17.00 USD

Mlle. Xaviere De Léka, also Deléka, or Deleka, posing in a really wonderful Art Nouveau costume for famed theatrical portraitist Professor Edward Stebbing of Paris.

This particular card, published, we are guessing, sometime between 1905 and 1910, was made at the Tipografico Alterocca in Terni Italy. The founder of this company, Virgilio Alterocca, was a publisher, politician, and public benefactor, who between 1898 and his death, in 1910, was a very important figure in the Italian postcard industry.

Unlike almost all the cards in our shop, this image is not a photograph, but an early lithograph. This is made apparent by what we today would call the "dot matrix" present in the image, and obvious if you zoom in on it. Some photolithographs from this period could be quite lovely, and we feel this one fits that bill. Also, we love the Art Nouveau font in the upper left, characteristic of many Alterocca cards. In fact, it may be this font, in part, lending a very "period" quality to their cards, that contributes to their collector following.

Of course, we cannot know today whether Professor Stebbing, the photographer, would have approved, or given his permission, for this Alterocca edition. We think possibly not, for two reasons.
First, the fact that Stebbing is uncredited,
and B :), the image on this card is a slightly blown up, and reversed, image of the original Stebbing card, which was published by G. Piprot of "Etoile," Paris, and we can't help but think that an image reversal might be one way of claiming whatever they may have termed "significant contribution" back then, and avoiding a court battle. We're just having some fun with the idea though, and possibly the image reversal had as much to do with the photolithographic process as anything, and this was a typical, and perfectly legitimate, transaction.

We know that Mlle De Léka performed at the Moulin Rouge during the years,1900-1904.

In 1907, she was mentioned in an article, which appeared in the Kansas City Star, on the subject of tight-lacing, or what was often termed the wasp-waist fad. To sum up this article: Mlle. Jane Dirys (another popular performer) did not wear a tight-laced corset. Mlle. De Léka did. And famed sculptor, Auguste Rodin, did not approve :)

Thanks to a wonderful thesis by Joseph Albert North, for Durham University, in which Mlle. De Léka figures briefly, we know she was performing on stage a "danse d'apaches" routine in Rome in about 1912, and was then hired to appear in a number of Italian silent films produced that same year before returning to Paris, where she was to appear, again, at the Moulin Rouge.

Then, finally, we came across a short obituary in Variety Magazine, for April, 1914 (pretty much on the eve of the great war in Europe), which states that, "Xaviere De Leka, cafe concert chanteuse, and also Mlle Lambell, comedienne, died in Paris, April 6th." Unfortunately, it says nothing about how, or if together, or separately.

It always feels a little sad to us when we come across marvelous images of these brightly shining stars of human beings, but can learn so little about them. In this case we are actually luckier than in many, where virtually nothing turns up.

A very nice, unposted 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!

18.00 USD

Wonderful image of a gorgeous stage performer in lovely costume. Mad. we imagine, is short for Madeleine, a VERY popular name at the time. Stage artists often took the name of their home town. So the island of Jersey off the Normandy coast perhaps? Mere conjecture, but hey...it's fun! We learned a lot about the Channel Islands on this foray into that vast interwebbian sea of...well...stuff...and yes... a lot of conjecture!!!

The image style is very much like Gerlach's work, but the font is not one we remember seeing on Gerlach cards. So, we got nuttin' for ya on this one. :) That is of course, except for a very lovely card in very nice 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!

18.00 USD

Note the peaked hat! Wonderful Hallowe'en image!

Elspeth, the unhappiest of witches, was desolate at having been cast out of the Grand Coven. It seems that on Walpurgisnacht, instead of riding her usual broom to the annual witch's sabbat atop the dark mountain, she was feeling particularly innovative, and made the mistake of riding the musical instrument you see pictured in this image.
So it was that Elspeth, though previously admired in her witchy community for having a heart as hard and black as flint, and an unsurpassed talent for the casting of the blackest of spells, was undone by her own creativity.

