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!

Postcard image from Cecil B. Demille's 1920 comedy "Why Change Your Wife?" with Gloria Swanson, Thomas Meighan and Bebe Daniels. Gotta love the little heart tattoo :)

Bebe Daniels isn't exactly a household name today, which is a bit surprising actually! In her long career, she made over 200 films, her first film role at age 7, in 1908. She also wrote and produced. She made a successful transition from the silents to the talkies, and later had a very successful career in radio, and even television. She was gorgeous, talented, and smart. She starred as Miss Wonderly in the 1931 pre-code version of The Maltese Falcon, and did great work in the Busby Berkeley musical 42nd Street.

A nice card, circa 1920, with visible wear.
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!

16.00 USD

Mae Murray and John Gilbert from Erich von Stroheim's "The Merry Widow," 1925.

Mae Murray (1885-1965), known as "the girl with the bee-stung lips," was a silent film star, producer and screen writer in the late 1910s, and into the 20s. In addition to her generous mouth, she was known for her elaborate costumes, over the top dramatics, and was all the rage for some time. Following her fourth marriage though, this one to David Mdivani, a white Russian refugee from an aristocratic Georgian family, she fell into trouble. She allowed him to manage her career and finances. He made some terrible choices for her, one of which resulted in her making an implacable enemy of producer Louis B. Mayer, and consequently being blacklisted in Hollywood. She never overcame this circumstance, and gradually faded into obscurity.

Dastardly David Mdivani was one of five siblings of the Mdivani family who left Georgia as refugees, fleeing the Bolsheviks, and became known as the "marrying Mdivanis" because of their habit of marrying heirs and heiresses for their money. They seem to have been thoroughly ruthless in their predations, leaving trails of broken hearts, empty bank accounts, and misery in their wakes. Boo! Hiss!

A great card from a great movie.
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

Evelyn Holt (1908-2001) was arguably one of the prettiest stars of the silent film era. She was a German actress who began her career in the mid-1920s with UFA (Universum Film AG) in Berlin, and made a few more than a dozen films from 1926 to 1932.

When the Nazis came to power in 1933, Fraulein Holt, who was determined by them to be 1/2 Jewish, was banned from appearing in German film. So ended her career.

UFA, from its beginnings in 1917, was a (partially) government sponsored consolidation of a number of private film companies and although state funding certainly helped with production costs during the lean times after WWI and made possible some of the true treasures of the silent era, this nationalization also made it rather easy for the Nazi party to enforce their policies on the German film industry in the 1930s and '40s.

Fraulein Holt married Jewish publisher Felix Guggenheim in 1936, and the couple managed to emigrate from Germany in 1938, first to Switzerland and eventually to the USA.

Herr Guggenheim maintained his publishing career in the USA bringing authors such as Thomas Mann and Franz Werfel to print in American editions, but Evelyn Holt did not return to her career as a film actress. She passed away in 2001.

Lovely portrait of this silent film star. There is a tiny nick in the upper right corner of the card. 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!

17.00 USD

What a gorgeous costume! Don't think it's actually a kimono, is it, but wow!

Evelyn Holt (1908-2001) was arguably one of the prettiest stars of the silent film era. She was a German actress who began her career in the mid-1920s with UFA (Universum Film AG) in Berlin, and made a few more than a dozen films from 1926 to 1932.

When the Nazis came to power in 1933, Fraulein Holt, who was determined by them to be 1/2 Jewish, was banned from appearing in German film.

UFA, from its beginnings in 1917, was a (partially) government sponsored consolidation of a number of private film companies and although state funding certainly helped with production costs during the lean times after WWI and made possible some of the true treasures of the silent era, this nationalization also made it rather easy for the Nazi party to enforce their policies on the German film industry in the 1930s and '40s.

Fraulein Holt married Jewish publisher Felix Guggenheim in 1936, and the couple managed to emigrate from Germany in 1938, first to Switzerland and eventually to the USA.

Herr Guggenheim maintained his publishing career in the USA bringing authors such as Thomas Mann and Franz Werfel to print in American editions, but Evelyn Holt did not return to her career as a film actress. She passed away in 2001.

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 charming image, and what a cute feathered cap :) The diamond pattern identifies this young lady as a Harlequin, that perennial mischief maker, rather than as Pierrette. Probably her costume was red, or orange, and white too, rather than black and white as a Pierrette's would probably have been.

You really can't ask for more 1920's style than she creates with this simple costume, while still maintaining a little of the 1910-ish decorum.
Her hair looks as if it was done up in the swaithed fashion, sometimes called a "nervous" bob, a style popular with young ladies who wanted the "thoroughly modern" look, but weren't quite ready to shed their tresses and so artfully swept their long hair around their heads to imitate the bob.

