We were delighted to discover this wonderful silent movie footage of Renoir, as he paints. It appears that Renoir had a assistant who, similarly to a surgical assistant today, handed him his tools and cared for many of his needs while he painted. In this short clip, Renoir also chats with a man whose identity we do not know, but who might have been a client, patron, or friend.
Welcome to Red Poulaine's Musings. Here we hope to entertain and delight you with stories about the people and times from bygone eras and the vintage images that act as our windows into their times. Red Poulaine is a husband and wife joint enterprise on Etsy. We take pride in offering fine, interesting vintage items to our customers, while providing the best customer service possible. Please come visit us at http://www.etsy.com/shop/redpoulaine today.
Friday, September 28, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Welcome to Summerisle, circa 1920
For those of you who don't avidly watch every single Neo-Pagan horror movie ever exported from the UK since the 1940s, Summerisle is the fictional setting for the 1973 film, "The Wicker Man," which Christopher Lee (as he nearly always does), makes thoroughly worth seeing, in spite of almost everything else! :)
Anyway, leaving all that silliness aside, what a charming image! The lovely sepia tones, and less than perfectly clear resolution, only add to its hauntingly atmospheric allure. So sweet!
Right up until the moment one of those beautifully costumed young ladies, or that somewhat severe looking, while still rather sexy (in a kind of "dominant" way), boarding school headmistress, drops some hallucinogenic herbal tincture into your cup of Earl Grey tea, and they offer you up as a burnt sacrifice to ensure a bountiful harvest!!! Oh yeah! Like that's not going to happen!!!
***Please note*** severe looking, but still rather sexy, headmistress may not be visible in photograph, but is probably, even now, peering at you from behind a lace curtain in an upper story window.
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| AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE Angelic Schoolgirls at Summerisle School for Girls |
Right up until the moment one of those beautifully costumed young ladies, or that somewhat severe looking, while still rather sexy (in a kind of "dominant" way), boarding school headmistress, drops some hallucinogenic herbal tincture into your cup of Earl Grey tea, and they offer you up as a burnt sacrifice to ensure a bountiful harvest!!! Oh yeah! Like that's not going to happen!!!
***Please note*** severe looking, but still rather sexy, headmistress may not be visible in photograph, but is probably, even now, peering at you from behind a lace curtain in an upper story window.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Video Friday: The Year was 1912
This silent video footage from 1912 has been set to a recently-recorded musical score based on popular songs of that year. Panels displaying the lyrics of the music being played are interspersed with the video clips, and it's fun to note just how racy some of those lyrics are:
There's a wonderful moment at 4:02 in which we see a man and woman selling flowers on a crowded street. The man sits on a curb, a bucket of flowers between his feet, and the woman appears to be braiding some of flowers.
While much of the footage is street scenes, there are also some delightful clips of women showing off their fashionable finery. Some of them seem to be on stage, either in performances or in fashion shows, but others are in more casual settings and some, especially the younger women, seem to be simply showing off for their friends. There are even a few women who are clearly acting as hat models, one of whom looks distinctly nervous, which utterly charmed us.
Turn off your light, Mister Moon Man,It's not entirely clear whether all of the clips are from the same location, but the double decker buses and brief glimpses of signage suggest that at least some of the clips were shot in England. At 3:33 white flags with a cross can be seen fluttering from windows in the background of the scene; while these might be Finland's national flag (white with a blue cross), they might also be displaying a red St. George's Cross on a white field, which although used by several nations, and even a number of municipalities, seems suggestive of England, once more, possibly in connection with a celebration of Saint George's Day.
Go and hide your light behind a cloud,
Can't you see that couples want to spoon, man,
Two is company and three's a crowd....
There's a wonderful moment at 4:02 in which we see a man and woman selling flowers on a crowded street. The man sits on a curb, a bucket of flowers between his feet, and the woman appears to be braiding some of flowers.
While much of the footage is street scenes, there are also some delightful clips of women showing off their fashionable finery. Some of them seem to be on stage, either in performances or in fashion shows, but others are in more casual settings and some, especially the younger women, seem to be simply showing off for their friends. There are even a few women who are clearly acting as hat models, one of whom looks distinctly nervous, which utterly charmed us.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Monday, September 17, 2012
Pierrot's Origins Can Be Found in the Commedia dell'Arte
Pierrot's origins can be found in the Commedia dell'Arte, a 16th century theatrical movement of traveling players who performed (often with favorite "stock" characters) on temporary open air stages. The tragic opera Pagliacci (trans. players or clowns), by Ruggero Leoncavallo, premiered at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan on May 21, 1892. It is a tale of travelling players and features a romantic triangle with a Pierrot-like clown, who betrayed by his wife and a Harlequin-like fellow performer resorts to murder.