For as she flew through the night sky and circled above that wicked convocation before descending to take her place amongst the gleefully soulless celebrants, a mischevious wind passing over her instrument's strings, brought forth a joyous Christian hymn, heard by all present, and casting a very unsabbat like, golden, glow over the otherwise darksome gathering below. Oh my! Poor, poor Elspeth.

Now you tell one :)

Wonderful image of Mary Nolan, costumed as Pierrette, and playing a long necked, mandolin, sort of instrument. If you see someone costumed as a "Pierrot/Pierrette" character, you can pretty much bet the story contains the element of heartbreak. These characters originated hundreds of years ago with the traveling Commedia dell'arte troupes in Renaissance Italy, and blended themes of the tragic lover's triangle with enough ironic, and or silly, comedy to lighten the experience.

In some ways, we could liken these productions, which remained great crowd pleasers into the 20th century, to classic blues performed by masters like Robert Johnson, that also blend the pain of loss and sorrow, with clever and often humorous word play. In both cases, these offer their audiences a way of taking the "long view" on their own personal sufferings, and who doesn't need that from time to time?

Of course this image is taken from a film. We haven't succeeded at pinning down the title, though Miss Nolan made only a handful of movies for Universal in the late 20s and early 30s.

Born Mary Imogene Robertson (1902-1948), she lost her mother at a very early age, was given up by her father shortly thereafter, and raised in a Catholic orphanage.

She worked as a model in her teens, and was a successful dancer in Flo' Ziegfeld's Follies into the early 1920s.

It was in the 1920s that she made a number of successful films in Germany, then in the late 20s, she made the move back to the USA where she appeared in several successful films as well.

Like the character in our image might have been, Miss Nolan was unlucky in love, and had relationships with abusive, sometimes brutally violent, men. These relationships, with their associated scandals, also impacted her professional life, and in the long run, ruined what from the start, might have been.a wonderful career.

The short biography at Wikipedia is richly detailed, and if you want to learn more about Miss Nolan, we encourage you to read it, but be warned, it is thoroughly depressing.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Nolan

A great unposted card published by Iris Verlag, thought of by some as the Austrian "Ross Verlag."
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

Superb portrait of actress, producer and screenwriter Marion Davies (1897-1961) by G.B. Falci, one of our favorite publishers of film star cards. Amazing tone and contrast on this one, and in very nice, unposted condition.

Miss Davies was a Ziegfeld Girl in the 1910s, and went on to appear in the motion pictures with great success, until her lover, William Randolph Hearst, Newspaper Tycoon, took too much interest in her career and bought her so much publicity that her career floundered.

Now, there are a great many rumors, myths and legends, surrounding Miss Davies, and much has been written about her, but we had one interesting little idea we've never run across in print (though it probably has been, in keeping with that old axiom, "nothing new under the sun").

Any visitors of ours who are movie buffs, may be familiar with the classic film "Citizen Kane," in which the Kane character is generally believed to have been modeled after Hearst. No spoilers here, but what if "Rosebud" was not what it was purported to be in the film?

What if Rosebud was not an "it," but rather a "whom?" In 1993, a woman named Patricia Lake, who since birth had been known as the niece of Marion Davies, made a deathbed request that she be finally acknowledged publicly as the love child of Hearst and Davies.

This is the idea. It has been suggested that Lake's birth and provenance was a well kept secret, Miss Davies being in seclusion at the time, and that following the birth, the infant girl was given to Miss Davies' sister to call her own. Davies' sister had lost her own little girl while in infancy, you see, whose name happened to have been "Rose," and Patricia Lake simply took her place, and her name, in order to save both Hearst and Davies from the scandal of a child born out of wedlock, and fathered by a married man.

Apparently this was a well kept secret within the family, Hearst having acknowledged Patricia Lake as his daughter, privately, when she was 17, but what if the secret was not all that well kept, what if Orson Welles learned of it? What we are wondering is if Kane's yearning whisper of the word "Rosebud," was actually a not so veiled reference to "Rose," Hearst's (Kane's) daughter by Miss Davies? Fun, huh? We love a good mystery :) Oh, Mr. Wells, you rascal, you :)

Anyhow, we'll say no more, it's just an idea, and if it piqued your curiosity, watch the movie!

