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!!! :)

This image is so rich in silver tones and shadow. Beautiful textures. The card looks to us as if it is somewhat more recent than most of our offerings, we'll guess out of the 1930s or 40s, but we cannot be at all certain. Still, we had to put this in our maenad section. She is so bewitching :) 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

No history on Lily yet, but we're looking. Thus far, all the images we've found were published by G and G, and photographed by Gerlach. Corseted artistes have quite a following these days, and this is a really splendid image from that perspective...from any perspective! Nice posted condition, with minor wear to corners. Please examine our high res scans for detail.

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

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

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

Wonderful image of three friends/family members, who have hiked together to the Triberger Wasserfall near the village of Triberg. Triberg is a village in the very depths of the Black Forest in Germany. It is where the cuckoo clock was invented, and up until recently, most of its economy depended on watchmaking, as well as a very healthy tourist trade up until 2001, when following 9/11, American tourism dropped dramatically, and the village population decreased from 8000 to 5000. Fantastic woodcarving of the sort one expects to find in the black forest is still done there, but apparently the cost of such work is quite high (of course this is to be expected, given cost of living in this day and age, and the time required to produce truly fine, hand-crafted items). We can only imagine how charming a place it must have been back in the time these three ladies were visiting here.
A really lovely time machine of an RPPC, 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

Parisian cantorini Aline Vallendrini (1878-1952) was known not only for her beautiful voice, but for her long, beautiful hair. In this image, for the opera "Solange," she wears an oversized hat decorated with fruit, a Belle Époque hat worthy of any mad hatter. Why was her hat so big? Why, so that there was room for her to tuck her hair up into the hat, much as people with dreads often do, today.

Aline Vallendrini's opera career spanned nearly 30 years. After studying at the Paris Conservatory, she debuted at the Opéra-Comique in 1904.

You can hear her lovely soprano in a 1912 recording of "Caro Nome" from Rigoletto on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sKKZdbjWI3M

We found details of Vallendrini's life at the following websites:

http://forgottenoperasingers.blogspot.com/2013/07/aline-vallandri-soprano-paris-1878.html

http://community.fortunecity.ws/business/busseven/78/circa.html

http://emblah13.wordpress.com/2013/12/06/aline-vallandri-cantatrice-with-the-most-wonderful-hair-in-europe/

It was at the last of these websites that we found the fifth image used in this post. This image is, of course, not for sale, but has only been used to show the length and beauty of Vallendrini's hair.

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A lovely card in very nice condition. The corners and edge of the card show minor wear, and there is a slight stamp residue in the lower right 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, 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!

9.00 USD

Great Reutlinger image of one of our favorite Belle Époque dancers, Mlle. Lucy Gerard. This image has received a classic Art Nouveau treatment in which Mlle. Gerard was separated from the background by white space and decorative designs were added, including a diagonal ribbon and a turned up corner. Lots of fun, and very typical of the Belle Époque era.

Leopold Reutlinger was a prolific photographer with a wide range of subjects who was very respected in the field of photography. His images included artistic sets and costumes, as seen here, portraits of theatrical performers and the cream of society, and advertising shots. By the time this image was taken, circa 1900 and definitely before 1904 when divided backs came into use, Leopold Reutlinger had been the proprietor of Reutlinger Studio for about ten years; the studio itself, however, had been in existence far longer, having been founded by Leopold's uncle, Charles Reutlinger and passed through Emile Reutlinger, Charles' brother and Leopold's father, before coming to Leopold.

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This is a sweet unposted card with minor wear to edges and corners. There is a noticable crease in the bottom 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, 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

This is a particularly interesting risque postcard using the ubiquitous hand mirror prop, and although the card itself has seen better days and shows its age, the quality of light and contrast in the image is quite beautiful. It is also a rare card, not because it is a Jean Agelou image (though these are scarce enough), but because this particular card is quite possibly one of a kind!

Jean Agelou was a renowned master of the "French Postcard," and some of his images have become quite hard to find.

This particular card is a rare American bootleg on an old Kodak AZO RPPC photo sheet. The AZO stamp box in the upper right corner of the backside has four triangles pointing up, which dates this early card to sometime between 1904 and 1918.

This is obviously a bootleg version of the original Agelou card, produced in the studio of some enterprising American. Agelou's J.A. logo is partially visible in the bottom right of the image, beneath the table (see image crop).

