26.00 USD

The girls who attended Miss Gray's Academy of Dance Summer Camp, found the place a bit dismal at first. Located 12 miles out highway 19, near Murky Island Swamp, the facilities were a little spooky, and the close-mouthed locals down at the general store shunned the place, seeming to treat the newcomers with unfriendly suspicion.

Still, the attendees had taken the "Miss Gray Sacred Oath," that they would sacrifice all for art, and back in those days, one's word counted for something, so they all gave it their best.

And it seemed worth it too. After only three weeks of steady practice, a lean diet, and regular doses of Miss Gray's secret elixir, the girls were amazed at their progress. Our RPPC shows them still in their larval stage, and certainly gives us an idea of where they were then, Just look at them...lighter than air...fluttering about...So precious.

Tragic, the way it turned out though. Our fourth image for this listing (not for sale) is an untouched photograph of Nellie Mae Ferguson, one of Miss Gray's best students. The photo was taken following her final transformation, and just a few days before her capture by local sheriff's deputies. What a terrible shame. Hermione Gray's name echoes through the halls of infamy. That fiendish woman!
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!

24.00 USD

This is a beautiful and difficult to find full length portrait of La Cavalieri, attributed to Aimé Dupont of New York City. Following the success of her Paris performances in Umberto Giordano's opera, "Fedora," in which she starred opposite the great tenor, Enrico Caruso, Cavalieri traveled with Caruso across the Atlantic to New York City where, in 1906, she repeated that success with the Metropolitan Opera Company. She would remain with the "Met" for two more seasons.

A couple of interesting points: First, in 1906, the year la Cavalieri traveled to New York, the Met underwent changes that resulted, for one thing, in the hiring of their own photographer, so we can probably date this portrait to 1906, since prior to that reorganization, the Dupont studio handled most of that work.

Also, Aimé Dupont himself, had passed away in 1900, so this portrait was probably taken by Dupont's American wife (now widow), Etta Greer, a celebrated photographer in her own right, who had developed a reputation years before, while living in Paris, for her portraits of Opera singers. Since Dupont's death, Mme. Greer had maintained the Dupont studio.

On the back of the card we see that it was printed in Germany, like so many postcards of the period, and was apparently published by the New York offices of Breitkopf & Härtel, a sheet music publisher founded in Leipzig, in 1719, making it the oldest such publisher in the world.

It is quite something to imagine those two famous opera stars, Cavalieri and Caruso onstage together at the Met. First, La Cavalieri, orphaned at an early age, and running away as a teenager from her strict Catholic orphanage, to become first, a cafe singer, and only after great effort, and only six years since her operatic debut in Pagliacci, to find herself on that famous stage. And then, the great Caruso, himself from a background so humble that it was not until he was 18 years old, employed, like Cavalieri, as a poor cafe singer, that he was able to afford his first new pair of shoes. That the two of them should have come so far :)

A wonderful image of the very beautiful Lina Cavalieri, 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!

47.00 USD

Gorgeous image of Anastasia Vyaltseva, mezzo soprano, who according to our research was the most popular singer in the Russian Empire during the early 1900s. She was so very charming. Her life story is as romantic an account as any we've ever run across, and we definitely recommend that you follow the below link to the Wikipedia article:

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

The next two links are to two wonderful songs she recorded, that you can hear on Youtube: Please don't miss them!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qr6b8pWZKFI

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

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

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

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

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

22.00 USD

So, we're bending our typical criteria for card listing here. First, we don't list very many images of children, since the predominance of theatrical and glamor portraits in our stock draws a customer base that is less interested in collecting images of children. And second, we rarely list cards in our shop that were produced any later than the 1930s. But just look at this image :) Okay, well, we have five (yes five! :) wonderful sons, so maybe we're a little biased in terms of the subject, but beyond that, how about that gorgeous pedal car!!!

A wonderful card, from what is now Serbia, but what was then Yugoslavia. Well, perhaps Yugoslavia, since Yugoslavia was invaded by the Axis powers in 1941, the year before this photo was taken, and consequently splintered into a few differently named regions. And this is certainly a part of what makes this image so precious for us, its poignance.

To see these two beautiful little ones, the older of the two perhaps just a little put out at being relegated to the back seat, and both little boys posing for this image in an innocent moment, is charming, to be sure, but a little difficult too, when we know that the early 1940s were an unbelievably horrific time for so many living in their country. The purges, the proliferation of concentration camps, the civil wars that tore the region of Yugoslavia apart in that period were so terrible.

A really wonderful 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, 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!

4.00 USD

A lovely, if simple, example of the flower framed Art Nouveau photo card of the period. Somewhat faded with age, and rounded in the corners, but overall, 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!

