6.00 USD

Another lovely sepia toned portrait of a Paris music hall personality by Oricelly. The soft, soft light in his work is so wonderful. Research on the history of Martha de Villers is fruitless so far, but we'll keep searching.

This card is in wonderful 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!

11.00 USD

Known for much of her long and successful career simply as Sylvie, or Louise Sylvie, this lovely actress was born Louise Pauline Mainguené in 1883, began on the stage, at the Théatre National de l'Odéon in 1903, and completed her last film (in which she played the starring role), in 1965, five years before her death in 1970.

Over the course of her career, she performed in dozens of theatrical productions, and more than fifty films, also appearing in television productions.

This gorgeous, hand-tinted card, from a photograph by the famous theatrical portraitist Leopold Reutlinger of Paris, was posted in 1905, just two years after Mlle. Sylvie's career began. This image is the one we most frequently find of her, and is one of only a few we run across, leading us to believe that she was no postcard queen. More's the pity, as she was quite a beauty.

Though she appeared in several silent films as early as 1912, between 1903 and 1914, the Théatre National de l'Odéon was her main venue. As the third image in our listing, we offer you a glimpse (Not For Sale) of the Odéon. One of a very few National Theaters of France, this photograph, though probably taken a decade or so after our portrait of Mlle. Sylvie, shows the theater as it would have appeared in her time there. Actually, it looks very much the same today, pretty much as it did in 1818, after it was rebuilt following a fire that burned the previous structure to the ground.

Not a particularly uncommon image, but a wonderful card, with a fine example of unusual head decorations at her temples, and lovely coloration.
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!

19.00 USD

This is quite a rarity for our shop, to list a postcard or photo that was produced more recently than the 1930s, but this image (dated 1951 on the reverse) was so wonderful, we just had to share it with you. The bear is particularly cool :)
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!

6.00 USD

Gorgeous portrait of Belle Epoque actress Martha De Villers by Oricelly of Paris. Posted in 1905. Minimal writing, in a nice hand, on both sides. 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!

19.00 USD

Stupendous "Mignonesque" costume image, lovely contrast. Not a whisper about Lise Walton that we can find. We did dig up another image of her, in a lovely big hat :) but more than that...no.
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

Wow, what a beauty! Guillaume Seignac (1870-1924) was an award winning French painter in the academic tradition who incorporated classical, renaissance and mythological elements into his work, which today appears in many important collections. He studied under William Bouguereau, among others, at L'Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Paris, and regularly showed his work at the Salon de Paris. Indolence was shown in 1914. Seignac's work with the human figure was, at the time, considered to be second to none.
A lovely card in almost perfect, unposted, 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!

22.00 USD

Mine!!!
Great Art Deco background on this hot pink image of an extremely cute flapper! One of the wonderful "Diamant G E. F." series. Metallic silvery, or ground glass enhanced, ink contrasting with the pink tones doesn't scan quite as glittery as it shows up in person. G E. F., by the way, is a diamond grading term, standing for, "Grade, Extra Flourescent." Great condition, with a greeting on the back in that ubiquitous violet ink of the period.

P-C Paris was one of the most prolific, and loved, of French postcard publishers in the 1920s. We are still hunting down company history, but we can tell you that contrary to popular belief, the P-C in their logo doesn't stand for "post card," or "carte postale." The full company name was "Papeterie de Levallois-Clichy," Clichy being a suburb of Paris. "P-C" also published the "REX" line of postcards. Like many postcard publishers, it probably began as a stationary and printing house that incorporated postcard printing in with its traditional business model when the postcard boom occurred at the turn of the century. P-C Paris was responsible for many of the brightly colored, garish even, tinted postcards that are so dear to our hearts. Lots of romance imagery, lots of tease, and a line of very professionally produced nudes. Catalogs of their work would be a real joy to pour over.
A wonderful card, expressing the irrepressible attitude of 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, 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

German Actress and Suffragette, Hedwig Reicher, as Salome, circa 1905/10

The corners of this card were purposely, and very carefully, rounded. Nice effect! Was this one of a run commercially produced this way? It's possible, but we think probably a previous owner did this for reasons of their own.