A magnificent portrait. 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

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, from an aristocratic Georgian family, she allowed her husband to manage her career. He made some terrible choices for her, which resulted in her making an implacable enemy of producer Louis B. Mayer, and 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!

But back to Miss Murray during her salad days. What a beauty. What an image. In the 20s, her portrait was painted by Theodore N. Lukits, a big Hollywood portrait painter who has become known as an "orientalist," and whose work (including the one of Miss Murray), makes the rounds in gallery exhibitions.
A really fine postcard. 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

"Darf ich um den nächsten tango bitten, süsse kleine frau?" or, "May I have the next tango, sweet little lady?" is also coincidentally the first line from the song, "Darf ich um den nächsten tango bitten?" It was a big hit in 1930, performed by Léo Frank, one of several professional pseudonyms of Leo Monosson (Charlotte Frank was the name of his first wife). Monosson was a Russian Jew who was a popular singer and later a film actor as well, appearing on the silver screen with one of our favorites here at Red Poulaine, Lilian Harvey.

Of course, by 1930 the writing was already on the wall, and though Monosson's career was a successful one, soon after Hitler took power in 1933, it became illegal for Jews to perform in Germany. He emigrated to the United States, but was sadly unable to maintain his show business career, in consequence, he believed, of his popularity in Germany, which made his music unpopular during the war, and postwar years..

On a lighter not,please read below excerpt from a letter we recently received from a dear friend, offering us advice on how to spend a little personal time with our vintage postcard collection.


"Dear Red,

It is not so difficult a proposition, turning a vintage postcard into an effective time machine. After all, a vintage postcard card connects one inextricably to the place and time of its origin, and to its previous owner, who held it in their hand just as we do.

It is helpful if one sits in a comfortable chair, in a quiet room with neither too bright, nor too dim a light source. Take the postcard in your hands and gaze fixedly at the image. Now begin counting backwards from the present year, to the year, or approximate year, in which the postcard was printed.

"2014,2013,2012," and so on...

Of course a little mood music is helpful to the process. Compositions by Jules Offenbach are very effective when traveling back to Belle Epoque Paris. Try to bring all the senses into play: a cigar burning in an ashtray (you don't have to smoke it!), a sip or two of absinthe, and finally, the barest dab of Bouquet Nouveau, a perfume of the period by Roger and Gallet that I had a devil of a time finding.

Now, I guess time travel isn't for everyone. My cousin Jim, the Baptist minister, warns me that repeated journeys into the past may invite demonic possession, and oddly, ever since I told him about my little forays, whenever I pay his family a visit, his two darling daughters point their fingers at me and scream, "Witch!," but even so, I have found this a lovely way to pass a careless hour..."


What a fun and creative idea! What a vibrant and wonderful character our dear friend seems to be, and how like our own writing style is the style of our dear friend's writing!!! hmmm...

But to take a trip to a Berlin nightclub in the year 1930, we recommend you follow the below link to Youtube, and listen to Herr Frank perform the jaunty tango that inspired this wonderfully odd little card!

One tends to think of Weimar Berlin as somewhere on the "dark" side, thanks to much of the history surrounding the time and place, but this is a light and happy piece of music, in keeping with our card's carefree image.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lo__AeNGz0w

Now, perhaps a cigarette or cigar burning in an ashtray, a sip of something appropriate (come to think of it, absinthe would be just fine for Weimar era Berlin), the barest touch of Shalimar, or Tabu, and whoosh!



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!

4.00 USD

This delightful, hand-tinted image features a winsome woman standing before an arrangement of mums, the quintessential flower of the Belle Époque era. The message "Bonne Année" has been printed in a delicate script in the bottom border.

Postmarked 1906. Minor wear to edges and corners. Please examine our high res scans for details.

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!