6.00 USD

At the turn of the 20th century, this style of card, with a small photo of a popular stage performer framed by a repetitive Art Nouveau design, was very popular. This card is a very typical example, and in nice, unposted condition. The artist is unidentified. 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

Ellaline Terriss (1871-1971) was a great favorite among English theater goers. She had a varied and very successful career. This photograph was taken when she played the part of Joan of Arc at London's Coliseum Theater, in April of 1911.

The magnificent suit of armor she is wearing in this image, was actually designed in 1910 by Sir Guy Laking, The Keeper of the King's Armoury (a post created by King Edward VII specifically for Sir Guy in 1902). The armor was then used in a number of productions on the British stage until 1916, when it was purchased by a private collector.

Then, by a circuitous route, and passing through the hands of a few owners, the costume was eventually worn by Jean Seberg, a young starlet discovered out of 18,000 hopeful teenagers, and cast as Joan of Arc in Otto Preminger's 1957 film adaptation of G.B. Shaw's "Saint Joan."

(Incidentally, Barbara Streisand was just one of the 18.000 girls who lost out to Miss Seberg in this contest. We kind of get that...I mean, we can't help but imagine her as Joan of Arc, and suddenly breaking into that cross-eyed funny face she is so famous for, and if she'd gotten the part, and gone down that very different road, what about "Funny Lady," etc.?). This is but one variety of very important question we puzzle out here at Red Poulaine each and every day, where we strive, through the hawking of antique postcards, to solve that age old question of humankind's place in relation to the universe. Very serious stuff!

In 2011, at a little over 100 years old, this suit of armor, having eventually found its way into the private collection of Hollywood star Debbie Reynolds, was sold by her at auction, bringing the unexpected sum of $46,125.00 dollars!

We usually try to compose a listing based on the life and work of the actor, or "artiste," pictured on the card, and hopefully, we'll write more about Miss Terriss on another occasion.

Sometimes we compose a listing based around the work of the photographer, or even the publisher, of the postcard.

This is the first time we've written a listing primarily about a costume! Wheee! That was fun :) Someone should write a screenplay of linked mini-dramas revolving around the armor's creation, the actors who wore it, the collectors who loved it, the two world wars it survived, etc. Okay, we don't generally tend to enjoy that kind of thing, but even so!

Link below to the great blog where we got our history on this wonderful costume:

http://docublogger.typepad.com/seberg/2012/02/seberg-st-joan-armor-outsells-day-streisand-garland-gable.html

A gorgeous 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!

30.00 USD

Regina Badet, and Phrynée

18.00 USD

Wonderful French Lingerie image from the 20s. Fashion history buffs love these images for the detail. We've had cards from this series before in the shop. The model is a favorite, so charming, and the swirly wall decoration is unmistakable.

So, what was the actual purpose of this card at the time of its printing? The jury is still out on that one. When we approach the question from the point of view of postcard collectors, the answer seems obvious. Beautiful woman in lovely lingerie, sexy pose, mirror image, often it is assumed that cards like this one, particularly those printed without defined postcard markings, were simply "men's trading cards" of the time (think pokemon :), probably packaged in series of six cards at the local stationary shop.

Well, that sounds very likely, but was this photograph taken only with that end goal in mind? We don't think so. When we dig deeper into these images, and go searching through theatrical and fashion periodicals of the time, we find some very interesting things.

For example: You know those wonderfully hand-tinted head shots from the 1920s of models in marvelous hats? Well, we've run across some of those same images in periodicals offering examples of that season's newest hat designs! What's more, two such photos were attributed to Henri Manuel!

The point is, that those photos were fashion shots taken by H. Manuel, and then turned into postcards after the fact, purchased probably by women who admired the newest fashion, and to take to their local milliner as an example of what they wanted made, or taken home, where they produced one like it, themselves.

In the case of "lingerie shots," these postcard images may have often been made from fashion magazine images of models in what were that season's lingerie!

What do you think? We are definitely interested in your opinions. Let us know!

A very nice card with a slight green stain in the upper center near edge.

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!

33.00 USD

Two lovely portraits of Anna Pavlova by the Georg Gerlach Company of Berlin. Beautifully hand colored, we really can't be sure on the date, but if you compare the fifth image in this listing (from our own collection and not listed for sale yet), which is from around 1911, to the two Gerlach profile images we are listing today, I think you'll agree that the Gerlach portraits appear to be from a decade, or so, later.

If there is any confusion over the spelling of her name at the base of these cards, please note that while English readers will be more familiar with the spelling "Pavlova," "Pawlowa," is the usual German spelling of her name, because in German, the letter v is pronounced as a hard f sound, as in "fire," while the German w, makes our v sound. Of course in Russian Cyrillic, her name looks (as Monty Python might remark), like "something completely different" :) Павлова.

