18.00 USD
"A Parisian Model," was a very well liked Broadway musical produced by Florence Ziegfeld (of Ziegfeld's Follies fame) in 1906/07. You will notice that, on our card, it is referred to as "Anna Held's." Very good reason for this. She was the star of the show in every respect, and the public never did quite warm up to Flo Ziegfeld ( by all accounts, an inveterate con man, liar, four flusher, and all around no-goodnik :) as they did to his common-law wife, Miss Held.
On the other hand, if Mr. Show-business hitched his wagon to Anna Held's star (it was she, apparently, who gave him the idea of the "Follies" in the first place), it must be acknowledged that she hitched her wagon to his, that their stars rose side by side, and that they were a theatrical powerhouse of a couple who achieved fame together, even if history treats her more kindly.
As to the show, "A Parisian Model," The public loved it! Well, most of them, at any rate. Author Ethan Mordden, in his book "Ziegfeld: The Man Who Invented Show Business," quotes one member of the audience, a Reverend Madison J. Peter, as having said, "It's the most immoral spectacle ever put on a stage!" According to Mordden, it was one particular number, in which Anna Held danced the maxixe with Gertrude Hoffman, "making contortions and advances to her partner" that "aroused" (our quotes :) this minister's sense of moral outrage.
We can find very little history on the lovely actress pictured on our card. Miss Dorothy Bertrand undoubtedly gave a "stand-out" performance as a member of the ensemble cast, or she would probably not have rated her own postcard, and we find mention of her as a member of the chorus in other productions too, but nothing beyond that. How about that costume, though! And dimples!!! :)
Most of our research here at Red Poulaine takes us to Belle Epoque France, and we so love learning about that place and time, but being Americans, it is a particular treat when we get to follow one of our favorite stars, Mlle. Held, back across the Atlantic, and read reviews of her very popular show here in the states!
A very nice card, in very nice condition, with just the right amount of silvering on its surface to cast a magical aura over its relative antiquity :)
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!