Tags: vintage, paper ephemera, postcard, photograph, French model, woman, flowers, bonne année, bonne annee, happy new year, greeting card, mums, Art Nouveau, Belle Epoque

7.00 USD

Elise de Vere (born Constance), was one of the premiere stars of her time. Born in Belgium, she was the daughter of Herbert Shakespeare Gardiner Williams (aka Charles De Vere) and Julia Ferrett, his wife. Both of them were ex-pat British stage magicians, who wandered the world, when not running magic shops! Looking at her here, it is easy to think of her as French, but she and her family maintained their "Britishness" even after years away, and never gave up their citizenship. The fact is, that a number of big French music halls were owned by English theatrical promoters during this period, some of whom exported English performers to France (early "British invasion" :), just as France exported theirs to England. After all, the channel is not so wide :)
Here she is, with her big, upswept hair, those two trademark pheasant tail-feathers jutting out of that huge chapeau. A song and dance Queen of la Belle Epoque, she graced the Paris stages of theaters like Le Moulin Rouge, Les Folies Bergere, Le Vaudeville, and others. She rubbed elbows with royalty and commoners alike, painters of the left bank, and the waiters who served them the champagne, and that green fairy, Absinthe . It is no wonder stars of the early silver screen, like Marlene Dietrich and Mae West, were able to pull off their moves so well, when they had images like this one to draw upon for inspiration. What a classic pose. Photo by the famous Reutlinger of Paris.

Early 1900s, (pre-1905), undivided back. Some hand tinting. Visible age spotting.

Please examine our high res scans for detail.

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

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

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

7.00 USD

Superb image. Minor surface wear of the sort one so often sees in oranotypes, but we are only guessing that this is an oranotype. Overall a wonderful card. Magnificent coloring. 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!

9.00 USD

We have a terrible weakness for the silvering that occurs on old photo images, we admit it! There is something so magical about the effect. Plain and simply, it is just another result of aging. The light-sensitive metallic salts (typically silver bromide, hence the term "silvering," although other metallic salts were often included) used in the most common processes of photo printing are submerged in a thin, gelatinous surface layer on the photo printing paper.
Over the hundred years or so since this card was printed, tiny bits of magical, light-sensitive goodness migrated to the surface of that layer, and interacted chemically with the oxygen in air. Et voila! Silvering! Beautiful, beautiful atmospheric aura :)

We hope the scientists among you will forgive what is probably a vast oversimplification (to say nothing of our romanticizing) of this process :) Of course, "dramatic" silvering, as in the case of this card, is unusual. A little is not untypical, but this much is probably the result of a flaw in the printing process, and possibly the environment in which the image was stored (in the same way that copper goes green more quickly in some environments), but there were also some printing processes that lent themselves particularly well to later silvering. The biogravure, a process employed by N.P.G. in Berlin, was one of these that we always look for. At the time, the printer would have had no idea, of course, what chemical changes would occur on their work's surface over a hundred years, so the end result is, to some degree, removed from human interference, and it is as if Nature, herself, applied the last finishing touches.

Rotophot was a Berlin based printer and card publisher established in around 1900. The "Roto" in their name refers to the rotary printing process that made use of long rolls of printing paper, gradually unfurled, and exposed to light through the negative plate. This method, though invented and patented in America, was brought back to Germany by one of its developers, Arthur Schwartz, later of NPG, was further developed there, and as an early form of photographic mass production, was of key importance in making Germany the industrial center of the postcard printing industry.

On the reverse, you can see a very mystical looking symbol in the card's stamp box: a triangle, with what looks like a sun blazing at its center, surrounded by the letters N,B, and C. These stand for the Neue Bromsilber Convention, or "New Silver Bromide Convention." Established in 1909, the NBC was an organization of photographic postcard printers and publishers whose purpose was to maintain control over costs and pricing in order to limit negative competitive practices (and probably, like most cartels, to edge out the little guy). Incidentally, the NBC would later have as its president, none other than Heinrich Ross, who was the driving force behind Rotophot, the publisher of this postcard.