We would hazard that an American picked up an original version of this postcard while in France, or that it was mailed to him by a friend in France. Then, in his workshop, he made a photograph of the original card. The image was then cropped (as we can see by the cut off J.A. logo at the bottom right edge) from that new negative, and printed on Kodak paper.

Because this bootleg was produced in Agelou's time, in fact quite possibly within a year, or so, of its French printing, it traces for us the transatlantic migration of this French image to the United States. For this reason, though it is still just an American reprint of an original French card, it should be of particular historical interest to collectors and scholars in this narrow field.

There is some wear to edges, corners, and surface. 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

In wonderful condition, this is a card out of a very popular series published by A. Noyer, and photographed by the "notorious" Jean Agelou. The lovely model, with her dark, Mediterranean eyes, is one of our favorites, though we have yet to learn her name. Images out of this series were circulated widely, often with printed holiday greetings and such, overlaid onto the images.

Agelou also used this model in a number of "steamy" nude and risque photographs.

Our fourth image in this listing is of a card also for sale (in our shop's "risque" section), though not for sale in "this" listing. Only the hand-colored image of the young lady in the lace gown and feathered hat is offered in this listing.

We are showing this risque image, in order to point out the use of props (chair, table,vase, trompe l'oeil), that are identical to those being used in the non-risque card. This serves to point out that our card is an unidentified Agelou image, and also that Agelou used the same studio for the production of both his risque/nude images, and those non-risque images that presumably reached a far broader audience. We have also run across these props in a number of other identified Agelou images.

Also, this may not be obvious at first viewing, but the model, in both images, is the same young woman. Though the risque image is a profile shot, and so somewhat misleading in features, note the beauty mark, or mole, and the bracelets (two on the left arm, one on the right).

I guess it is little details like this that we often find the most rewarding in our work, little pieces of a big picture that, coming together, provide us with a clearer perspective of the whole.

Jean Agelou was born in Alexandria Egypt, to French parents, in 1878. Active as a photographer in France from at least the early 1900s, he is best known today for his risque "french postcards."

He and his brother George also produced "legitimate" work, but his nude postcards are often marked with JA , or sometimes GA, for George Agelou, though we've read in a few places that George was not, himself, the photographer, but only handled the business end of their partnership.

As this card shows, Agelou also published with Alfred Noyer, one of the giants of the French postcard industry.

Jean Agelou, and his brother George, both died as a result of an automobile accident, in 1921.

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

So cute!!! Charming hand-tinted card. Full disclosure, this card is often referred to as "Rare," and because of the cute little furry fellow, sometimes commands very high prices. Well, as far as we can tell, it really isn't all that rare, probably because it was bound to be a very popular image in its day, and therefore widely published. 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!

7.00 USD

Pray to the moon when she is round
Luck with you shall then abound
What you seek shall then be found
In sea, or sky, or solid ground

Violette Loupinaude loved wandering through the ancient forest near the chateau, particularly on full moon nights when the moon's pale light turned the trees to silver and she could feel the blood racing hot through her veins...

Now you tell one :)
A lovely card, circa 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!

16.00 USD

What eyes you have! :) And such a charming pageboy cut! Miss Livingston (1895-1984) was practically the most fatale of all the silent femmes (most respectful apologies to Miss Bara:), though unlike Theda Bara, she didn't find herself typecast, and also managed a successful transition to the talkies. Still, after marrying the very successful bandleader Paul Whiteman in the early 30's, she retired from film work. If you've never seen her play the part of the city woman in Murnau's "Sunrise," please do. She destroys the poor man in a most devastating way. The film is so heartbreaking, it almost stops being entertainment, but it certainly does Murnau (maker of "Nosferatu"), and all involved, considerable credit. Thanks to Wikipedia!

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

Mignon is an opéra comique (a genre of French opera featuring both spoken dialogue, and arias) written by Ambroise Thomas and first performed in Paris, in 1866. The opera was hugely popular, and its main character, a tragic Gypsy girl, set the public's imagination on fire. With the advent of the picture postcard, images of Mignon flooded the European and UK markets. You will find Mignon with horses, toddler Mignons, infant Mignons, and one of our favorites, the Esquimaux Cat Mignon (yep, this one actually does dress a little kitty up in an Eskimo costume, and equip it with Mignon accoutrements! :). Often, whole sets of several cards depicting scenes from the story were published.

