CONCHITA GELABERT: BEAUTIFUL OPERA STAR IN PARIS, FRANCE

This cabinet card features the lovely Conchita Gelabert, soprano and operetta actress. Marie “Conchita” Gelabert was born in Madrid in 1857 and died in Paris in 1922. She was educated in the Paris Conservatory of Music. An article in the New York Times (1922) announced her death. She was described as a “Spanish Comic Opera singer. who for many years was one of the most celebrated of Paris stars”. The article states that Gelabert “died today alone and forgotten”. Apparently, she had left the stage in 1890 and went into seclusion for the rest of her life. The cause of her abandoning her career and becoming an isolate, was an unhappy love affair. The article credits Gelabert with creating many roles, including “The Beautiful Person”and “The Grand Mogul”. This portrait was photographed by Chalot and Company of Paris, France. Ms. Gelabert is a stage beauty with eyes and an expression that can best be described as playful. She is wearing an interesting hat and well adorned with jewelry. Her dress is a bit risque but by Paris standards, this is a tame photograph.  The photographer of this image, Isadore Alphonse Chalot was one of the subjects of an article appearing in the American Journal of Photography (1890). The article was entitled “Photographers in Paris- Their Studios and Workshops”.  SOLD

Published in: on March 27, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , ,

PRETTY DANCER DOES A SPLIT (UNUSUAL RISQUE POSE)

This photograph captures an attractive dancer in an unusual pose. She is doing a split, which is a very risque pose for this time era. The woman is likely a professional dancer but it is possible that she is just a very athletic, and provocative young lady. There is no identification available of the young woman or of the photographer and studio. Perhaps a visitor to the Cabinet Card Gallery will recognize the dancer and leave a comment concerning her identity.  SOLD

Published in: on December 20, 2011 at 12:01 am  Comments (2)  
Tags: ,

UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS WEARING A RAIN SLICKER HAT IN NEW YORK CITY

This cabinet card features a pretty young actress wearing, what appears to be, a rain slicker hat. The photograph is a bit risque for its time. The actress’s  neckline may not be plunging, but it leaves a lot uncovered. She was photographed at the studio of celebrity photographer, D. H. Anderson, in New York City.

Published in: on December 10, 2011 at 12:01 am  Comments (3)  
Tags: , ,

BOULLARD: RISQUE PORTRAIT OF A PERFORMER BY NEWSBOY

First of all, who is Boullard? After viewing this cabinet card, the logical guess is that she is a stage performer. However, research has failed to discover any biographical information about this scantily clad woman. This photo is risque for the era it was published; even though she is wearing a body stocking underneath her costume. The cabinet card was produced for Newsboy (New York), as part of a series of premiums offered with the purchase of Newsboy’s tobacco products. This cabinet card is number 122 in the series. To view other photographs by Newsboy, click on the category “Newsboy”.  UPDATE:     Further research turned up the following information about the mysterious actress that is the subject of this photograph. I can’t believe it took me three years to learn her first name.  America: A Journal for Americans (1890) announced the appearance of Miss Marie Boullard in “Flying Dancer” at the Chicago Opera House. Prior to this appearance she had been dancing at a theater in New York City.  (SOLD)

Published in: on November 14, 2011 at 12:01 am  Comments (3)  
Tags: , ,

WHO IS ACTRESS, ELLA CAMPBELL; AND WHERE IS THE REST OF HER DRESS?

Ella Campbell is a pretty woman. This cabinet card, photographed by The Sparks Photo-Publishing Company of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;  is quite risque for its era. The short outfit that Ms Campbell is wearing, exposes a lot more of her legs than one would expect. Perhaps there was a shortage of material available for her dress. That is not a likely explanation. More likely, the Sparks Company knew that a sexy photograph would increase sales of this image of a lesser known actress. Wait a second! Is this woman really  an actress named Ella Campbell? The only evidence available is the writing on the reverse of the card which states “Ella Campbell”. Research yields no information about an actress with this name. Further investigation is required. To view other photographs of actresses by Sparks, click on the category “Photographer: Sparks Photo Publishing Co.”.

