This post cabinet card era photograph features a very cute baby photographed by the Angelidis Studio in Paris, France. The photographer did an excellent job of posing this incredibly adorable child. The photograph measure 4″ x 5 1/2″.
GORGEOUS BORDER COLLIE SITS ON A BENCH IN PARIS, FRANCE
A beautiful border collie sits on a bench and cooperates wholeheartedly with a photographer. The bright eyed dog displays an “eager to please” expression. A basket of flowers sits beside the adorable pooch. This vintage real photo postcard was produced by Marque “Etoile” (Star Brand) of Paris, France. The postcard is marked V B C Series (N. 3746).
PORTRAIT OF A HANDSOME UNIFORMED FRENCH SOLDIER
This cabinet card portrait features a handsome French soldier in uniform. He appears to be an officer judging by the braids on his shoulder but I am uncertain of his rank. The photographer of this image is Eugene de Paris. Interestingly, Eugene was not actually located in Paris but instead operated his studio in Toulon, a city in southern France. Advertising on the reverse of the cabinet card indicates that Eugene de Paris won photography medals at the Exposition of 1873. This exposition was likely the World Exposition which was held in Vienna in 1873. SOLD
THEATER ACTRESS: MARIE LEGAULT
French theater actress, Marie Legault, is the subject of this cabinet card photograph by internationally acclaimed celebrity photographer Charles Reutlinger. This image was produced in Reutlinger’s Paris studio in 1880. To view other Reutlinger photographs, click on the category “Photographer: Reutlinger”. Marie Francoise (Maria) Legault (1858-1905) entered the Paris Conservatory in 1872. That same year she finished second in the comedy competition. She was just fourteen years old at the time. She was awarded a stipend to continue her studies and she won the competition the following year. During her theatrical career she appeared at a number of venues including the Gymnase, the Palais-Royal, the Vaudeville, the Comedie-Francaise, and the Theatre Michel in St. Petersburg. Legault created the role of Roxane in Rostand’s Cyrano de Bergerac (1872) and of Marie Louise in L’Aiglon (1900) with Sarah Bernhard. Her obituary appears in the New York Times (1905).
AN ANGEL IN PARIS (PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG GIRL BY CHARLES REUTLINGER)
This cabinet card photograph features a young girl posed to look like a cherub. This angelic child has wings and a whimsical expression. The photographer is Charles Reutlinger who operated a studio in Paris, France. Reutlinger was quite renowned, especially for the many wonderful portraits he produced featuring beautiful European actresses and dancers. To view other photographs by Reutlinger, click on the category “Photographer: Reutlinger”. I can not identify the “T” shaped band-aid looking object on the child’s right shoulder. Hopefully, a cabinet card gallery visitor will leave a comment explaining the mystery object.
“LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE” IN MUNICH, GERMANY
The young girl in this photograph looks like the American little girls who get all “dolled up” for beauty contests and the results of those efforts are that the girls look much older than their years. Writing on the reverse of this image indicates that the girl in the photograph is ten years old and is named Traudi. Fortunately, Traudi isn’t made up (cosmetically) to look inappropriately provocative like many of the contestants in the aforementioned beauty pageants. However, our “Little Miss Sunshine” looks well beyond her years in this photograph. According to the previous owner of this image, the subject is wearing a fancy “Rokoko” costume. She is also holding a fan. This cabinet card may or may not be an example of “Rokoko” fashion. I’m in way over my head. Fortunately, a number of visitors to the Cabinet Card Gallery are very knowledgeable about the history of fashion and hopefully they will leave a comment confirming or dispelling the Rokoko theory. By matter of explanation, (thank you Wikipedia), Rokoko refers to the late baroque periods artistic movement and style that had impact on fine arts architecture, decoration, interior design, and fashion. The movement developed in Paris, France, and was “more jocular, florid, and graceful” than the baroque influence. The photographer of this image is J. B. Hiebl and his studio was located in Munich, Germany.
ELISE DE VERE: PORTRAIT OF A BEAUTIFUL SOUBRETTE BY REUTLINGER
Elise De Vere was indeed a very pretty woman and her pose in this image can be described as risque. She poses in this cabinet card photograph for famed celebrity photographer, Charles Reutlinger. Reutlinger’s studio was located at 21 Boulevard in Paris, France. The photograph was published in 1899. Small print located at the bottom of the reverse of the card states R. Dechavannes. He may be in fact the actual photographer of the portrait. Perhaps the photograph was published by Reutlinger but not actually photographed by him. The facts concerning the role of Reutlinger and Dechavannes are not clear. To view other photographs by Dechavannes, click on the category “Photographer: Dechavannes”. To view other photographs by Reutlinger, click on the category “Photographer: Reutlinger”. Elise De Vere was an English actress/singer who performed in music halls and operas around 1900. The previous year she had won second place in a beauty contest at the Paris Olympia Theatre. She was described at the contest as a “Chanteuse Excentrique” (Eccentric Singer). Around 1900 she was a stage diva in Europe and America. In 1903-1904 she performed in the Flo Ziegfeld Broadway opera “Red Feather” which played at the Lyrical Theatre and then the Grand Opera Theatre. In announcing De Vere’s arrival in America to play in “Red Feather”, The New York Times (1903) writes that although she was a Parisienne, she spoke excellent English (shouldn’t have been a surprise, she was English). The article added that De Vere had recently learned to sing in German. In a later article, the New York Times (1903) labelled De Vere as a “Soubrette” in the “Red Feather”. A soubrette is a stock character in opera or theatre. A soubrette is frequently a comedic character who is often portrayed as vain, girlish, mischievous, gossipy and light hearted. SOLD
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
THREE GRADUATES POSE IN PARIS………………(PARIS, KENTUCKY)
Three young women pose for their graduation portrait in Paris, Kentucky. Judging their age by their appearance, the girls are likely graduating from high school or college. It is interesting to note that each girls graduation gown is slightly different from the others. It is also notable that there is no backdrop in this image; the photographer used curtains instead. Perhaps the photograph was taken outside of the photographer’s studio and he took the curtains with him to the site of the graduation. This image was produced by a photographer named Gibson. Research reveals no additional biographical information concerning Mr. Gibson.
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.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 