IMAGE 1 (SOLD)
IMAGE 2 (SOLD)
“Madia! I’ve just met a girl named Madia. And suddenly that name. Will never be the same.” With apologies to Leonard Bernstein, I just couldn’t resist. Madia Borelli was a Belle Epoque Parisian dancer and actress. Borelli was one of the many Parisian stage performers, dancers, and theatrical beauties photographed by Leopold Reutlinger during the early 1900s. She was not a major international stars such as Cléo de Mérode or Cécile Sorel, but she is known from a number of postcard Reutlinger created. Reutlinger was one of the premier Paris studios for images of actresses, dancers, singers, and other performers.
Image 1 is a vintage real photo postcard featuring dancer Madia Borelli. She was a Parisian dancer and actress active in the early twentieth century. The photographer of this portrait of Miss Borelli was the famed photographer Leopold Reutlinger of Paris, France. The postcard was published by S.I.P., which is the Societe Industrielle de Photograpie of Rueil, France. The postcard is part of a series (no. 1239). (SOLD)
Image 2 is a striking risque vintage real photo postcard featuring Borelli, a Belle Époque Parisian dancer and actress, photographed by the famous Reutlinger studio of Paris. The postcard was published by S.I.P. (no.1339). This is a particularly beautiful and decorative theatrical postcard. Borelli is shown in an elaborate jeweled costume with an extraordinary crown-like headdress, large circular side ornaments, dangling jeweled chains, necklace ornaments, and richly decorated bodice. The image has attractive hand-coloring, especially the green and turquoise highlights in the jewels, which stand out dramatically against the dark background. Her serious expression and exotic stage costume give the portrait a very strong Belle Époque theatrical quality. The reverse of the card is postally used, with French stamps and a Grenoble postmark. The handwritten message is in French and the card was postmarked in 1906. This combination of Reutlinger photography, S.I.P. series numbering, postally used reverse, hand-coloring, and the highly ornate jeweled costume makes this a highly displayable card. (SOLD)
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THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
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