recording, with no apparent clean-up, but still a nice bit of history.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_3YPH0vb00

Sadly, Miss Garden suffered from dementia in later years, and though an American citizen, returned finally to Scotland, where, in her nineties, she passed away.

Thanks are due (as they so often are) to the folks at Wikipedia, for the bulk of our biographical information!

A very nice card, in fine, 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 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

As far as we can tell, Miss Olive Haygate was an English actress whose home, in the late 1890s, was London. Nevertheless, we don't run across images of her by British photographers, so perhaps she went to France before becoming famous. We should mention that during this time, it was not unheard of for British theatrical producers to own French theaters and music halls, and also to stock those theaters with British acts.

As to how well known she was in late 1890s London, we did come across a very interesting bit of history concerning her in 1897, at the Adelphi Theater. At this time, Miss Haygate was an under-study for a Miss Millward, which does suggest it was early in her career.

As the story goes, Miss Haygate met with a Frederic Lane (also an understudy, to then well known actor William Terriss), before rehearsal for a production. Lane told her, in a joking way, that he was certain to take over Terriss' role, as he had dreamt the night before of Terriss lying prostrate on a stair landing in the theater, with a group of actors and others surrounding him as if he was in a terrible state. Miss Haygate laughed with Lane at the silly superstitiousness of the idea, as did others to whom Lane recounted his dream, but as it turned out, the actor Terriss was stabbed to death that very night, and on that very stair landing! The murderer was another actor, named Archer (not Miles...that's another mystery story :), who apparently bore Terriss a long standing grudge, and was later judged to have been insane at the time the crime was committed.

However reliable, or otherwise, this account may be, we got it from a Google abstract of volume 14 of proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research. Included are letters of testimony from Miss Haygate and others. Below is the link to the abstract, if you'd like to read Haygate's letter in detail:

http://books.google.com/books?id=X1HYAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA310&lpg=PA310&dq=olive+haygate&source=bl&ots=MmdAjuEfv-&sig=vFIdNzQ9Khic_CE5mf3ICnhfYPs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=mo0fU4OKDO_iyAGh44CgDQ&ved=0CC8Q6AEwAg#v=onepage&q=olive%20haygate&f=false

Great image of the lovely Miss Haygate in very nice, unposted condition. Upper left corner a little rounded.
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!

17.00 USD

Lovely Belle Epoque opera star Lina Cavalieri isn't really slouching. It's a thoughtful pose! and what an expression :)

Photographer A. Bert was responsible for many wonderful theatrical portraits. We're dating this card to the 1910s, simply by appearance and because many of Bert's photos seem to have been taken during that time. We haven't gotten any bio information on Monsieur Bert just yet, but we're still looking.

A very nice card, and an uncommon image of an opera diva who was, in her time, called the most beautiful woman in the world. It was said that if you were performing in a theater, you never wanted La Cavalieri to take in the show, because if she did, rather than watching your performance onstage, all eyes would be on Cavalieri in her box seat.

The stamp is boldly placed in such a way that it almost appears as if Signorina Cavalieri is dodging it by leaning to the left :)

Some people collect postcards with stamps, some prefer them without. We mention that there are chemical solvents obtainable from distributors of stamp collecting supplies that one can brush onto stamps, and that dissolve the paste adhering them to the card, leaving almost no residue whatsoever. At Red Poulaine, the most we ever do in terms of altering the condition of the card as it comes to us, is to sometimes remove pencil marks with an art gum eraser. Anything beyond that we leave to the collector. We do tend, though we obviously love the medium of the postcard, to sell our cards more as images, common, scarce or rare, than as postcards, per se, and therefore lower our price on a card when the face is obscured by a stamp, or writing.

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

Since it first opened in Paris, in the 1860s, the opera Mignon, the tale of a Gypsy girl's adventures, captured the European imagination. Images of Mignon on postcards were very popular, and though most of those we have listed in our shop were from the early 1900s, we can see here, that the character's popularity continued on, this image having been produced almost 80 years after the opera's first opening. The bindle, bandana, and mandolin, even the forlorn expression are relatively unchanged, it is only the blonde, "thoroughly modern" hairstyle that brings this Mignon into the "Jazz Age" :)

A very nice card in lovely posted condition. 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!