Published in: on October 26, 2011 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , ,

PROVOCATIVE WOMAN ON A FAINTING COUCH IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

This cabinet card features a young smiling woman lying on a fainting couch. This image is quite risque for its time. The style and folds of the woman’s dress, her exposed feet, her smile and her body language all contribute to the provocativeness of this image. Fainting couches were popular in the 19th century and used predominately by woman. They are couches with a back that is traditionally raised at one end. There are two major theories as to why these type of couches became popular. The first theory was that some women wore their corsets so tight, that they restricted blood flow; causing fainting. This theory has pretty much been debunked. A second theory was that the couch was popular because many women of that time suffered from “female hysteria”. This medical condition caused symptoms that included faintness, nervousness, and insomnia. The illness was treated by “pelvic massage”. The couch was a great setting for hysterical woman to receive the treatment from visiting physicians and midwives. This female psychiatric illness sounds very much like an anxiety attack, and Xanax and Ativan seem to have replaced “pelvic massage” on a fainting couch. The photographer of this cabinet card was J. B. Wilson of Chicago, Illinois. To view other photographs by Wilson, click on the category “Photographer: Wilson (JB)”.  The subject of this photograph may have been an actress.

Published in: on September 6, 2011 at 2:06 pm  Comments (1)  
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

RISQUE PORTRAIT OF AN ALLURING WOMAN IN NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK BY JOSE MORA (ACTRESS JEFFREYS-LEWIS?)

This cabinet card features an alluring woman lying on a divan in a very provocative pose. Note the leopard skin on the divan. This woman is likely an actress. She appears to be dressed like she is part of a harem. Rather than an actress, she may be a member of a circus act. The photographer is the famous celebrity photographer, Jose Mora. This image is risque for the time that it was made. To view other photographs by Mora, click on the category “Photographer: Mora”.       ADDENDUM: An informed visitor to the cabinet card gallery has identified the subject of this cabinet card as being actress  Jeffreys-Lewis. See the comment below to learn the interesting details.

Published in: on August 15, 2011 at 12:01 am  Comments (4)  
Tags: , , , , , , ,

PORTRAIT OF AN UNIDENTIFIED ACTRESS

This pretty woman sat for this cabinet card portrait in the New York City studio of celebrity photographer, B. J. Falk. The photograph is a bit risque for its time. The young woman is showing her bare arms  and her shoulder is also exposed. To increase the sexual tension in this photograph, the actress is projecting  a “come hither look”. To view other photographs by Falk, click on the category “Photographer: Falk”.

Published in: on August 7, 2011 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
Tags: ,

HIGHLY RATED FRENCH PROSTITUTE, ALICE MAROT ON A WINDOW SILL IN PARIS, FRANCE

This cabinet card captures Alice Marot sitting on a window sill in Benque’s photographic studio in Paris, France. Alice Marot was a high class prostitute. She appeared in “The Pretty Women of Paris”, a privately printed guide to Paris’s best courtesans and prostitutes. The guide provided names, addresses, qualities, and faults for each women. According to the directory, Marot could be found a 4 Rue de Marigan. The guide describes Marot as a “sprightly fair, little whore” who had been quite lucky to rise above a checkered career on the provincial stages. When she came to Paris, she utilized the Palais Royal Theatre to enlarge the circle of her lovers. She was considered by other members of “the army of  cupid” to be a threat because she had a propensity to “tumble on her back” at all hours of the day and night. Benque’s studio was located at 33, Rue Boissy D’Anglas. M. M. Benque was a well known celebrity photographer.

Published in: on April 28, 2011 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

BEAUTIFUL AND FLAMBOYANT GERMAN WOMAN: BOUDOIR CARD PHOTOGRAPH

A very pretty and flamboyantly dressed woman poses for her photograph at the studio of E. Bieber. Bieber had two locations in Germany; Berlin and Hamburg. Emilie Bieber was a female German photographer who ran her Hamburg studio from 1852 through 1872 when she was joined by her nephew, Leonard Berlin-Bieber. Emilie Bieber died in 1884.  The beautiful woman in this image is dressed to the hilt. Her dress and hat are covered with flowers and feathers. Perhaps she is an actress which judging by her expression, pose, and dress; is a likely possibility.  This photograph is not  a standard sized cabinet card but instead is known as a Boudoir Card. The card is 8 1/2 x 5 1/4 inches. To view other photographs by the Bieber studio, click on the category “Photgrapher: Bieber”.

Published in: on April 15, 2010 at 12:01 am  Comments (2)  
Tags: , , ,
« Older Entries
Newer Entries »