For a real treat, check out this performance of what is probably the most well known aria in Pagliacci, "Vesti la giubba," sung by Luciano Pavarotti, one of the great tenors of our time.
It was probably in the late 17th century that an Italian troupe known as Comedie-Italienne, while performing in Paris, first introduced Pierrot to the French public.
Pierrot is often depicted as the sad clown, the ever trusting innocent, the sweet-natured soul, whose lover Colombine (sometimes called Colombinette or Colombina) betrays him with the wily Harlequin. But, with the popularity of pantomime, he often stood alone on the stage trying oh, so very hard to express his experience of life, without the words to do so.
By the late 1880s, with the dawning of la Belle Époque, Pierrot was to meet a new friend, Pierrette, who would vie with Colombine for his affections.
Pierrot's image was a favorite of Jules Chéret, possibly the most successful commercial artist of the period. In the Fine Arts, the Impressionists, and Post-Impressionists were inspired by Pierrot.
It is not at all unusual to find wonderful photos and RPPCs (Real Photo Post Cards) of couples at Carnival, or fêtes, dressed as Pierrot and his ensemble. Sometimes, even whole families get into the act.
Publishers of French postcards made successful use of Pierrot to create romantic, silly, and sometimes mysterious images to please the picture postcard buying public.
We are so very fond of Pierrot, here at Red Poulaine, that he shares a section in our shop with another favorite of ours, Mignon. But, fair warning, when you find him in stock, if you are a collector, better grab him quickly, because he is a very popular character and, like the traveling players from whom he is descended, seldom stays long in one place.
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| Enrico Caruso, 1873-1921, in "Pagliacci,"c. 1908. Copyright by A. Dupont, N.Y. [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
It was probably in the late 17th century that an Italian troupe known as Comedie-Italienne, while performing in Paris, first introduced Pierrot to the French public.
Pierrot is often depicted as the sad clown, the ever trusting innocent, the sweet-natured soul, whose lover Colombine (sometimes called Colombinette or Colombina) betrays him with the wily Harlequin. But, with the popularity of pantomime, he often stood alone on the stage trying oh, so very hard to express his experience of life, without the words to do so.
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| SOLD Pierrot and Colombinette asleep on a crescent moon |
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| SOLD Pierrot wooing Colombine |
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| Paul Cézanne: Pierrot and Harlequin (1888, Oil on canvas) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
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| SOLD Pierrot, La Colère |
By the late 1880s, with the dawning of la Belle Époque, Pierrot was to meet a new friend, Pierrette, who would vie with Colombine for his affections.
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| SOLD Lily Damita, in a Pierrette-like costume |
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| Jules Chéret, 3rd panel of la Pantomime [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons |
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| Pablo Picasso, Arlequin a cheval, 1905, [Fair Use] via WikiPaintings |
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| SOLD Pierrot plays the mandolin for his Colombine |
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| SOLD Pierrot and family at a fête |
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| SOLD "Croissants de Lune" |
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| SOLD Pierrot hugging Colombine |
Friday, September 14, 2012
Mignon was an opéra comique written by Ambroise Thomas and first performed in Paris, in 1866. The opera was hugely popular, and its main character, a tragic Gypsy girl, set the public's imagination on fire.
With the advent of the picture postcard, images of Mignon flooded the European and UK markets. You will find Mignon with horses, toddler Mignon, infant Mignon, and one of my favorites, the Esquimaux Cat Mignon. Often, whole sets of several cards depicting scenes from the story were published.
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| SOLD Mignon, looking dreamy |
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| AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE Mignon, one of a set of two from Berlin |
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| Barefoot Mignon |
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Saharet, the India Rubber Lady
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| SOLD Saharet |
Beautiful and vivacious, she led a full and interesting life. We hope to share a more complete biographical post with our readers at some time in the future. Today, we are sharing this video of a 1905 silent film clip, showing Saharet dancing the Bolero.[3]
Note A shorter video of the same film clip, but with an added musical sound track, is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1crlXwGhXcM.