35.00 USD

Lot of two young ladies dangling cherries as per convo.

On the reverse of these cards, the words "Service Militaire" were written over the stamp box, implying to us that no postage was due on the mailing to active military, or service personnel. We suspect this card was printed in the early 1910s, possibly mailed to Brussels, Belgium during the First World War.

We sold one of these cards a couple of years ago, and now we've found two more from the series to list in the shop, all addressed in the same neat hand.

We haven't found any direct mention of images in which a woman holds two cherries near her mouth (or sometimes in her mouth by the stems) though we've seen lots of them, but because we've occasionally run across images of couples kissing, each with a cherry in their mouth, both cherries connected by their stems, we're thinking this image can be read as an invitation to a kiss!

Sometimes we've also found series out of the same era titled "Cherry Ripe," or "Cherries Ripe," picturing a "pretty young thing" eating cherries, or holding a basket of them and smiling coquettishly. So, it would seem that the young lady with cherries was a popular theme of the period suggestive of romance.

This beautifully hand-colored image is supposed to be of a young woman still of school age by her costume and braids, probably printed in Germany as so many postcards of that time were, but bears no publisher markings. A very nice card!

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

We love it when postcards were addressed, as this one was, to someone "at the house of their parents." Our card's recipient was also titled by the sender a "couturiere!" a dressmaker, or seamstress, or sure, why not? a fashion designer! What fun! We might guess this was sent by a kind and supportive auntie to a young girl who was fashioning a dress for herself, but in those times, it might easily have been a young girl who had just been apprenticed to a dressmaker, labor laws being what they were...or weren't...back then. Either way, a great prompt for a piece of short fiction :)

A bit longer than an ordinary postcard and about half the width, this bookmark sized postcard was yet another creative attempt by the printing and publishing industry to circumvent fixed governmental mailing rates on postcards. In France "Imprimé," and in Germany "Drucksache" were terms applied to printed matter that could be shipped at the lowest possible rate.

These cards must have been used as bookmarks, just as we do, when we find older somewhat beat up and beautiful ones that are a little too tattered for the shop! By their very nature they tend to be rare, simply because their odd shape made them more easily lost, more susceptible to damage, and well, they were an idea that didn't really catch on, and there just weren't as many of them produced as postcards of a standard size.

Imagine a collection of particularly nice ones, carefully color printed in reproduction, encased in a protective transparent material, and offered as Belle Epoque fashion bookmarks in your own online shop! We won't promise not to do it ourselves, but we're kinda busy as it is, and it's a pretty neat idea :) The ones that were postally used would probably make the best subjects for this, as they convey the period so well.

Lovely image that is very Heinrich Traut of Munich in style...very Jugendstil!

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!

17.00 USD

Joly Violetta was a popular dancer. Popular, because Herr Gerlach made this portrait of her in his Berlin studio (no small thing, that). In faint text in the upper left corner, we see the name Carmen. Perhaps she was an opera singer too? But if you look at our fourth listing image you will see a rubber stamp imprint from the back of another card of hers we sold a few years ago, clearly marketing her as a hoofer. Maybe she was known for a "Carmen" dance. We also know she traveled to America, and that in March of 1909 (the same year this particular card was posted, by the way), in her first American performance, she danced on the stage of the St. Paul Minnesota Orpheum Theater. For a 25 cent matinee ticket you could have seen her, along with a host of other vaudevillian troupers, including the headliner for the event, a Mr. Will Rogers!

Clearly she was a looker. What a gorgeous image. Beautifully hand-colored. Wonderful Gypsy costume.
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!

19.00 USD

We love the composition of this strange little RPPC. If it was just a snapshot of a man dancing in a brassiere, it might still be interesting, or not, depending on the context. After all, although we've never attended one personally, word is that this is a pretty common practice at "frat" parties! :)

But the way this image really works for us, is not even at center stage, where the obvious action is taking place, but rather diagonally, between the two other men.

We have first the spectator, in what was presumably modern, conventional dress (for circa 1940 Algeria, Morocco, or Egypt, just guessing), and then the seated man in the checked pants and loose white tunic, whose singing (and perhaps hand clapping) directs the dance.

