36.00 USD
This card is a special, special, treat! La Belle Oterita, who (we've only recently discovered) used to be billed as La Belle Otero's younger sister, was apparently dancing in Rio de Janeiro in September of 1906, when she received flowers from someone (presumably in the audience), and a request for a private audience.
In the message she wrote on the front of the card, in the violet ink so popular at that time, she thanked them for the beautiful flowers, and wrote that she would await their visit! Now that is fun!! This card then, was seemingly not purchased by an admirer at the theater, or in a shop, but one the dancer herself had delivered to her admirer, inviting them to her dressing room after the performance!
Was it a handsome gentleman? Would they perhaps have dinner together after the show? Or was it a young girl, an aspiring dancer, starstruck, and hoping for some professional advice? Who knows? Definitely a one of a kind card though, and we are very pleased to share it with you :)
La Belle Oterita has been one of our favorites for quite some time. Though we don't personally see any close resemblance, her cards have frequently been mistakenly listed as images of the much better known Belle (Caroline) Otero, and we used to wonder if this extraordinarily cute dancer had chosen the name Oterita ("Little Otero"), intentionally associating herself with Otero in order to further her career. Well, now we know that the answer to that question is yes! But perhaps for a very good reason.
Was she La Belle Otero's little sister? Why not? Caroline Otero had siblings, we know that, so it's certainly possible that a younger sister chose to follow in the famous dancer's footsteps. On the other hand, many performers have embellished their backgrounds in order to make themselves more fascinating to their audience, and it's seen not so much as a negative thing, as some dark deception, but rather as just another piece of "theater." :)
A wonderful image by Gerlach of Berlin, and a wonderfully personal connection with the artiste, herself!
Please examine our high res scans for detail.
The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully insured, first class, shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will refund the postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.
And please come visit our blog at:
redpoulaine.blogspot.com
where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!