The dropped waist of her costume can't really be dropped any further, and of course she sports the bar strap shoes with the Louis heels, a flapper favorite. She's only missing the long strand of beads which would have got in the way of her ruff anyway :) Very cute!

This RPPC was made by Wilhelm Ballizany of Kleve (still spelled Cleve at that time). There are many references to his work as a printer and photographer, but no personal history we've been able to locate.

Cleve is a port city on the Rhine river near Germany's border with the Netherlands. At the time our photo was taken it was quite a beautiful, bustling, town, but in the 1940s during WWII, its location was one of strategic importance and consequently allied bombing raids so completely destroyed the place that our Harlequinette would probably not recognize it today.

This is the thing about RPPCs that so draws us in. We glimpse through the little window a moment in a stranger's life and then begin to wonder about them. Curiosity sooner or later turns into research, which opens the door to history. Sometimes when an image is evocative enough, the stories just unfold in our imaginations like raspberry soda over the rim of the glass when you drop in too much vanilla ice cream. We love RPPCs!

A nice card with an unfortunately evident thumb crease about a third of the way up along the left edge. 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

Somewhere between Victorian spirit photography and early 1900s "chalk talks," this wonderful postcard sways from the very charming over toward just a little creepy and back again :) Kept this one in our collection for a couple of years, but it's time to share! Time has aged this beauty masterfully. The card does definitely show discoloration, but magically so, we think. Definitely one of the weird ones, hope you love it too!
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!

12.00 USD

We have always loved this series of images by Walery of the mysteriously veiled Mlle. Fiska. Not that she was veiled in some mysterious way or that there is any mystery behind the fact that she is veiled...it is just a veil, after all...simply that being veiled, she assumes a mysterious quality...well, it's at least a very interesting image...but never mind, we were just pulling the proverbial leg. That is not to say that your leg is necessarily proverbial, or anything other than an ordinary leg... but yes, we were pulling it. Sorry :) We couldn't find any history on Mlle. Fiska, you see, and felt we needed to put something in this listing, so there we are!

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

We have always loved this series of images by Walery of the mysteriously veiled Mlle. Fiska. Not that she was veiled in some mysterious way or that there is any mystery behind the fact that she is veiled...it is just a veil, after all...simply that being veiled, she assumes a mysterious quality...well, it's at least a very interesting image...but never mind, we were just pulling the proverbial leg. That is not to say that your leg is necessarily proverbial, or anything other than an ordinary leg... but yes, we were pulling it. Sorry :) We couldn't find any history on Mlle. Fiska, you see, and felt we needed to put something in this listing, so there we are!

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

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!

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!

18.00 USD

Beautifully hand-tinted image of Mlle. Lucy Jousset, a lovely French stage, and silent film, actress. Amazing costume!

Very few of Mlle. Jousset's fans ever realized that she was actually the 900 year old lovechild of an ancient dragon and her lover, a wandering Templar knight. If you look closely at the train of her gown, you may glimpse the outline of her tail. Rumor has it that despite the negative reputation accorded most half-dragons, Mlle. Jousset was very kindly disposed, and occasionally quite generous with her treasures!

This card was published by Monsieur G. Piprot of Marque (or logo) "Etoile," (Star) publishers in Paris, from a photograph taken by one of our favorite photographers, and one of the most sought after theatrical portraitists of the time, Leopold Reutlinger.

Monsieur Reutlinger's photographs, in their postcard format, were usually published by S.I.P. (Société Industrielle de Photographie) in France, and N.P.G. (Neue Photographische Gesellschaft) in Berlin, but not always, as we see here. This card was apparently one of a series of Reutlinger images published by Marque "Etoile" of Paris.

The term, "Emaillographie," printed on the reverse of the card, refers to a process of Monsieur Piprot's that seems to have been a glacé, or glaze, applied to the surface of the print. This technique really seems to have added depth to, and also brilliance to the coloration, of those cards to which it was applied.

Gorgeous card in near fine 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!

18.00 USD

Professor Edward (Sometimes Edouard) Stebbing, was a prolific photographer in Belle Epoque Paris. Though we have been unable to find much in the way of biographical information on this man (what he was a professor of, for example), what we've been able to gather suggests to us that he was an expatriate Englishman living in Paris. He published extensively in British journals on the photographic process, and was also an inventor, creating what some call the first "roll film" camera, an image of which we include in our listing images (though not for sale :). This image is thanks to the George Eastman House (a link below to that website, which offers some specifications on this wonderful camera, that listed for $12.00 dollars in 1887).

http://www.geh.org/fm/Brownie2/htmlsrc/ms810500001_ful.html

Many of Professor Stebbing's theatrical portraits were printed and published by Monsieur G. Piprot, of "Etoile," or "Star," publishing, in Paris. M. Piprot was himself a photographer of some note, and together, Stebbing and Piprot accomplished wonderful work that lent itself beautifully (as we can see here), to hand-tinted postcard images. It's wonderful how choices made by the colorists, could so dramatically effect end results. Note that the filmy veil she no doubt swirled around herself in this routine seems to have had silk-screened onto its surface flower decorations in a distinctly Art Nouveau style. This design is clearer in some other images from this series, and we'd certainly love a close up view of this fabric!