This might have been nothing more than a silly stunt, or these might be street entertainers, or the scene might have a cultural significance immediately apparent to someone more familiar with that place and time, but for us, the diagonal line between the two not-dancing men is a direct path through the looking glass, as it were. We become the spectator, standing outside, and peering into a place where up is down, standing is sitting, man is woman, and conventional dress becomes brightly patterned and ostentatious. Very weird and dream-like, and we love it!

As with so many RPPCs, this is very possibly the only remaining example of this wonderful image in existence! We know nothing about any of the subjects, the photographer, or even the geographical location of this card's origin, only that it was produced on Agfa print stock (Actien-Gesellschaft für Anilin-Fabrikation). This was a very big German producer of photo chemicals and print paper that shipped worldwide, so no country of origin help there, but by the style of the "Agfa" mark on the back of the card, we can at least date the paper to pre-1945. Finally, the brassiere helps us narrow it down a bit. Apparently the "bullet" bra first surfaced in the late 1930s, but didn't really become popular until after WWII, so our photograph was probably taken sometime between 1939, when the bullet bra appeared, and 1944, the last year Agfa paper bearing the particular mark on the back of our card, was produced.
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!

11.00 USD

A thought, or a memory, is actually the origin of the common name for that flower we call the pansy. Its name was taken from the old French, pensif (meaning thought), and put to use in English long ago.

Shakespeare himself, made use of it in different instances. We learn from Oberon in A Midsummer Night's Dream, for example, that the juice of it, "on sleeping eyelids laid, will make a man or woman madly dote upon the next live creature that it sees." In this case, Oberon was referring to "heart's ease," yet another name for the common European wild pansy, much used in herbal medicine, and the progenitor of the 19th century (and beyond) cultivated garden flower that we are so familiar with.

Because the word for "thought" in French is "pensée," and its homonym, "pensée" is also the French name for the flower, pansy, we run across many of these cards in which an image of embracing lovers is overlaid onto, or placed near, an image of a pansy, with a text that translates as "Think of me," or "Thinking of you," or as in this case, simply, "A Thought."

And this was not merely wordplay, but just one small example of the use to which the "Language of Flowers," so popular in those times, was put, when it was actually rather important to know the symbolic "meanings" of different flowers in order to correctly read the intentions of the person giving them to you. Silly parlor games, we might think, but no more so than anything "in fashion" can be deemed silly. Certainly one can be "un-fashionable" and muddle through just fine (I, for example, am a muddler!), sometimes even wearing a lack of fashion as a bold statement. But our personal response to fashion, will always be part of the way we communicate culturally, don'cha think? :)

A lovely, historically relevant, card, published by Alfred Noyer, and dated on the reverse, 1916.
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!

14.00 USD

This superb image of an Algerian woman in fine costume, is one of four wonderful postcards we are featuring this week that deserve attention for a couple of reasons beyond the beauty of the images themselves.

First, they fall under the category of what French deltiologists (otherwise known as "postcard geeks," like us :), call "précurseurs,"
a term applied to early postcards printed prior to 1904, and having the undivided back side, which was by regulation reserved for the recipient's address only, and where no other text was allowed. This sometimes resulted in letters composed in tiny script, swirling around the images on the face of these cards in wonderfully inventive ways, creating their own little mixed media art form that is perhaps appreciated by no one but us! (kidding...there are others out there :)

But these particular cards, produced probably in the late 1890s, and being examples of some of the very earliest "picture postcards," provided ample space on their faces for written communication. Cards of this type are not rare, by any means, but it is especially nice finding such wonderful examples that have not been written on.

The second point of interest is in the image subject generally. Algeria had been one of France's colonies for about 70 years at the time these photos were taken.
Because most of our cards are of French stage performers from the period known as the "Belle Epoque," images of women in colonial Algiers taken during that period, in native dress, are particularly interesting to us.

