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!