In this woodland image, Mignon appears to be standing on one leg, with the other tucked under or behind her, while she plucks her mandolin. We speculate that in the process of hand-tinting, her "missing" leg was hidden by a slightly heavy-handed application of shadow.

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This card has minor wear to edges and corners. A message in violet ink has been written on the reverse. 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!

14.00 USD

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

In the late 1910s and 20s, Andreina Rossi performed on both the stage and screen. We have come across many wonderful images of her, but not a lot of history. Magnificent image by Vettori of Bologna, circa 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!

12.00 USD

Great Reutlinger image of one of our favorite Belle Epoque dancers, Mlle. Lucy. Clearly a previous owner of this card was an enthusiastic fan, and decided to add a few Art Nouveau style decorations with gold paint. We have to say that their own personal touches do not detract, but add to the charm of this image.
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

Welcome to our "Am I Bleu" section, in which we celebrate the dramatically colored, blue-tinted French postcard of the 1920s. To get you in the mood, follow the link below to enjoy a Youtube clip of Hoagy Carmichael and Lauren Bacall performing the 1929 hit "Am I Blue," in the 1944 hit movie, "To Have and Have Not," starring Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C1vJ2Z8aI0

The back of the card reads, A lovely and happy party to my dear Sis, Marie. We love it. Never encountered the word Soeurette before, the diminutive of sister. Language is so great....how in some of them, the diminutive is longer than the word itself!
Anyway, perfectly brilliant card. One of our favorite sort. Just love this kind of coloration, and though we do love the Bleuet cards, Noyer is simply incomparable. Fine condition too.


Great Reutlinger image of one of our favorite Belle Epoque dancers, Mlle. Lucy. Clearly a previous owner of this card was an enthusiastic fan, and decided to add a few Art Nouveau style decorations with gold paint. We have to say that their own personal touches do not detract, but add to the charm of this image.
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!

8.00 USD

Romantic image from series of 12 cards telling the story of Saint Joan. This image shows her being received by the, as yet uncrowned, King Charles VII of France. It was at this meeting that he charged her with bringing relief to the siege of Orléans, a move which resulted in a lifting of the siege within nine days.

An account of what took place was later recorded by Burgundian Georges Chastellain, a contemporary of Joan of Arc's

"Then the Maid [Joan of Arc], surpassing the nature of a woman, took on a great force, and took much pain to save her company from defeat, remaining behind as the leader and as the bravest of the troop. But there fortune permitted for the end of her glory and for the last time that she would ever carry arms. An archer, a rough and very sour man, full of much spite because a woman, who so much had been spoken about, should have defeated so many brave men, as she had done, grabbed the edge of her cloth-of-gold doublet, and threw her from her horse flat to the ground."

Thanks Wikipedia!

A very colorful and picturesque image. We have other cards in this series which we have not yet listed; if you are looking for more in this series, send us a convo.

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This enchanting card of the quixotic Joan of Arc is unposted, with very minor wear to edges and corners, and a small crease in the top 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, 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!

7.00 USD

Brilliantly hand-tinted portrait shot of a young flapper wearing pearls and in the process of attaching flowers to the collar of her dress. The words Bonne Année are embossed in the top left corner, wishing the receiver a good year. A message in an elegant hand is written on the reverse.

The Etiole marque (trans. star mark) appears in the bottom left corner. If you are a vintage photograph and postcard enthusiast, who shares our interest in Parisian music hall performers and their postcard images, you may have noticed a star in the bottom corner of some of your favorite postcards. This is the production mark of Monsieur G. Piprot, who operated a postcard production company out of number 2 Rue de l'Amsterdam in Paris. He made use of a process called emaillographie, which like the process oranotypie was intended to add depth and clarity to the postcard print. The great Walery, Nadar, and many other famous Parisian photographers of the time were often published by M. Piprot under his star label.

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This card has 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!

33.00 USD

Wonderful! It is not often we are lucky enough to get in a classic "French Postcard" in such near immaculate condition!

Of course, most of the cards we sell on Red Poulaine happen to be, in fact, French postcards, in that they were actually published in France, but the term "French Postcard" was also one often used to euphemistically describe the very popular nude, and risque, postcards of the time, whether they were published in France, or elsewhere, hence our quotation marks.

In fact, these cards were quite probably responsible, in large part, for the popular notion that France was particularly libertine in its attitudes, a notion brought back to the U.S.A.(along with thousands of these cards), by young American soldiers who fought in France during WWI.