Great image of Hedwig Reicher portraying Salome. Beautiful Jugendstil Epoche headdress. There was a famous German opera diva with the same name, but from a previous generation of performers. This Hedwig, born in 1884, was an actress on the stage, and later in film as well, but not ordinarily, as far as we've seen, an opera singer. Still, here she appears in the one act opera by Richard Strauss, this we gather from the card's text, a line from the opera in which Salome says to Herod, "Ich will nicht tanzen, Tetrarch," which translates as "I do not want to dance, Tetrarch."

Hedwig Reicher was the daughter of Emanuel Reicher, a famous German character actor. At the Stadt Theater in Berlin, at the age of fifteen, Fraulein Reicher played the role of Nora, in Henrik Ibsen's "A Doll's House," and was still in her teens when, as pictured here, she played Salome, again in Berlin, to her father's King Herod.
That would put the production in 1903 at the latest, but because we can't know for certain, we'll date this image circa 1905/10.
Salome was one of her favorite characters. "I see Salome as a pure flame," she said in one interview.

She was also very much involved in the suffragette movement, and is shown in a photograph of suffrage activists in Washington a few years later, in a ***not for sale*** image at the end of our listing images. The following quote describes the image:

"German actress Hedwig Reicher wearing costume of "Columbia" with other suffrage pageant participants standing in background in front of the Treasury Building, March 3, 1913, Washington, D.C. The pageant featured an allegory in which Columbia summoned Justice, Charity, Liberty, Peace, and Hope to review the new crusade of women."

Thanks for that, Wikipedia!

In the 1920s Fraulein Reicher embarked on a career as a film actress here in the USA, and appeared in a number of movies, making the transition to the talkies easily, but without ever achieving the level of fame she had decades earlier on the stage. Fraulein Reicher passed away in Los Angeles in 1971.

This card was printed on radium bromide treated paper. Radium bromide is the salt of radium produced when separating radium from uranium ore. It is radioactive, but this card does not glow under an ultraviolet bulb any more than does an ordinary postcard, so no worries:) In fact when we first ran across radium bromide paper, we borrowed a friend's geiger counter, just for fun, and it registered no cool clicky noises like in "The Satan Bug," or "Them," sigh. The radium really does seem to lend a certain vibrancy though, particularly to hand colored images.

Really a lovely 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!

19.00 USD

Erik Anton Julius Schmedes (1868-1931) was a Danish operatic tenor, best known for his roles in operas by Richard Wagner. Here we see him in costume as the swan-helmeted Lohengrin.

Herr Schmedes began his career as a baritone, but while singing professionally in that range for several years, he studied under August Iffert of Vienna, and discovered the Heldentenor that had been living inside his baritone body (weird opera/body type humor...please forgive us :).
He debuted as a tenor (as Siegfried, in fact) in Vienna, in 1898.
Though he toured widely, he is best remembered for his years at the Vienna Court Opera where he was an important performer during the period of Gustave Mahler's directorship.

Also of interest might be that he was the brother in law of famed dancer Nijinsky. Pretty cool? (Thanks Wikipedia!)

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

Here at Red Poulaine, we have a special place in our hearts for the Italian actress images of the early 1900s and into the 1920s. The quality of the portrait photography and subsequent postcard publication was particularly rich, with a flair for the dramatic and mysterious. Many of our favorites, like Anna Fougez and Nella Regini, began their careers as sciantose, a variation on the French term chanteuse, meaning female singer, but bringing to it other meanings, and implying a dark, mysterious, exotic quality that appealed to the theater going public at the time, and certainly appeals to us :) Naturally we love all of our images or we probably wouldn't purchase them for our shop, and feel an almost filial affection for the performers onto whom we project imagined personalities and traits (is that weird? :), but there is something about what seems to have been at the time a very Italian penchant for carrying the illusion of the stage and screen out into the public venue, a tendency to make even larger, the already "larger than life" persona of the theatrical personality, that we really love. So we have decided to open a new section devoted exclusively to these Italian artistes. We call it "La Bella Donna," and yes it is a bit of a play on words, given the tendency in many of these cards to focus on qualities of a "femme Fatale" type. We hope you will enjoy these images as much as we do.