This is because so much of the art and entertainment media in France during la Belle Epoque, drew freely upon elements of native Algerian dress in the creation of what is sometimes called the "costume orientale," a particularly evocative, sexy (sometimes just plain silly, from our modern perspective), and romantic style of theatrical costume. This variety of costume was used in ballet and opera, in bawdy vaudeville productions, solo interpretations of traditional dance (including belly dancing, of course), promotional and advertising material by great masters like Alphonse Mucha, fine art paintings and sculptures submitted to the Paris Salon, and of course, photographs (many of which were turned into examples of one of our favorite mediums of small, popular art, the postcard :).

Jean Théophile Geiser 1848-1923 moved with his family, while a very young child, from his native Switzerland to Algeria in the early 1850s. By the late 1860s he had opened his own photography studio and over the next half century enjoyed great success, both in the winning of international awards for his work, and financially, through the sale of countless of his photographic images on picture postcards.

Though probably best known today for his "ethnic" nudes and costumed dancers, the popularity of which in France, no doubt played a great role in the prevalence of the "costume orientale" and "haremesque" imagery in Belle Epoque art and theater, he also traveled extensively throughout the east, photographing and writing on a broad array of subjects.

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!

7.00 USD

This image of a beautiful young woman of the Ouled-Nails people of Algeria, dressed in all her finery, is one of four wonderful postcards we are featuring this week that deserve attention for a couple of reasons beyond the beauty of the images themselves.

First, they fall under the category of what French deltiologists (otherwise known as "postcard geeks," like us :), call "précurseurs,"
a term applied to early postcards printed prior to 1904, and having the undivided back side, which was by regulation reserved for the recipient's address only, and where no other text was allowed. This sometimes resulted in letters composed in tiny script, swirling around the images on the face of these cards in wonderfully inventive ways, creating their own little mixed media art form that is perhaps appreciated by no one but us! (kidding...there are others out there :)

But these particular cards, produced probably in the late 1890s, and being examples of some of the very earliest "picture postcards," provided ample space on their faces for written communication. Cards of this type are not rare, by any means, but it is especially nice finding such wonderful examples that have not been written on.

The second point of interest is in the image subject generally. Algeria had been one of France's colonies for about 70 years at the time these photos were taken.
Because most of our cards are of French stage performers from the period known as the "Belle Epoque," images of women in colonial Algiers taken during that period, in native dress, are particularly interesting to us.

This is because so much of the art and entertainment media in France during la Belle Epoque, drew freely upon elements of native Algerian dress in the creation of what is sometimes called the "costume orientale," a particularly evocative, sexy (sometimes just plain silly, from our modern perspective), and romantic style of theatrical costume. This variety of costume was used in ballet, opera, in bawdy vaudeville productions, solo interpretations of traditional dance (belly dancing, of course), promotional and advertising material by masters like Alphonse Mucha, fine art paintings and sculptures submitted to the Paris Salon, and, of course, photographs, many of which were turned into examples of one of our favorite mediums of small, popular art, the postcard :).

The brothers Neurdein had a studio in Paris from 1863 until just before the outbreak of WWI. So though pre-dating it by a few years, their careers pretty much spanned the whole of La Belle Epoque. Etienne Neurdein (1832-after 1915) stayed primarily in Paris, taking portraits in the studio, while his brother Louis Neurdein (1846-after 1915) traveled widely, spending much of his time in Algeria. This image is one of Louis'.

This card has some definite age spotting particularly evident in the blank area, and will be priced accordingly. 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

This image of a young Algerian woman preparing to dance, is one of four wonderful postcards we are featuring this week that deserve attention for a couple of reasons beyond the beauty of the images themselves.

First, they fall under the category of what French deltiologists (otherwise known as "postcard geeks," like us :), call "précurseurs,"
a term applied to early postcards printed prior to 1904, and having the undivided back side, which was by regulation reserved for the recipient's address only, and where no other text was allowed. This sometimes resulted in letters composed in tiny script, swirling around the images on the face of these cards in wonderfully inventive ways, creating their own little mixed media art form that is perhaps appreciated by no one but us! (kidding...there are others out there :)

But these particular cards, produced probably in the late 1890s, and being examples of some of the very earliest "picture postcards," provided ample space on their faces for written communication. Cards of this type are not rare, by any means, but it is especially nice finding such wonderful examples that have not been written on.

