Saturday, December 15, 2012

Announcing the Songs of Salome Collection

Today, Red Poulaine is unveiling the Songs of Salome Collection. This stunning ensemble brings together a choice assortment of luscious vintage postcards featuring Art Nouveau headdresses, jewelry, and costumes, with a special emphasis on the depiction of dangerous female seductresses and dancers, of whom Salome is a prime example.

The 1904 Richard Strauss opera Salome, itself based on a German translation of the 1891 Oscar Wilde play, Salomé (written in French to side-step British censorship), has been identified, along with French colonial interests in Africa and Asia, as one possible influence in the development of the oriental dance costume of La Belle Époque.

We here at Red Poulaine have worked very hard to find the most stunning vintage images we can, often spending many hours on any given day in this search. The temptation to hoard the most beautiful images for ourselves was actually the start of this collection, but we find our need to share these images overwhelms that impulse. Lucky you! Because this means that we are opening up a collection that, although small, may just be the most concentrated grouping of Art Nouveau femme fatales inspired by the opera Salome currently available.

And now, for the first time all together on one stage, and with no further ado, we bring you: the Songs of Salome.

Hedwig Reicher as Salome, circa 1905

Mary-Hett with Tiger Skin, Belle Epoque Artiste in Art Nouveau Costume, circa 1900

Dina Van-Brandt, Belle Epoque Artise in Art Nouveau Costume, circa 1905

Les Bijoux, Decorative Art Nouveau Image from Popular French Series, circa 1905

Louise Mante in Art Nouveau Costume, circa 1900

French Dancer Margot Dervilliers in Costume Orientale, circa 1905

Margot Dervilliers in Sheer Art Nouveau Dance Costume

French Artiste Laparcerie in Classic Art Nouveau Headress circa 1900

Art Nouveau Flowered Headdress circa 1900

French Artiste D'Alencon in Fantastic Art Nouveau Headress circa 1900

Mata Hari's Arch Rival Suzy Deguez circa 1905 by Paul Boyer

Frau Von Hochenburger, Jugendstil Epoche German Artiste, circa 1900

French Artiste Girard in Classical Art Nouveau Costume with Cameo Headdress circa 1905
Gerda Walde, Viennese Opera Singer in flowered Jugenstil Epoche Headdress, circa 1905

Parisian Dancer Hagino in Costume Orientale, circa 1905
Gorgeous Art Nouveau Card Featuring Heglon and Madia in Headdresses circa 1905

Mme. Heglon, Opera Star in Gorgeous Art Nouveau Headdress, circa 1900

Opera Diva L. Preusser in Costume for Konig Niccolo, circa 1905

La Floramye and Partenaire, circa 1905

Walery Image of Charming French Dancer in Costume Orientale, circa 1905

Mlle Lippson at the Cigale, in Hand-Tinted Art Nouveau Costume, circa 1905

Lise Fleuron, French Stage Performer, circa 1900

Lise Fleuron, French Stage Performer in Costume, circa 1900

Lotte Sarrow, Actress of the Jugendstil Epoche, as Salome, circa 1905

Louise Blot at the Olympia Theater in Berlin, circa 1905

Lucy Gerard, French Stage Actress in Art Nouveau Costume, circa 1905

Mlle. Margyll, Belle Epoque Artiste in Fabulous Art Nouveau Headdress, circa 1905

Mila Davire in Art Nouveau Headdress with Poppies, circa 1905

Miri Voclesca Danseuse Bohemienne circa 1905 by Louis Martin

Myrta Forenza in Classical Art Nouveau Costume, circa 1905

Stacia Napierkowska Russian Star of French Silent Film circa 1910s/20s

Nina Barkis in Wonderful Art Nouveau Costume Orientale, circa 1905

Very Cute Young Woman in Art Nouveau Dance Costume, circa 1905

Lovely Artiste with Sweet Smile in Art Nouveau Dance Costume.

La Belle Otero in Danse Orientale Costume circa 1905

Image of Salome circa 1910

Head Shot of Opera Diva Louise Mante in Gorgeous Art Nouveau Jewelry, circa 1900

Regina Badet in Marvelous Belle Epoque Dance Costume, circa 1905

Hedwig Reicher as Salome in Hand-Colored Image circa 1905

Sjemile Fatme, Odalisque to the Sultan, circa 1910

Cecile Sorel in Art Nouveau Costume, circa 1905

Mlle. Spinelli in Art Nouveau Dance Costume circa 1905

Ruth St. Radhjah, Belle Epoque Dancer and Adventuress in Meditative Pose

Mlle. Suquez in Classical Art Nouveau Costume with Lyre

Hand-Tinted Image of Charming Young Artiste in Art Nouveau Headdress circa 1905

Cute Belle Epoque Artiste in the Ubiquitous Peacock Crown, circa 1900
All postcards in this post are available for sale in the Red Poulaine shop on Etsy.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Featured Items: Dazzling Beauties

The currently featured items in Red Poulaine are postcards with portrait images of young women, all dazzling beauties.

This wonderful portrait in profile of young artiste Florence Cresby was taken at the truly fine, Scloss Studio of New York, (we don't believe we've ever seen an image of theirs which wasn't really grand), which is why we're guessing Flo was an American girl, but the card was published by SIP, or Societe Industrielle de Photographie, a wonderful French Publishing house which handled a lot of Reutlinger's work, among others. Which is why we're guessing she was performing in Paris :) What a beautiful young woman! What a marvelously concieved photograph! Card is in almost perfect, unposted condition with a tiny crease in bottom left corner. We so love it when we get lucky like this. Schloss studio date of 1899 in lower left quadrant. Graceful age discoloration, but otherwise, wow!

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE Florence Cresby, American Girl in Paris, 1899
Our next image is a beautiful portrait of the artiste D'Albray, her upturned eyes lending her a soulful expression. Her gown is decorated with a floral motif that reminds one of a medieval tapestry, and the large basketwork buttons at the corners of the squared neckline contribute to the effect. Perhaps she is portraying a princess awaiting her fairy godmother?

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE Mlle D'Albray Belle Epoque Artiste by Reutlinger, circa 1905
From Alfred Noyer's collectible and truly fine series, "Les Plus Belles Femmes de France," comes Le Rouge. Lovely profile portrait of a French woman of the 1910s, or 20s, beautifully coiffed and wearing thin gauze across her shoulders, and a necklace of tiny pearls.

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE Le Rouge, or, The Redhead, from Noyer's Les Plus Belles Series circa 1910s/20s
Probably published circa 1905, this French card, posted 1910, presents a lovely portrait of a young girl with flowers, a spirit of Spring. We don't know the girl's name, but we do know she is, you guessed it, a dazzling beauty.

AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE Sweet Child of Spring posted 1910