Signorina Borboni (1900-1995) enjoyed great popularity in a career which spanned eight decades, during which time she appeared in more than 80 films, beginning in 1916, with her last appearance at around the age of 90, in 1990. She also appeared onstage often, the last time in 1992! In 1924, she appeared in a theatrical production as a mermaid, bare breasted, which seemed very much in character and perfectly reasonable to her, but was scandalous in Italian theater at that time, and caused quite an uproar. Here, she is dressed in a wonderfully slinky number, very evocative of 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, 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!

22.00 USD

Regina Badet, born in 1876, in Bordeaux, was a principal dancer at the Grande Theatre de Bordeaux by the age of 14. By 1900, she had begun a career as an actress and dancer in Paris. She was a star of the Opera Comique in Paris and eventually traveled the world as an international star. She also appeared in the medium of film beginning in 1908, making a number of silent movies.

In the 1920s, Mlle. Badet quietly retired from stage and screen. She died where she had been born, at the age of 73, in Bordeaux, France.
Many thanks to Wikipedia for much of our biographical information.

An exquisite image by Monsieur Bert of Paris, who for some time worked with Monsieur Paul Boyer. The portrait itself has a modern feel, and puts us in mind of some of those later portraitists like Avedon!

Wonderful condition. There is just enough silvering around the edges to lend its own magic to the image. For those not familiar with the term, "silvering" refers to the action of the light-sensitive metallic salts of silver (and other metals used in the photographic process), initially held in suspension in a gelatinous surface material on the photo print paper. These slowly migrate to the surface of the print over time (in this case, a little over a hundred years), producing this magical effect. We LOVE it! (personal preference) On the other hand, we've had customers who actually apply a chemical wash to remove much of the silvering, thereby restoring the photographic print to something much closer to its original state. This could be a practical course, when coming across very old photographs in which the silvering has run amok and the image details have become so clouded as to be completely hidden from view, but we've never had to resort to it, and in some ways this practice, barring extrem examples of silvering, feels a little to us like polishing the patina from antique metal objects. Again, simply a matter of personal preference.

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!

36.00 USD

Welcome to our artifacts section. We decided we needed a place to showcase unusual items that present, beyond what they are themselves, unique historical qualities. Over time, we'll be shifting our autographed postcards into this section, as well as listing other very special items.

We have often said that these postcards of theatrical acts were not only sold to the theater-going audience as souvenirs, but that we'd also thought such cards might have been used by the performers' agents as a means of promoting them.

Here at last we have some evidence of this! This is a card bearing an image of "Mad. Tillier's 5 Yankee Kids." Now presumably this was a song and dance quintette playing the vaudeville circuit in the pre-war 1910s. Mad. (possibly short for Madeleine?) Tillier would have been the manager, perhaps the choreographer too, we haven't found any history on this act. On the back of the card we discovered that Mad. Tillier him/her-self actually sent this very card to none other than Monsieur Raoul Pitau, who at that time was a theatrical impressario (da guy what puts da shows together) of some note in Paris.

Even though we have a little German, and like everyone else, access to Google translate, be darned if we can make out Mad. Tillier's hand writing, so we don't know exactly what the letter says, but it would appear to be an arrangement of some sort relating to the act, 5 Yankee Kids. If you can translate this one for us, please do!

Having been mailed from Germany, the postcard was then received by Monsieur Pitau in Paris, which we can see, thanks to his big capital "R" mark scribbled with a date on the back of the card, indicating that this was a standard method of business communication. The "R" might well stand for Raoul, signed, as it was, with a flourish, or simply for "Recu" (French for received). Such communications were no doubt filed away for use in putting future shows together.