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

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

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

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

14.00 USD

One of our favorite, and most magical, subgenres of "Lovely Lady" postcards has to be that of the marvelous maenad. These are somewhat idealized, and presumably toned down, versions of those wild maidens of ancient Greece, who in their worship of Dionysus, the god of wine and sensual abandon, got up to all kinds of mischief. The maenad, as an image, was practically the poster girl of La Belle Epoque, expressing that rich, earthy, "joie de vivre," which has come to be seen as so expressive of that era. In our Marvelous Maenad section, we're not all that particular about whether the model is depicted as a woodland sprite, a pagan priestess, or if they're just a couple of Belle Epoque chorus girls unwinding after a tough dress rehearsal. The images we list in this section might have been published anytime between the 1890s and the 1930s. Basically, if they're wearing grapes, grapevines, animal skins, or any of the other accoutrements no self respecting maenad could do without, this is the section they'll end up in. Welcome to the Bacchanal!!! :)

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 into the 1920s.
Despite the popularity of the corset during this period, as the image above suggests, Mlle. Badet was making the pooch sexy long before the world had ever heard of Marilyn Monroe :)
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.
Some corner and edge wear on this wonderful, hand-tinted 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!

17.00 USD

Picard, No Not That Picard :) Lovely Artiste Picard in Classic Art Nouveau Costume, by Reutlinger of Paris.

This fine image by Reutlinger is of a beautiful young woman in a medieval-style gown. She wears flowers in her hair in the classic Art Nouveau mode, and is just a truly delightful example of photographer's art. The image has been delicately hand-tinted, her hair auburn, and her gown decorated with pale blue to match the flowers in her hair. Such a romantic image.

A very nice card, with only minor wear to edges and 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!

16.00 USD

Probably published sometime between 1900 and 1904, but posted in 1905, a great image of Belle Epoque stage performer Billy Norton taken by the great Reutlinger of Paris. A very nice 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!

22.00 USD

Really Cute! PC Paris produced countless risque lingerie images. We love the white backgrounds on this type, filled with frothy light. These are highly prized by fashion historians who glean from them information on the styles of undergarments of the time. Interestingly, these gals seemed almost always to be wearing shoes :) No effort was expended, on the part of the photographer to set up a "getting ready for bed," or "undressing for the bath" scenario. These routines, popular theatrical pantomimes at the turn of the century, had, by the 20s, already become old hat, so that nude and risque images tended to use fewer physical props. The images, therefore were maybe more minimalist, but as in this case, the photography was marvelous.
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

Unidentified Natalia Trouhanova, Russian Dancer and Actress, in La Mariska, circa 1907 (2nd of 2)

One of the advantages of working with historical images for an extended period of time is that sometimes we are able to recognize a performer, even though she is not identified in the image. This is such a case.

This lovely image depicts the beautiful Natalia Trouhanova, wearing gypsy garb which has been hand-tinted in vibrant colors.

Note that we have an additional image depicting Natalia, with slightly different coloring applied during hand-tinting, at: www.etsy.com/listing/191700817/unidentified-natalia-trouhanova-russian

Natalia (also known by the diminutive form, Natasha, or Natacha) Vladimirovna Trouhanova was born into a theatrical family in Kiev, in 1885. According to an interview she gave in 1911, her parents were of French, Polish, Serbian and Bohemian extraction. The family left Kiev when she was one year old, and until she was thirteen, she "lived like a nomad, traveling through all the countries of Europe." (interview in Comoedia, 1911).

At thirteen, she began formal study in Moscow, first in acting, and then dance. When she arrived in France, in the early 1900s, she, like many emigre performers, found work in the music halls. In 1905, in Monte Carlo, she was cast in the role of a Hungarian Gypsy girl, in Jean Lorrain's "La Mariska," an opera ballet, and her career caught fire. Most of the images we come across of La Trouhanova are in Gypsy garb, probably in costume for La Mariska.

Although she gained her initial fame as a dancer, some reviews of the time suggest that her skills lay more in the area of interpretive dance, as a soloist, than in classic ballet, and applaud her pantomime and acting, particularly as a tragedienne.

She also appeared in a number of early silent films. After the outbreak of WWI, she married a Russian count, and retired, at least temporarily, from the stage. In the 1920s, she returned to dancing for a time, and then some years later, she and her husband returned to (then Soviet) Russia, and later in her life, she worked as a translator of Russian political tracts, some by Stalin, himself.

