18.00 USD
Cleo de Merode, is possibly the most well known dancer of the Belle Epoque outside of Mata Hari. Certainly she was the postcard queen of the era, and took great care with the images of her, making careful use of the medium to help promote her public recognition. Her postcard images are some of the most sought after and often the most expensive of all the "artistes." This one is a very lovely profile image by Leopold Reutlinger. The signature at the base of the card, though as far as we have determined, is very like her actual signature, is almost certainly NOT an actual autograph! We want to be very clear on this, as we sometimes get signed cards in the shop and it's very important to distinguish between what probably is, and probably is not. In this case, of all the artistes of the era, we don't believe anyone appeared on as many postcards bearing "authentic reproduction" signatures as Mlle. de Merode, the runner up in that contest being, probably, La Belle Otero. In Mlle. de Merode's case, the faux signature almost always appears in this same location on the card.
We did have what we believe to be an authentically autographed image of her, sold some time ago, but if you'd like to see it, and read why we are convinced as to its authenticity, follow the link below.
https://www.etsy.com/transaction/119361638
The card is in very nice condition overall, with minor edge wear, and slightly rounded 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!