If the "R" is Raoul Pitau's mark though, then this card bears not one, but two autographs of historical note! A little piece of vaudeville history we can hold in our hands, really quite a find! We can practically smell the greasepaint :)

By the way, we learned of Raoul Pitau, the "Impressario," that he was "bald as an ostrich egg, though with a magnificent forelock," and that once at a charming hotel in Nice, after plying a woman he had met on the train with wine and rum all through the night, and just at the moment of grand romantic consummation (no specific details here) an earthquake struck the city and the couple were thrown to the floor and ran, along with many others, outside to a park to be safely away from tall buildings, window glass, walls, etc. (of course we can't help but wonder if this experience didn't offer those two a rather ironical experience of the old phrase, "The earth moved." :)

Anyway, the story goes on to say that when the earth did finally stop shaking, and things seemed to have returned to normal, and the two lovers realized that their fiery passions remained yet unquenched, they returned to the hotel post haste in order to resume their play of affections.

And yet, once back inside their cozy nest, and once again at that most critical of moments, a second shock wave struck the city, driving them again out into the street! Mon Dieu! It was at this point that they bowed to fate inexorable, bid one another fair adieu, and parted company forever.*

We found this little tale of romance a la Belle Epoque in a piece out of a journal by someone named Paulus, a theatrical personage in his own right. Paulus was a cafe concert performer who apparently benefited over many years from the talent management and close personal friendship of Monsieur Pitau, who he remembered "writhed" with frustration at the recollection of this incident.
Below is a link to the site where we found this story.

http://www.www.dutempsdescerisesauxfeuillesmortes.net/fiches_bio/paulus/memoires/paulus_memoire_28.htm

A very nice card, rare, rich in history, and one of a kind, with only minor wear to edges and 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!

11.00 USD

It happened this way. One Monday morning, Marthe and Juliette were having breakfast in the Solarium when the quaintest little old beggar woman came knocking at the back door. Juliette was suffering from a headache, and called out to the poor old thing to go away, while Marthe did what they normally would in this circumstance, and acting out of very appropriate charity, wrapped up some crusts of day old bread in brown paper, and sent the woman on her way with a few kind words.

That very same night, after supper, the sweetest and shyest of the three sisters, Germaine, was doing the washing up, and so was alone in the kitchen. Well, wouldn't you just know it, the very same beggar woman came knocking at the door, but when Germaine looked for the day old crusts, there were none left to give, so she took half a baguette left over from their meal, a ripe peach, and half a bottle of beaujolais, and then finding no brown paper, wrapped it all up in a clean piece of linen she'd used to practice some lovely embroidery work the week before.

When the old woman cast her eyes on what Germaine put into her hands, she leapt into the air with a whoop and a whistle, spinning about three times before her feet had yet again touched the ground, and then ran off, all a'skitter and a'skatter, much to the surprise of Germaine, who could only shake her head, smile a gentle smile and say," Poor old thing."

Well, that very next morning, Juliette awoke with a little of the same bothersome headache she'd suffered from the day before,

Marthe awoke with twice the brains she'd gone to bed with,

And Germaine? Germaine woke up with incredible confidence, a head of perfectly shiny and marvelously spit-curled hair, Gypsy eyes, and feet that just naturally knew all the new dance steps! Furthermore, even in the bath, her hair never lost its perfect shape and shine. When she put on a strand of pearls they naturally wound themselves about her neck in the sexiest possible way, and the strand never broke unless there was a terribly handsome young man there to pick them all up with her.

Now, you may think that Marthe got a bit of a raw deal, since she, after all, did what was kind, charitable and proper, but the truth is, she was never particularly racy to begin with. And with her newly enhanced intelligence, she wrote a bestselling existential fantasy, had a short, steamy affair with Jean Paul Sarte, had no difficulty at all working out both the forward and reverse modes of the Charleston, and oh yes, invented a headache cure for poor Juliette, who soon became so very cheerful and chic, that she gave even Germaine quite a run for her money.