The artiste, Vampa, or La Vampa, as she was also called, is another about whom we've found very little history. We know that she performed not only in France, but in Germany as well, since portraits of her by Herr Gerlach of Berlin pop up now and then. She might possibly have taken her stage name from the aria "Stride la Vampa," or "Flame of Jealous Love," in Giuseppe Verdi's Il Trovatore, which was still, fifty years after its premier, a popular opera, and exceedingly romantic, or perhaps it was just the Italian word "vampa," that inspired her, meaning flame, or also "blush" :)

A wonderful card, in very nice unposted condition. Please examine our high res scans for detail.

The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully insured, first class, shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will 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!

17.00 USD

Beautiful Stebbing image of a Springtime beauty, possibly an unidentified image of Mlle. Carmen De Villers.

The card was published by Monsieur G. Piprot of Marque (or logo) "Etoile," (Star) publishers in Paris, from a photograph taken by one of our favorite photographers, Professor Edward Stebbing.

Professor Stebbing was a prolific portraitist, who operated a studio out of Boulevard des Italiens et 30 Rue Grammont, Paris, France. He is a bit of a mystery man, as we have found quite a number of references to him pertaining to photography of the period, but no biography as of yet.

Presumably because of his studio address, he is often called a French photographer, but we do know that Stebbing is a common enough English name, that in the 1870s, he was a regular contributor to the British Journal of Photography (in fact, he was that magazine's "Paris correspondent" for a time), made regular trips to England, and since, in writing about him, and quoting him, the Journal referred to him as "Professor" and not "Professeur," we suspect he was an expatriate Englishman who made his home in Paris.

Also, like so many of those early photographers, Stebbing was an inventor. In those days, photographers who were more than dabblers, were inventors almost out of necessity. It was often through experimentation with the vast number of chemicals and broad (and constantly "newfangled") varieties of equipment, that advances in their art were accomplished.

Edward Stebbing is sometimes called the inventor of the first "roll film" camera. He developed the camera in 1883, which by 1887 was retailing for about twelve dollars. Below, there is a link to the George Eastman House Technology Archive where you can learn more about it. Also, the fourth of our listing images (though not offered for sale) is one of Prof. Stebbing's camera! It is a thing of beauty :)

http://www.geh.org/fm/brownie2/htmlsrc/mS810500001_ful.html

A lovely, unposted card, showing off Stebbing's (and Piprot's) talent for toying with the development and printing processes in a way that particularly lent itself to brilliant coloration. The term, "Emaillographie," printed on the reverse of the card, refers to a process of Monsieur Piprot's that seems to have been a glacé, or glaze, applied to the surface of the print. This technique really seems to have added depth, and also brilliance to the coloration, of those cards to which it was applied.

Gorgeous card in near fine 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!

14.00 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!

16.00 USD

as per convo

9.00 USD

Herald to the Fairie Queen, Vintage Postcard circa 1910.

Magical evocative image. If she were costumed in wings, she'd be an angel, so she has to be a Fae herald with that horn, yes? Surface sprinkling of silvering...fairy dust, of course :)
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!lilian harvey

22.00 USD

Julien Francois Bioletto of Lyon took this photograph. We have no history on him yet. There is little enough easily accessible information on the photographers of Paris, and when it comes to those people who lived and worked in the smaller cities, information is often difficult to find.

We have listed a number of postcards made from his photographs in the past, as Lyon clearly had a vibrant theater scene, and many of the biggest names that appear on our cards photographed by Reutlinger or Boyer, appeared not only in Paris, but also in Lyon.

This is a wonderful image of two couples dancing the Mattchiche, a dance frequently described as a Brazilian tango that was particularly popular at that time.

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!

22.00 USD

La Danse Orientale, Lot of Two Risque Belly Dancer Images, circa 1900

Magical early "danse orientale" images. Dancer is quite possibly of colonial Algerian origin, but this is a studio series, shot in front of a lovely tromp l'oeill. Circa 1900 and in remarkable condition.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

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

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

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

14.00 USD

Great hand-tinted faux nude image of unidentified dancer who may be La Princesse de Caraman-Chimay, aka Clara Ward (17 June 1873 – 9 December 1916), in flesh-toned body stocking, sometimes referred to as collant, or maillot complète. Very risque stuff at the turn of the century! circa 1905. To compare this model with identified image of the notorious Clara Ward, follow link below:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/181893347/princesse-de-caraman-chimay-en-voile-by?