Anna Pavlova (1881-1931) was probably the best known ballerina of her day. She danced for the Imperial Russian Ballet, and also Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. She was probably best known for her "Dying Swan," which she is pictured performing in our fifth (not for sale) image.

The first of the two portraits has a tiny nick (perhaps 1/16th of an inch) in the bottom edge on the far left side. Though not really visible from the front, there is visible, though minor, damage in that area on the back side, and we mention this so that extra care may be taken in handling and storage.

Now, just for fun, below are two links to sites offering recipes for what might be the most beloved dessert down under! This dessert, named after the great dancer Pavlova, is affectionately known as "Pav." It was, so the story goes, created in honor of a visit Anna Pavlova paid to that part of the world in the 1920s. As a point of contention, both New Zealand and Australia claim original authorship of this dessert, but we have wonderful customers in both of those countries, and absolutely refuse to get in the middle of this one :)

Often prepared as a holiday dessert, we plan to make one in a couple of weeks, with a spiced and liquor-heavy pineapple topping!

The first link is to a recipe/video on our absolutely most favoritest baking site, joyofbaking.com, while the second is said to have come from a New Zealand grandma, is very detailed, and gets great Kiwi reviews, so we'll draw upon Joyofbaking's video clarity, and Grandma's good old fashioned wisdom, when we put our own "Pav" together for this year's holiday feast!

http://www.joyofbaking.com/Pavlova.html

http://www.kiwiwise.co.nz/recipe/grandma-taylors-pavlova-recipe

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

It is true that we do not give the gentlemen equal time here at Red Poulaine, but occasionally a particularly dapper fellow can edge his way in :) Otto Storm was a silent film actor who made the transition to the talkies as well. He was born in what is now Serbia, what was then, Austro-Hungary, and did most of his work in Austria and Germany. Great image, printed in Vienna, probably in the late 1910s. 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, 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!

19.00 USD

So sweet! Love the whole Art Nouveau preoccupation with the old world. Great stuff. The lovely young brunette playing the male part is holding the ancient double flute (called the Aulos, in ancient Greece), which Plato associated with the ecstatic cults of Dionysus! (thank you Wikipediia!) Click once on the image to get a nice close up. Great resolution, and these two were So charming. Minor corner and edge wear with a couple of tiny creases in 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!

11.00 USD

We've had this card for nearly a year, as an image of an unidentified actress, and just today we managed, by following the name "Daligny" written on the reverse of the card, to find another image of this woman, whose name, we now know, was Suzanne Daligny, but we have not found any information on her, whatsoever. Still...what a hat! 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

Wait...just a moment please...I have to wipe the steam from my glasses :)

Gorgeous still image with Gunnar Tolnaes and Lilly Jacobsson in the 1917 Danish film, "The Maharaja's Favorite Wife."

Below is a link to IMDB, where you can read a really detailed and entertaining review of this film by someone who saw it recently.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0129219/

Great costumes, great pose, a wonderful unposted card in very nice condition. Reverse bears the imprint of trade cartel NBC in the triangle, the Neue Bromsilber Convention, and an old price written in beneath it.
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

Born in 1892, in St. Petersburg, Russia, Sandra Milovanoff was a classically trained ballerina who studied her art in Russia, joined the company of the great Anna Pavlova, and toured the capitals of Europe. In 1917, finding the politics at home unbearable, she left Russia for Monte Carlo. In France, she met with success as an actress in silent film, but never made a successful transition to the talkies. She passed away in Paris, in 1957.

Below, we offer a link to a Youtube clip from her 1923 film, "La Legende de Soeur Beatrix." It is a chance to see her at the height of her career, and well worth watching, though it is not a good print and there is no sound. It is a dramatic religious fantasy. based upon an opera by the same name, screenplay by Maurice Maeterlinck (The Blue Bird).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX4dHZxxaqs

A very nice card produced by Cinemagazine, who turned out portrait images of really wonderful quality. 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 occasionally 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

This card is just so delightful :) The young lady is attired in a wonderful dress with her hair done up in that classic Belle Epoque fashion, and with flowers at the temples, and her young man with his magnificent mustaches. When we first got a hold of this card, we thought, 'Wow, early roller skate image! This is really something! Then we did a bit of research, and discovered that roller skates, in one form or another (very much including "in-lines" by the way), have been around for a very long time. Of course we might have known better the history of the damn things, had the getting up in roller skates, for Red, ever been anything more than a very expedient method of sitting down quickly! :) In any case, even if it lacks any real historical importance, this is a charming, charming card.
On the reverse side, a young lady named Marie, composed quite a lengthy message to her parents. Once again, we regret we are not fluent in French. Trying to piece together text in a language you know little of is hard enough when it's typewritten, but cursive script adds a couple of degrees of challenge onto that, and we seldom have the patience for it. If you do, let us know what she had to say! Dated 1911, and 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!