An interesting side note to the silent film clip shown in these videos is that it was directed by the Frenchwoman Alice Guy (married name Blanché), who was, according to IMDB, the first woman to become a film director.[4, 5]
[2] Saharet. n.d. In HAT-History of Australian Theatre. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from
http://www.hat-archive.com/Saharet.htm[3] Change Before Going Productions. (2012, April 28). Saharet performs the bolero (1905) - Alice Guy Blanche - Madame Saharet boléro. In YouTube. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uD0nJYf4Cg4
[4] Saharet, boléro. n.d. In IMDB. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1649402/
[5] Alice Guy. n.d. In IMDB. Retrieved September 13, 2012, from http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0349785/
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| Hot Pink Hand-Tinted Vintage Photograph of a Romantic Couple on a Beach |
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
(Almost) Wordless Wednesday: Miss Ivy Lillian Close circa 1910s
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| AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE Miss Ivy Lilian Close |
Gorgeous soulful image of Miss Ivy Lillian Close. She was first Miss Britain of 1908, then a stage actress, then a silent film star in those very early days.
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Monsieur G. Piprot, Postcard Producer and Photographer of the Misses Amy and Remple
If you are a vintage photograph and postcard enthusiast, who shares our interest in Parisian music hall performers and their postcard images, you may have noticed a star in the bottom corner of some of your favorite postcards. This is the production mark of Monsieur G. Piprot, who operated a postcard production company out of number 2 Rue de l'Amsterdam in Paris. He made use of a process called emaillographie, which like the process oranotypie (used by the prodigious Mr. Steglitz of Germany), was intended to add depth and clarity to the postcard print. The great Walery, Nadar, and many other famous Parisian photographers of the time were often published by M. Piprot under his star label. Not so common, were images actually photographed by G. Piprot, but we are lucky enough to have two such images, a pair of lovely stage performers, Miss Amy, and Miss Remple.
These two young women are dressed in charmingly matched off-the-shoulder costumes and each sports a long, gorgeously thick braid. The cards have been hand-tinted, and the close observer will note that the colored panels on Miss Amy's dress correspond to the uncolored panels on Miss Remple's, and vice versa, so that each image presents a clever counterpart of the other.
One fun fact about these two cards is that they were posted by the same individual, Mateo, to two different women living in the same household. Mateo inscribed each card in a lovely hand, using violet ink.
We can't help but speculate whether Mateo, unable to make up his mind, was courting two sisters, and to wonder what reaction the women had on receiving the cards.
Posted in Brussels, Belgium in 1906 by someone with a fine and carefully practiced hand.
We look forward to listing these in our shop.
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One fun fact about these two cards is that they were posted by the same individual, Mateo, to two different women living in the same household. Mateo inscribed each card in a lovely hand, using violet ink.
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| Reverse of Miss Amy's postcard |
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| Reverse of Miss Remple's postcard |
Two charming Oranotypes, (a process used in postcard production to maintain the depth and clarity of the photographic image), of a loving mother and her child. So sweet! The flowers in the hair are so expressive of the period. published by A.G. Steglitz in 1904.
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| Mother and Daughter Oranotype, Image 1 |
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| Mother and Daughter Oranotype, Image 2 |
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| Reverse of Mother and Daughter Oranotype, Image 1 |
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| Reverse of Mother and Daughter Oranotype, Image 2 |
Sunday, September 9, 2012
La Belle Otero, the Last of "Les Grandes Trois"
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| Santiago de Compostela |
It was while in Santiago de Compostela that,
tragically, ten year old Agustina was brutally raped, a hideous act that would
leave her physically incapable of conceiving a child.
By the early 1880's, Agustina, now fourteen, was already following the music in her heart. In the company of a
young man we know only as Paco, she traveled to Lisbon, where, with Paco as her
dancing partner, she began her career as a dancer and chanteuse. Youth and
inexperience stood in her way, but her beauty, vivacity, and natural ability worked in her
favor.
Popular history suggests that shortly after
establishing herself in Lisbon, and while still only fourteen years old, the
young dancer made her first conquest as a courtesan, first enchanting, and then
marrying a Count Guglielmo, who whisked her away from poverty and, presumably,
away from Paco as well. With the new social standing gained by this marriage,
Agustina was said to have met with greater opportunities for advancement. That
is certainly one version of her story, though if it is true, how she ended up
still singing in cafes at 18 and 19 is difficult to explain. We do know that
she eventually met a "friend" with enough money to take her to
Marseilles and, while there, to support her ambitions, and that from Marseilles
she made her way to Paris.
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| SOLD La Belle Otero, wearing a tambourine as a hat |
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| AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE La Belle Otero, photo by Reutlinger of Paris |
Once in Paris, and surrounding herself with the mystique of her new image, it wasn't long before she found work as a dancer in the Folies Bergère. Before long, she was the talk of that city of lights, a top billing attraction, and within a few short years, one of the most famous women in France.