Perhaps because her career was a short one, it is difficult to find, online, much information about la Trouhanova personally, apart from one source, where we were extremely lucky. All of our bio information came from a google books extract of "Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance" by Lynn Garafola, published by Wesleyan University Press in 2005. We have a link below to that extract. Beginning on page 148, there is a great deal of information on Natalia Trouhanova. Of particular interest, though too lengthy to go into here, is her relationship (quite rocky), with Nijinsky and Diaghlev, well worth reading, as well as Ms. Garafola's insights into the state of the art, and business, of dance, in that place and time.

http://books.google.com/books?id=7gIDy6ait3IC&pg=PA156&lpg=PA156&dq=trouhanova&source=bl&ots=P4TuEpuJj9&sig=d7q1rB1xOl7Ldk_2z-WGMviLrT8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2SiMUpLsFuip2QXSyoDwDg&ved=0CGEQ6AEwDA#v=onepage&q=trouhanova&f=false

This card was published by the Neue Photographische Gesellschaft, or NPG, one of our favorite publishers of theatrical portrait cards of the period.

A very nice card, with minor wear to edges and 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!

16.00 USD

Unidentified Natalia Trouhanova, Russian Dancer and Actress, in La Mariska, circa 1907 (1st of 2)

One of the advantages of working with historical images for an extended period of time is that sometimes we are able to recognize a performer, even though she is not identified in the image. This is such a case.

This lovely image depicts the beautiful Natalia Trouhanova, wearing gypsy garb which has been hand-tinted in vibrant colors.

Note that we have an additional image depicting Natalia, with slightly different coloring applied during hand-tinting, at: www.etsy.com/listing/191698738/unidentified-natalia-trouhanova-russian

Natalia (also known by the diminutive form, Natasha, or Natacha) Vladimirovna Trouhanova was born into a theatrical family in Kiev, in 1885. According to an interview she gave in 1911, her parents were of French, Polish, Serbian and Bohemian extraction. The family left Kiev when she was one year old, and until she was thirteen, she "lived like a nomad, traveling through all the countries of Europe." (interview in Comoedia, 1911).

At thirteen, she began formal study in Moscow, first in acting, and then dance. When she arrived in France, in the early 1900s, she, like many emigre performers, found work in the music halls. In 1905, in Monte Carlo, she was cast in the role of a Hungarian Gypsy girl, in Jean Lorrain's "La Mariska," an opera ballet, and her career caught fire. Most of the images we come across of La Trouhanova are in Gypsy garb, probably in costume for La Mariska.

Although she gained her initial fame as a dancer, some reviews of the time suggest that her skills lay more in the area of interpretive dance, as a soloist, than in classic ballet, and applaud her pantomime and acting, particularly as a tragedienne.

She also appeared in a number of early silent films. After the outbreak of WWI, she married a Russian count, and retired, at least temporarily, from the stage. In the 1920s, she returned to dancing for a time, and then some years later, she and her husband returned to (then Soviet) Russia, and later in her life, she worked as a translator of Russian political tracts, some by Stalin, himself.

Perhaps because her career was a short one, it is difficult to find, online, much information about la Trouhanova personally, apart from one source, where we were extremely lucky. All of our bio information came from a google books extract of "Legacies of Twentieth-Century Dance" by Lynn Garafola, published by Wesleyan University Press in 2005. We have a link below to that extract. Beginning on page 148, there is a great deal of information on Natalia Trouhanova. Of particular interest, though too lengthy to go into here, is her relationship (quite rocky), with Nijinsky and Diaghlev, well worth reading, as well as Ms. Garafola's insights into the state of the art, and business, of dance, in that place and time.

http://books.google.com/books?id=7gIDy6ait3IC&pg=PA156&lpg=PA156&dq=trouhanova&source=bl&ots=P4TuEpuJj9&sig=d7q1rB1xOl7Ldk_2z-WGMviLrT8&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2SiMUpLsFuip2QXSyoDwDg&ved=0CGEQ6AEwDA#v=onepage&q=trouhanova&f=false

A very nice card, with minor wear to edges and 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!

