This beautiful antique hand-colored photographic postcard, dating to the early 1900s, features an elegant young woman in profile, her hair arranged in an extraordinary Edwardian coiffure of elaborate curls and sweeping waves, complemented by a delicate lace-trimmed gown with green and pink accents. The photograph bears the imprint of Reutlinger, Paris, the celebrated French photographic studio renowned for its portraits of fashionable women and theatrical personalities during the Belle Époque. Across the front appears the Spanish advertising slogan “Los Cigarrillos Paris son los mejores,” meaning “Paris cigarettes are the best,” promoting the Cigarrillos París tobacco brand associated with a celebrated international advertising competition organized by Manuel Malagrida in 1901. The portrait also bears a stylized signature that appears to read “S. Avril,” most possibly identifying the featured performer, Suzanne Avril, who posed for may Reutlinger postcards. This is a wonderful example of early twentieth-century tobacco advertising that combines French photographic artistry, Edwardian fashion, and the elegance of the Belle Époque. This antique postcard is in good overall condition, with a small but noticeable diagonal surface crease in the upper-left quadrant and light corner and edge wear. This beautifully hand-colored image retains attractive detail and pleasing color, while the undivided reverse is unused (see scans).
This Vintage Real Photo Postcard is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $34.85 at auction
Interested collectors may view the listing here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/237171265155
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