24.00 USD
"These the Queen of Spells drew in;
She spread a charm around the spot,
And, leaning graceful from the ethereal car,
Long did she gaze, and silently,
Upon the slumbering maid"
Taken entirely out of context from "Queen Mab," by Percy Bysshe Shelley :)
Jugenstil Epoche faux nude image, circa 1905/10. Photographer Henry Traut sometimes chose to contrast uncomfortable looking, rough cast or sculpted shapes, with the soft curves of his models, and to very good effect!.
The close-fitting elastic costume worn by the model in this wonderful series of cards by Henry Traut of Munich (1857-1940) came into popularity (though not in risque postcard images or public performances) in the United States during the mid 1800s.
The fashion of wearing tight-laced corsets (ubiquitous at that time) was viewed by many in the women's movement not only as unhealthy and potentially dangerous, but as yet another way in which women were held in thrall by an inflexible, patriarchal society. At the same moment in history, the movement toward the emancipation of slaves was coming to a head, and that cause was viewed by women activists as walking hand in hand with their own.
The introduction of elastic undergarments as a replacement for corsets found great support (excuse the pun :) among those women, and these garments were given names like liberty suit, emancipation suit, or union suit, associating the garment with personal emancipation, a woman's right to make decisions regarding her own body, its health and appearance, and the "Union" side in the Civil War, which was fought, in large part, over the issue of emancipation. These garments became a personal statement made quietly, a choice, or determination, that was worn underneath one's exterior clothing, so that the wearer was safe from the sort of ridicule suffered by many who went "against the grain" publicly.
So, what we have come to think of as a union suit, that funny, old-fashioned, red woolen get up with the tent-flap backdoor that is worn by gnarled and be-whiskered prospectors in period films, was not originally designed for men at all, but for women.
In 1900, Oneita, a major manufacturer of the "elastic ribbed union suit" advertised their "Venus," trimmed with silk ribbon and mother of pearl buttons, using images of a shapely gal posing on a pedestal, like the statue of a goddess, and very much like many of the risque faux nude postcards we sell in our shop. It's just a little ironic that a costume worn in images that sometimes seem to objectify the female form, originated out of the women's movement, and as an expression of practical feminism!
A wonderful card, beautifully done, and like most of our images, with a wealth of history behind it! As with most of them, it is the image that piques our curiosity, but its history that holds our fascination. Please examine our high res scans for detail.
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!