22.00 USD

Whoops! Like one of those dreams we have of going out in public, looking down, and finding ourselves undressed :)

We know that Albert Wyndham was an important figure in the risque postcard trade, but we can find no history on him. This one is silly, but such fun!
Nice, 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!

19.00 USD

Awesome image of family gathering and including a pair of chimney sweeps, like two royal coachmen in attendance, both dressed in the recognizable garb of "sweeps," all black, with the traditional stovepipe hats, and holding those long-stemmed brushes for pushing the soot down the chimneys (the fireplace would be temporarily closed off with a large open sack used for catching the soot). "...good luck wiw rub off when Oi shakes 'ands wiv you..." (Dick VanDyke as Bert the Sweep, Mary Poppins :) Well, we feel astounded at our luck, as photographs of chimney sweeps are not commonly come across. This one was taken in Poland, apparently in the 1930s. Leaning against the eaves is their ladder for climbing up onto the roof. See the poor little chap with crutches and the cast on his leg? So many wonderful details in this image, a purely magical time machine of a 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!

11.00 USD

Published by Monsieur G. Piprot of Marque Etoile, in Paris, this composite image of a lovely young unnamed woman framed by a charming and beautifully hand-tinted Art Nouveau floral design, was photographed by Monsieur Arjalew (Ari-ya-lev), a Parisian photographer who operated a studio out of 17 Boulevard Poissoniere in Paris. It has been very difficult to find any information about Monsieur Arjalew. One French dealer in postcards and photographs has Arjalew listed under Judaica, so possibly he was Jewish, but we've found nothing to support this either.
For certain though, Arjalew was a very productive photographer of postcard images during the last years of that era known as La Belle Epoque. The above card was one of a series of images clearly influenced by the Art Nouveau movement. It is one of four cards bearing his images that we have managed to gather from four different sources so that we might offer our visitors a fair look at what we here at Red Poulaine feel is some of Arjalew's best work.
It isn't necessarily "fine art," but rather the "small" popular art of the people of that era, some of which, like that of Alphonse Mucha, for example, has grown in the estimation of critics to dwarf many works of what was considered "fine art" at the time. It is certainly worth mentioning that one helpful reader contacted us with the idea that Arjalew was none other than Walery, (Julian Stanislaw Ignacy, Count Ostorog), himself, who was known to create mixed up versions of his pseudonym, Walery. A very nice card, but with traces of a stamp and postmark in upper left corner.
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!

12.00 USD

This amazing image features a photograph of Lord Leighton's painting, "The Bath of Psyche," from the Tate Museum. Based on the Greek myth of Cupid and Psyche, the painting depicts Psyche undressing at the edge of her bath in preparation for Cupid's arrival.

You can read more about this image and the myth that inspired it, on the Tate Museum's website at:

http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/leighton-the-bath-of-psyche-n01574/text-summary

About the artist, Lord Leighton, from Wikipedia:

"Frederic Leighton, 1st Baron Leighton PRA (3 December 1830 – 25 January 1896), known as Sir Frederic Leighton between 1878 and 1896, was an English painter and sculptor. His works depicted historical, biblical and classical subject matter. Leighton was bearer of the shortest-lived peerage in history; after only one day his hereditary peerage ended with his death."

Leighton became one of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, an amazing group of innovative artists, in 1860.

Source URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Leighton,_1st_Baron_Leighton

We cannot be certain of the photographer for this particular image, but we do know that Alfred Noyer, the hugely prolific publisher of French picture postcards, was also deeply involved with the Salon de Paris, the world renowned exhibitions of art that were often the making of a young, or old, painter's career. Noyer's production of cards with the images of Salon winners did much to popularize art, and make available for pennies images otherwise out of reach.

You may enjoy reading more about the relationship between photography and traditional art in our post, "Salon de Paris Nude Portrait by M. Fronti," at:

http://redpoulaine.blogspot.com/2012/10/salon-de-paris-nude-portrait-by-m-fronti.html

******

This gorgeous image is in very nice condition, with barely any wear at the edges and corners. There are a few minor "age" spots across the face of the 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, 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!