Collection of 8 French cabaret postcards 1900s. Spectacle Belles de Nuit. Butterfly and flower performanceStebbing Paris

Description

La Belle Époque French Cabaret Belles de Nuit. 1900s
This is a collection of 8 scenes by Stebbing

Condition: Used before. Age patina but a good antique condition. Postmarks 1904.
Dimensions: about 9 cm x 14 cm (common measure for antique cards)
Technique: b/w photo print, hand colored, white dots, blue sparkle ink

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This list is for 8 ORIGINAL 1900s postcards, not a scan or facsimile.

Here the actresses appear as a butterfly and a flower (belle de nuit). The name of the spectacle refers to Belle de Nuit (Mirabilis Janapa), an American flower that is pollinated by Sphingidae butterfly at midnight.

While the Belle de Nuit flower is wearing classical ballet points, the Butterfly character uses satin heels for dancing. This detail is quite illustrative of how the choreography could be.Duets of actresses constituted another erotic claim at the time.

In France, Belles de Nuit is a way of referring to prostitutes. This name became fashionable during the Belle Époque and was used to refer to demimondaines throughout the 20th century. In popular culture, the name Belle de Nuit was revived for a famous 1933 film (starring Véra Jorène), the 2017 biopic on Grisélidis Réal, and René Clair’s fantasy film Les Belles de Nuit (Beauties of the Night) premiered in 1952.

Also the film Belle de Jour (1967) by Luis Buñuel plays with the name of a flower and the reference to prostitution. Belle de Jour was also the name of a blog in which a London prostitute narrated her experiences. In 2007 it became the storyline for the series Secret Diaries of a Call Girl, starring Billy Piper in the role of Belle.

The cards are exceptionally well colored with vibrant colors and white dot / blue-green sparkles to represent light over the stage.

🌠Exceptionally beautiful antique postcards collection. Hard to find 🌠

The cards will be shipped from Spain by airmail, you can choose tracking number postage if you prefer.
I will be happy answering any question. All sales are final.

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