The second point of interest is in the image subject generally. Algeria had been one of France's colonies for about 70 years at the time these photos were taken.
Because most of our cards are of French stage performers from the period known as the "Belle Epoque," images of women in colonial Algiers taken during that period, in native dress, are particularly interesting to us.

This is because so much of the art and entertainment media in France during la Belle Epoque, drew freely upon elements of native Algerian dress in the creation of what is sometimes called the "costume orientale," a particularly evocative, sexy (sometimes just plain silly, from our modern perspective), and romantic style of theatrical costume. This variety of costume was used in ballet and opera, in bawdy vaudeville productions, solo interpretations of traditional dance (including belly dancing, of course), promotional and advertising material by great masters like Alphonse Mucha, fine art paintings and sculptures submitted to the Paris Salon, and of course, photographs (many of which were turned into examples of one of our favorite mediums of small, popular art, the postcard :).

Jean Théophile Geiser 1848-1923 moved with his family, while a very young child, from his native Switzerland to Algeria in the early 1850s. By the late 1860s he had opened his own photography studio and over the next half century enjoyed great success, both in the winning of international awards for his work, and financially, through the sale of countless of his photographic images on picture postcards.

Though probably best known today for his "ethnic" nudes and costumed dancers, the popularity of which in France, no doubt played a great role in the prevalence of the "costume orientale" and "haremesque" imagery in Belle Epoque art and theater, he also traveled extensively throughout the east, photographing and writing on a broad array of subjects.

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

This precious image of two young Algerian women, is one of four wonderful postcards we are featuring this week that deserve attention for a couple of reasons beyond the beauty of the images themselves.

First, they fall under the category of what French deltiologists (otherwise known as "postcard geeks," like us :), call "précurseurs,"
a term applied to early postcards printed prior to 1904, and having the undivided back side, which was by regulation reserved for the recipient's address only, and where no other text was allowed. This sometimes resulted in letters composed in tiny script, swirling around the images on the face of these cards in wonderfully inventive ways, creating their own little mixed media art form that is perhaps appreciated by no one but us! (kidding...there are others out there :)

But these particular cards, produced probably in the late 1890s, and being examples of some of the very earliest "picture postcards," provided ample space on their faces for written communication. Cards of this type are not rare, by any means, but it is especially nice finding such wonderful examples that have not been written on.

The second point of interest is in the image subject generally. Algeria had been one of France's colonies for about 70 years at the time these photos were taken.
Because most of our cards are of French stage performers from the period known as the "Belle Epoque," images of women in colonial Algiers taken during that period, in native dress, are particularly interesting to us.

This is because so much of the art and entertainment media in France during la Belle Epoque, drew freely upon elements of native Algerian dress in the creation of what is sometimes called the "costume orientale," a particularly evocative, sexy (sometimes just plain silly, from our modern perspective), and romantic style of theatrical costume. This variety of costume was used in ballet and opera, in bawdy vaudeville productions, solo interpretations of traditional dance (including belly dancing, of course), promotional and advertising material by great masters like Alphonse Mucha, fine art paintings and sculptures submitted to the Paris Salon, and of course, photographs (many of which were turned into examples of one of our favorite mediums of small, popular art, the postcard :).

Jean Théophile Geiser 1848-1923 moved with his family, while a very young child, from his native Switzerland to Algeria in the early 1850s. By the late 1860s he had opened his own photography studio and over the next half century enjoyed great success, both in the winning of international awards for his work, and financially, through the sale of countless of his photographic images on picture postcards.

Though probably best known today for his "ethnic" nudes and costumed dancers, the popularity of which in France, no doubt played a great role in the prevalence of the "costume orientale" and "haremesque" imagery in Belle Epoque art and theater, he also traveled extensively throughout the east, photographing and writing on a broad array of subjects.

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

Welcome to "Idols of the 1920s," where we hope to provide a special, cozy place for those of you who long to linger among the stars of the early silver screen, the hoofers and songbirds of dear old vaudeville's fading hours, a few divas of the grand opera, and of the operetta too, flappers, flappers, more flappers, and of course, and perhaps especially, those femmes fatales who with one smoldering glance can melt a heart, or break it in two. Have fun!