So you see, they all three of them, three being a very lucky number indeed, lived quite happily ever after.

Now you tell one :)

A very nice unposted card in fine condition, but with album paste residue on the back side's four 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!
Calling Forth the Spirits of the Old Trees. French RPPC, circa 1910s
$28.00 USD
Only 1 available

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Vintage item from the 1910s
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18.00 USD

The Thief of Bagdad, an all time favorite silent film, was directed by Raoul Walsh in 1924. Packed with special effects that still fill one with awe today, it is a truly magical example from the great era of silent film.

Follow the link below to see the full length film on Youtube. A wonderful print with a soundtrack that makes use of the gorgeous Scheherazade, a symphonic suite composed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov in 1888. This is an investment in time. Two and a half hours long, but very well worth it. Mr. Fairbanks is at his dashing best, Julanne Johnston is lovely, and look out for an appearance by Anna May Wong as a Mongol slave girl!

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

A great unposted card in very nice 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!

22.00 USD

"Apres vous, Mesdames et Messieurs." :)

Wonderful details in this great time machine card. The clean white cloth for brushing the crumbs off of the patron's chair before seating them is held under the arm, just so! Note the creases running across the abdominal area in the jacket of the head bellman and his assistant. Would this be from bending at the waist to lift the guests luggage and setting it down in their rooms? Perhaps a fair amount of polite bowing, as well.

If you have ever seen, up close, clothing manufactured in this period, you will possibly remember how heavy was the cloth from which it was made. Not all, of course. Fine gowns could be as sheer and light as anything, but everyday working clothes were certainly made to withstand heavy use.

We have recently altered the specifications of our time traveling device so that the scanning apparatus which reads the "connecting element" in order to properly set the date and location, which we initially constructed so that it could accommodate coins and stamps, but nothing larger than that, (it is one of the most expensive parts in the entire machine!) can now scan a postcard.

This is a great improvement, particularly when using an RPPC such as this one. Since most RPPCs were produced in smaller, local, studios, and in limited runs, their use allows us to pinpoint, with relative accuracy, our destination period and location. Of course there is the difficulty presented by what we have termed the rule of "tandem origin," the fact that sometimes we travel to within thirty meters, or so, of the photographer, at the very moment he (or she) is taking the picture (the ideal result), while at other times, we arrive near the darkroom wherein, and at the time, the photograph was actually developed! We haven't yet been able to isolate this variable!

If you travel as we do, please DO use actual postcards produced in the appropriate period and location! family photographs are a very "iffy" proposition. Just a few months ago we made a journey (ostensibly) to Chicago Illinois, Summer of 1909, making use of a family photograph. It would have been so wonderful! Clear day, city park, bandstand, picnics and parasols. Of course we dressed carefully for the part, and then we arrive where? Dawson City, Canada, 1979, in the middle of a snowstorm, with two hours to wait before automatic return. Brrr. We were not dressed for the trip! You see, the photograph we used, was one developed from the negative by a descendant of one of the photograph's subjects, who at three in the morning, in the middle of a snowstorm, took it into his head to play in his darkroom.

The story got pretty complicated, as you might imagine, Lots of questions, the old "got lost on the way home from the costume party" excuse, etc. But he did put a generous shot of whiskey in that herbal tea. Anyway...be careful!

A very nice card for traveling, or just staying at home. 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!

22.00 USD

One of four wonderful early French postcards we recently acquired. The image is of a dancer in "costume orientale" lounging around with a very good friend...her parrot! Beautifully subtle coloration.
We originally believed this to be a hand-tinted photo-lithograph, But are pretty certain this is rather a heliotype. Related, but one of the major differences is that the plate produced during the heliotype process allows for a maximum of only about 2000 runs per image before it degrades (this was in the early 1900s) to the degree that a new plate must be produced. Also, rather than being hand-tinted, per se, layers of colored inks are overlaid during the printing process. If examined closely, the areas where heavier colored inks were overlaid onto thinner ones are evident, but in clearly "blocked" areas, rather than showing the sort of feathering so often evident in the kind of hand-tinting by done by brush.