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| The great Folies Bergère music hall |
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| Folies Bergère poster advertising La Belle Otero |
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| Casino de Paris poster advertising Liane de Pougy |
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| Folies Bergère poster advertising Emilienne d'Alençon |
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| SOLD Emilienne d'Alençon, one of Otero's rivals |
The fabulously costumed images of these stars of
the stage were available to all, on the faces of picture postcards, a new
medium whose "golden age" coincided with la Belle Époque. The
tantalizing photographic images of popular entertainers like La Belle Otero,
along with hundreds of others, offered for mere pennies, were visible in shop
windows in towns and cities all across Europe and available in kiosks
everywhere, in train stations, on street corners. By maintaining some control
over the rights to their images, some performers managed considerable profits
from the sales of these postcard images, as well.
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| SOLD La Belle Otero wearing a body stocking and a cape. |
By 1914, the magic of La Belle Epoque was fading away, its spell broken by the roar of cannon and the horrors of the "Great War." The picture postcard's vast popularity also faded amidst that chaos, never quite regaining its place of prominence in the hearts of the people.
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| WWI French propaganda image |
In 1965, at the age of 97, while living in a small one room apartment, in the Novelty Hotel in Nice, Caroline Otero died as a result of a heart attack. She was remembered by neighbors and acquaintances as often speaking of her past glories, and of that golden age, La Belle Époque, which in many ways had been typified by the lovely and celebrated La Belle Otero.
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| AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE La Belle Otero bids us "Adieu." |
We are fortunate to have additional postcards of La Belle Otero on their way, featuring photographs taken by the great Reutlinger of Paris. These beautiful images will be available in Red Poulaine in the near future.
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| La Belle Otero in an elaborately decorated gown |
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| La Belle Otero looking over her shoulder |
Fatmé Sjemile, Escapee from the Sultan's Harem
On 26 Sep 1913, a young woman stepped off the ship France and onto US soil. She was just one of 1,826 passengers on the ship. According to the ship’s manifest and the Ellis Island paperwork, she was born in Turkey. But, we can speculate that the accuracy of her birthplace might only have been as accurate as her reporting of it, since many people arrived at Ellis Island without birth certificates or other proofs of identity.
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| Steamship France, Photo source: The Statue of Liberty-Ellis Island Foundation, Inc. |
Although she was only 22, this lovely young woman had already achieved notoriety in the music halls of Paris. Now, possibly sensing the oncoming storm in Europe, or perhaps escaping more personal troubles, she was once more giving up the comforts and familiarity of her home in pursuit of a place where she could be free. Her name was Fatmé Sjemile, and she claimed she had been the favorite odalisque, or concubine, to the Sultan Abdul Hamid. Whether she was coming to America, as so many immigrants were, to avoid war or simply in search of a better life, or even fleeing agents of the Ottoman Empire, intent on capturing her and taking her back to the sultan’s palace, her spirit and determination were very much evident in the choices she made.
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| AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE Fatmé Sjemile, Supreme Dancer of the Sultan of Turkey |
At the turn of the twentieth century, Orientalism was at its height. French Colonial interests in the Mid-East, Asia, and North Africa offered inspiration to designers of Art Nouveau dress and jewelry. Mata Hari, a school teacher of Dutch origin, enthralled all of Europe with the fanciful Oriental image she had created for herself. In this postcard photograph, Fatmé wears a costume evocative of a 19th century Turkish dancing girl, precisely the image she wished to conjure for her audience. Even the texture of Fatmé’s hair is reminiscent of that of the Moss-Haired girls, the Circassian beauties, of P.T. Barnum’s invention fifty years before, who also were claimed to be harem girls escaped from Turkish sultans.
We cannot know whether this flamboyant beauty’s claims were true, but we can appreciate the romance of her story: the harem girl who escaped from the sultan’s palace, made her way down the steep and treacherous mountains of Turkey and across Europe, and upon her arrival in Paris fascinated audiences with her Oriental dancing.
Madge Lessing, photographed by C.J. Horner of Boston. Dressed fancifully as a page, or perhaps as Cupid, Madge appears to be leaning against a friendly tiger in a scene reminiscent of John R. Neill's illustrations to some of the later OZ books, in particular, those featuring the Hungry Tiger.
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| Madge Lessing & friend, photo by C.J. Horner of Boston |
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