This idea stayed with us for generations, and is very evident in our entertainment, and advertising. A great example of this would be the song, "Wake Up Little Susie," a number one hit, recorded by the Everly Brothers back in the late 1950s, and kept popular for decades by later recording artists like Simon and Garfunkel and the Grateful Dead. In that song, a young man asks his girlfriend how they will overcome the damage to their reputations after having fallen asleep (apparently for several hours), at the drive-in theater, during a particularly boring movie. He asks her, "What'll we tell our friends when they say ""Ooh la-la,"" Wake up little Susie..."
And to this day, the phrase, "Ooh la-la," accompanied by a raising of the eyebrows, suggests...well....it's suggestive. :)

However, we should also mention here (for the sake of etymological accuracy) , that in France, the phrase is actually "Oh la-la," not "Ooh," and that it is an exclamation of upset, or consternation, and not in the least bit risque!

Incidentally, this song was banned in Boston, and elsewhere, during the height of its popularity, when, even though (according to the story the lyrics tell), the two youngsters had not actually done anything but fall asleep in a car, authorities found its content too objectionable for the airwaves. Thanks for that little gem, Wikipedia!

Extremely minor wear to corners, almost unnoticeable. No apparent wear otherwise. The model is one of our favorites from the period. We are given to understand that her name was Brianna, but we have that from one website only, and we've not been able to gather any more history, although we have seen her clothed, on some of the more ordinary "glamor" cards of the 1920s. Some of her earliest nude images appear to date back to the 1910s. Although there is nothing particularly inventive about this pose, the sheer covering is draped in a wonderfully artful waterfall.
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

This Oslo born film star. Greta Nissen (1906-1982) began her career as a ballerina in Norway, then on to Broadway, and into the silent movies. She was relatively successful, and did make the transition to the talkies, but retired from the business in the 1930s. What we've been able to gather suggests that although she had the reputation of being quite a fine actress, her Norwegian accent was just a bit too heavy for the talkies in the US, and later in Britain.
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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

Sometimes we run across images that are just, well...alien! :) Lots of fun with a tambourine banjo. Wish we could be in the cafe concert to see this number. Photograph by the historically elusive Monsieur Ogerau (sometimes Ogereau) of Paris.
Nice unposted condition with minor bumps to corners. Some banjo fanatic out there is going to LOVE this one :)

Please examine our high res scans for detail.

Postage is for first class shipping in a secure photo mailer, and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, 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

Emmi (sometimes Emma) Kosáry (1889-1964) wearing a very mysterious costume style we never tire of seeing! The fourth image in this listing is of another woman wearing, in this case, "jodhpur" style pants with the same broad triangular thighs. Haven't yet learned anything about this fashion, but we LOVE it! Only the Emmi Kosáry image (in the hat) is for sale.

She is apparently costumed for the role of Gretel in the light opera, "A Pacsirta" or Where the Lark Sings.'

Miss Kosáry was quite popular in her native Hungary, in Vienna, and also traveled internationally, including two tours to the United States in the 20s.

Images of her have been very difficult for us to find.

Franz Lehár was an Hungarian composer, probably best known for "The Merry Widow," or "Die Lustige Witwe," quite possibly known to many of our frequent visitors because of the hat of the same name that was worn by the lead character in many of its performances (at least in the English version), and became "all the rage" for a decade, or so.

In the 1930s and 40s, F. Lehár's relationship with the Nazi party in Germany, and Hitler personally, was very controversial. His music was a favorite of Herr Hitler's, and apparently because of this, he was able to save his wife (and apparently tried to save others) from deportation and who knows what horrors, as she was a Jew, prior to her marriage to him, when she converted to his Roman Catholic faith.

A wonderful card, unusual too in its size, as it is about a half an inch smaller all 'round than a typical postcard. We wondered if this might have been a paper saving issue put in practice during the war.

We can't effectively date the card as the postmark is very muddled, but the lovely Hungarian stamp, sometimes known as "The Harvesters," was produced in 1916/17, so it fits closely with the year of the musical's opening as reported on Wikipedia.

To hear a waltz from the operetta, follow below link to Youtube!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXgdL5MmiYQ

To learn more about "The Merry Widow Hat" follow the link below!

http://prettycleverfilms.com/costume-design-film-fashion/merry-widow-hat-1907-1914/

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!