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!

6.00 USD

We had a little contest, offering a nice discount to whomever could translate the mirror written cursive on this card. Well, the answer, given to us by a very helpful patron, was (and we're a little embarrassed not to have guessed it, "I Love You a Lot!" To see the mirror writing on the card, check out the fourth image in this listing, and for the reversed image, see the fifth image :) Hey, mirror writing was one way to keep Mama and Papa's nose out of your business, to say nothing of that gossip, Mr. Postman!

There's little we like more than fairy tales, and we are especially fond of those that are less well known, as is true of the tale referenced by this card, "La Fée aux Cheveux d'Or."

The image on the face of this intriguing card depicts a woman with extremely long hair, wearing only a faux nude body stocking, pearls, flowers, and a drape of cloth that hangs from one shoulder to her opposite hip. Above her, are the lyrics to a song:

La Fée aux Cheveux d'Or

Il était une fois mignonne,
Une Fée aux cheveux si blonds
Qu'ils semblaient d'or pris aux rayons
De quelque céleste couronne.
Il était une fois mignonne...
(Musique de P. Delmet).

We translate this as:

The Fairy with Hair of Gold, or The Golden-Haired Fairy

She was lovely once,
A fairy with hair so blond
It seemed golden rays taken
From some celestial crown.
She was lovely once ...
(Music by P. Delmet).

Although the song may (or may not) have been written by the French composer and singer Paul Julien Delmet, the title of the song and the character of the golden-haired beauty are taken from a story by Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d'Aulnoy, better known as Madame d'Aulnoy, today. Madame d'Aulnoy was a French writer known for her "salons" in which the cream of French society took turns telling each other stories; she coined the term "contes de fées," which translates as fairy tales, to describe the stories they told.

A translation of Madame d'Aulnoy's "La Fée aux Cheveux d'Or" was published by Andrew Lang in The Blue Fairy Book, with the title "The Story of Pretty Goldilocks." Interestingly, the character of Charming, in this story, is not a prince, but a mere courtier in a king's court. Here's a quick overview, if you're not familiar with the story:

A princess, called Pretty Goldilocks due to her beauty and golden hair, has no wish to get married. A king falls in love with her, but she rejects his proposal.

Now, usually, we'd expect the king to go on a quest to win his lady love, but that's not what happens. He sends Charming, instead. On his way to meet the princess, Charming meets the traditional three animals and helps each, receiving a promise of future help from each. When Charming meets her, the princess refuses the gifts he's brought from the king, one of them a little dog named Frisk, and sets three tasks that must be completed before she will be willing to marry. Charming thinks these are impossible tasks and is ready to give up, but Frisk encourages him to try, anyway. Of course, Charming's animal helpers are each perfectly suited to accomplish one of the tasks, so problem solved.

Princess Goldilocks agrees to marry the king, but what she really wants is to marry Charming. He, however, remains loyal to his ruler, and she goes ahead with the marriage. After the wedding, the king gets jealous, and throws Charming in the tower. But, the king is still fearful that he's not sufficiently handsome to please his wife, so he washes his face with water that's supposed to be from the Fountain of Beauty, Only, oops, a clumsy maid had broken the bottle it was in and replaced it with an identical one. The potion in this bottle, however, causes the king to fall into a profound sleep, from which he will never wake. (This was Madame d'Aulnoy's way of saying that the king died from drinking poison, without actually, you know, saying it.) Frisk, acting as messenger, runs to tell Charming, who's been languishing in his tower, that the king is dead, and Charming sends Frisk to remind the princess that he's still alive. She releases Charming and makes him king, as well as her husband, and the pair finally live "happily ever after."

This card was published by Bergeret, who practically pioneered the French post card. Though posted in 1904, it is an early divided back card, indicating it was published right around the date of the legal change that introduced today's modern post cards. Unlike many of Bergeret's cards, then, this is not considered a "precurseur."

There is also an example of mirror writing along one side of the card, only three words, but clearly the sender has made an effort to disguise the private message meant only for the receiver. You can learn more about the people and story mentioned in this post by visiting the following websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Delmet (Then click the link to view the translation of the French page for him, as it has an extensive bio.)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_d%27Aulnoy/

http://www.gutenberg.org/files/503/503-h/503-h.htm#link2H_4_0019

****

This card was published on delicate card stock with lovely hand-tinting. There are tiny creases in both upper 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, 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!