Helena Makowska was born in that part of Imperial Russia which is now the Ukraine, and was a great star of the Italian and German silents. Later in her life, at the outset of WWII, she was arrested in Berlin and confined for a long period of time to a German prison camp. Later released, she devoted much of her time, for the remainder of the war, to theater work on behalf of the allied war effort.
Great image! Great card, with minor wear to corners and just a little romantic silvering :)
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

Welcome to "Idols of the 1920s," where we hope to provide a special, cozy place for those of you who long to linger among the stars of the early silver screen, the hoofers and songbirds of dear old vaudeville's fading hours, a few diva's of the grand opera, and of the operetta too, flappers, flappers, more flappers, and of course, and perhaps especially, those femmes fatales who with one smoldering glance could melt a heart, or break it in two. Have fun!

Wonderful expression, and what a hairband!
Sexy and precious Billie Dove joined Ziegfeld's Follies while yet a teenager, and went on to a successful career in Hollywood as an actress in the silents. She is best known for her part in "The Black Pirate" opposite Douglas Fairbanks.

Here, she is gorgeously costumed after the fashion of those music hall performers who graced the Paris stage during la Belle Époque, which at the time this image was produced, was only a decade, or so, past.

Nice unposted condition on this Ballerini and Fratini card from the 1920s. 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, the price is the same as for a single 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, due to the costs of international shipping 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!

12.00 USD

Sweet Bessie Love (1892-1986) was a popular film star of the silents and the early talkies. She was born Juanita Horton in Midland Texas. Her dad, a chiropractor, moved the family further west, eventually to Hollywood, where Miss Love met D.W. Griffith (who gave her the name Bessie Love) and won a small part in his huge spectacular, "Intolerance."

This wonderful Cinémagazine Edition card (we so love the quality of their prints) captures her tenderness, and explains why she was compared to Mary Pickford. In fact, D.W. Griffith was said to have referred to her as "Our Mary."

A very nice card in nice unposted condition. Two marks from some kind of rubbing, center left, are barely noticeable in person, but our scan shows them off nicely...erk!... :)

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!

18.00 USD

Greta Nissen Doing Harem Dance, circa 1920s Italian Postcard

Wow! This is so wonderful. A Ballerini and Fratini image of this Oslo born film star. Greta Nissen (1906-1982) began her career as a ballerina in Norway, then on to Broadway, and into the silent movies. She was relatively successful, and did make the transition to the talkies, but retired from the business in the 1930s. What we've been able to gather suggests that although she had the reputation of being quite a fine actress, her Norwegian accent was just a bit too heavy for the talkies in the US, and later in Britain.
A very nice unposted card in near mint condition, circa late 1920s.
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!

17.00 USD

Mlle. Marie Marville was a very popular stage personality of la Belle Epoque, and the great number of her postcard images speaks not only to her popularity onstage, but to her popularity in the eyes of the public at large.

Unfortunately, unlike some "postcard queens" of the era, among whom were such luminaries as dancer and courtesan La Belle Otero, and possibly the most famous today, the ballerina and interpretive soloist Cleo de Merode, whose histories are readily available in a number of books and online, we haven't yet found anything of note on the life of Mlle. Marville, but we will certainly keep looking.

This is a wonderful pose, and an unusual one! We've come across a few of these almost "risque" back shots of other performers, but never one of Marville, and it will probably sell quickly to one of our customers who collect images of this artiste. (that is not to say that this is a rare card, but that in a few years of pouring over these images, we haven't seen one before, which makes it at least quite scarce :)

Also unusual, is the publisher. Most of the very early postcard images by Leopold Reutlinger, those printed on what our French friends call "precurseur" cards (those with the undivided backs), were published by SIP (Société Industrielle de Photographie), while this one was published by the then fledgling German publisher Rotophot, of Berlin, as indicated by the RPH logo in the bottom left corner of the card. Interestingly, this particular logo lacks the circle that usually surrounds the RPH. This must be a very early Rotophot card, indeed. Why do we love this work? Well, one reason would be moments like this one, when we feel like a botanist in the Amazon, finding a rare flower. Silly? Yup :)

Very nice condition on this one.
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!