19.00 USD

Leopold Reutlinger of Paris shot this lovely portrait of Mlle. Lea Piron, circa 1905. Brilliantly hand-tinted, we don't tend to think of colors quite as fluorescent as these being used in those days.
Mlle. Piron is one of far too many performers of that period who, though they left behind footprints in the shape of postcard images, do not have any accessible history. We know she was a dancer who performed in a number of ballets. Her image graced the cover of Le Theatre magazine many times, but we haven't been able to locate any articles...only lovely images. She also appeared in several silent films between 1914 and 1922. "Le Chevalier du Maison Rouge" was one, 1914, in which she played the part of the queen, Marie Antoinette, in this film based on a novel of grande heroism and daring do by Alexandre Dumas, in which a courageous young man attempts to rescue the queen out of the yawning jaw of madame la guillotine. This film was screened, not too long ago, at the Bologna Film Festival, but no reviews were available.
Still, history or not, this is a wonderful card, unusually colored, and in fine condition.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.

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

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

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

14.00 USD

Wonderfully evocative image. The publisher, C.C.& C.C. was Charles Collas et Cie (and Company), Cognac, whose offices, for a time at least, were located at 100 de la Route de Pons in the Quartier Saint-Martin, Cognac.
Monsieur Collas is one of the great names in the history of the French postcard, and it might seem curious to some, when considering that the center of picture postcard printing in France was certainly Paris, that a big name in that industry would have been located in Cognac. Well, the answer is just that: cognac :) With the great popularity of the liquor, the producers needed gazillions of lovely labels to slap on those bottles, and so the typesetters and lithographers were never out of a job.
As the popularity of the picture postcard grew, Germany continued to take up most of the slack, but Paris got busy too, and then Monsieur Collas and others, already set up with a busy printing trade, began printing postcards in Cognac as well. In terms of collectibility, C.C.& C.C. has a very definite stream of followers.
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

"Don't fight it, Alicia," said Hény with an air of suave confidence. "It is so peacefully delicious. All your worries and cares, gone in an instant. You will soon realize how foolish it was, this hopeless struggle of the individual will."

I was shaken to the core, to hear those words coming from my dearest friend, Henriette, the fiercely independent girl who had, only months before, turned her back on family wealth and privilege to embrace a career in the modern field of radio, intent upon making her own way in the world.

"They" had come to Paris on the first fine day in April, blowing in on a light breeze scented with the blossoms of Spring. No one knew from where, exactly. Somehow, this race of beings had evolved in such a way that they were able to assume the appearance of hats. Light, warm, fuzzy, with hundreds of decorative, feathery, tendrils. But not merely decorative.They wriggled, yes, eerily so. And once in close proximity to a potential victim, these millinery monstrosities were somehow able to implant telepathically the definite impression that they were in vogue, stylish, and oh, so desirable.

The young ladies they targeted, always well situated members of the "smart set," struggled at first, but once these creatures fastened themselves onto their heads, even when their victims were convinced they would only be "trying them on," it was all over.

A fiendish plot, to be sure. But even as I struggled against the soothing words of the foul alien being that had taken over the brain of my closest childhood friend, I felt myself perversely drawn to the "thing" on the end table, that loathsome, hat-shaped, evil that Henriette had brought "for me."

And it seemed quite harmless, really...must fight...what was a little sentience in a hat? It's a very modern idea...No!...No!...After all, in my mother's day, they'd worn entire stuffed pheasants on their heads, and one needed only consider how very cute it was, and in a lovely shade of rose that would so cleverly match the shoes I'd bought only the week before...It seemed so reasonable...and I feel so very sleepy...so deliciously slee...

******

So stylish! At least we assume she was. Also, could she have been pregnant? And what about that darling coin purse on a long chain? We wonder if it was all the rage for a few weeks or months. We LOVE it!!!

This card has a lovely touch of silvering and a bit of wear to edges and corners, especially the bottom right corner, which is slightly crumpled. 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

Great image of Hedwig Reicher portraying Salome. Beautifully tinted Radium card. In a previous listing of another of her images, we described Fraulein Reicher as an opera singer. Our mistake. There was a famous German opera diva by that same name, but from a previous generation of performers.

This Hedwig, born in 1884, was an actress on the stage, and later in film as well. She was the daughter of Emanuel Reicher, a famous German character actor.

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

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

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

Thanks for that, Wikipedia!.

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

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

Really a lovely card! Please examine our high res scans for detail.

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

And please come visit our blog at:

redpoulaine.blogspot.com

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