In the search for a practical "color" photo-reproduction image, the heliotype was an important step along the way. It took between one and two days for the chrome alum solution (a chief characteristic of the process) to dry and harden sufficiently onto the plate for printing, so it was a slow, and relatively low yield process, but as you can see, produced wonderful results.

This same model changes her costume for one of a farm girl in a haystack in another group of cards we just acquired. It makes us wonder if both series might have been photographed on the same day. Please follow link below to see that one:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/157873994/little-girl-blue-risque-french-heliotype?ref=shop_home_active_1&ga_search_query=little%2Bgirl%2Bblue

The corners are a bit soft on all four of these cards.
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!

22.00 USD

One of four wonderful early French postcards we recently acquired. The image is of a dancer in "costume orientale" lounging around with a very good friend...her parrot! Beautifully subtle coloration.
We originally believed this to be a hand-tinted photo-lithograph, But are pretty certain this is rather a heliotype. Related, but one of the major differences is that the plate produced during the heliotype process allows for a maximum of only about 2000 runs per image before it degrades (this was in the early 1900s) to the degree that a new plate must be produced. Also, rather than being hand-tinted, per se, layers of colored inks are overlaid during the printing process. If examined closely, the areas where heavier colored inks were overlaid onto thinner ones are evident, but in clearly "blocked" areas, rather than showing the sort of feathering so often evident in the kind of hand-tinting by done by brush.

In the search for a practical "color" photo-reproduction, the heliotype was an important step along the way. It took between one and two days for the chrome alum solution (a chief characteristic of the process) to dry and harden sufficiently onto the plate for printing, so it was a slow, and relatively low yield process, but as you can see, produced wonderful results.

This same model changes her costume for one of a farm girl in a haystack in another group of cards we just acquired. It makes us wonder if both series might have been photographed on the same day. Please follow link below to see that one:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/157873994/little-girl-blue-risque-french-heliotype?ref=shop_home_active_1&ga_search_query=little%2Bgirl%2Bblue

The corners are a bit soft on all four of these cards. 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!

22.00 USD

One of four wonderful early French postcards we recently acquired. The image is of a dancer in "costume orientale" lounging around with a very good friend...her parrot! Beautifully subtle coloration.
We originally believed this to be a hand-tinted photo-lithograph, But are pretty certain this is rather a heliotype. Related, but one of the major differences is that the plate produced during the heliotype process allows for a maximum of only about 2000 runs per image before it degrades (this was in the early 1900s) to the degree that a new plate must be produced. Also, rather than being hand-tinted, per se, layers of colored inks are overlaid during the printing process. If examined closely, the areas where heavier colored inks were overlaid onto thinner ones are evident, but in clearly "blocked" areas, rather than showing the sort of feathering so often evident in the kind of hand-tinting by done by brush.

In the search for a practical "color" photo-reproduction, the heliotype was an important step along the way. It took between one and two days for the chrome alum solution (a chief characteristic of the process) to dry and harden sufficiently onto the plate for printing, so it was a slow, and relatively low yield process, but as you can see, produced wonderful results.

This same model changes her costume for one of a farm girl in a haystack in another group of cards we just acquired. It makes us wonder if both series might have been photographed on the same day. Please follow link below to see that one:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/157873994/little-girl-blue-risque-french-heliotype?ref=shop_home_active_1&ga_search_query=little%2Bgirl%2Bblue

The corners are a bit soft on all four of these cards.
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!

24.00 USD

Wonderful! Great pose, expressions, costumes, etc. Amateur dance troupe (though perhaps not so amateur) posing in costume for Monsieur Etienne Pinet, a local photographer who would also do weddings.

On the back of the card, in the ubiquitous violet ink we so love, Jeanne, who was probably one of these dancers, wrote what translates as, "Remember your friend. Friendship and good kisses, Jeanne."

We just love this :)

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

Beauty in Big Hat, Lot of Two, as per convo.