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Image 1 is a vintage postcard that features French actress Lucy Gerard (1872-1941). She appeared both on stage and in film. She began her stage career in 1888 at the Theatre de la Renaissance and continued her career in France through 1900. She was absent from the performance scene for quite awhile until she returned to the stage with a “new” name, Lucy Mareil. During her stint away from the stage, she became an antique dealer. Equipped with her new name, Gerard landed numerous roles in theater and cinema from 1911 to 1923. In The IMDb credits Gerard with 24 film roles. The IBDb reports that she appeared in one Broadway play, “A Night with the Pierrots / Sesostra / The Whirl of Society” (1912). Lucy Gerard was a very pretty actress and her photo on this postcard shows her in what appears to be a Middle Eastern costume. On the top left hand corner of the front of the card is the word “Vaudeville”. At the time that this photo was taken, Miss Gerard was appearing at the “Theatre du Vaudeville” in Paris. The photographer of this postcard photo was Charles Pierre Ogerau (1868-1908). He was a Frenchman and was considered an excellent photographer. He was also known to be an anarchist activist at the beginning of the twentieth century. Ogerau opened his photographic studio on boulevard Montmartre in around 1885. He specialized in photographing actresses and his subjects included Cleo de Merode and Emma Calve. This vintage postcard portrait is uncommon. (SOLD)
Image 2 is a Cabinet Card portrait of the Miss Girard. She looks beautiful in this photograph. She is dressed in a fancy gown. This photo was taken at the celebrated Reutlinger studio. The Reutlinger Photography Studio was opened by Charles Reutlinger in Paris in 1850. Reutlinger was of German descent. The studio took portraits of many of the world’s beautiful, rich and famous people of the era. In 1880, Charles’ brother, Emile (1825-1907) took over operation of the studio. He was joined by his son Leopold (1863-1937) in 1883. Leopold began running the studio in 1890 and operated the business until 1930 when he lost an eye in an accident involving a champagne cork. A stamp on the reverse of this cabinet card reveals that it was formerly owned by Culver Pictures of New York City, New York. Culver Pictures has been collecting photographs and illustrations from the 19th and first half of the 20th century, since 1926. These pictures are used in books, films, and other forms of media. At the time that this cabinet card was stamped by the company, Culver Pictures was located in New York City. (SOLD)
IMAGE 1 (SOLD)
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 