Black and white photographic postcard depicting a smiling Henri Salvador, his chin resting in his right hand.
A fine copy.
Signed autograph inscription by Henri Salvador in the upper left corner of the image.
Provenance: from the collection of noted autograph collector Claude Armand.
“In his cosmogony, every thing, every being—plant, animal or human—deserves the same respect. For all are confronted with the same iron law: solitude.” (Luc Desbenoit).
“Marc Trivier’s photographs write a tragedy of light, one that only receives beings—humans, trees, or beasts—by burning them, before disappearance.” (Xavier-Gilles, Le Monde Libertaire).
“After thirty-five years of photographic practice, of obsessions, perhaps what remains is this: a singular way of recording the burning of light, unfolding from one image to the next, a succession of propositions that resemble each other and yet each is as singular as the fraction of time to which it refers.” (Marc Trivier).
“Photography says only one thing: ‘It was.’ We fix only what has been. If there is a tragedy, it lies there.” (Marc Trivier)
“(...) rather than being one more portraitist of writers and artists, he sets himself apart through his method: under the pretext of adjustments, he makes his models wait, posing for several minutes, which gives them a weary look. He perhaps awaits a more natural behavior. And so we find ourselves before Francis Bacon in precarious balance, Samuel Beckett, Jean Dubuffet or Michel Foucault slumped more or less in their chairs. Intimate images.” (Sylvie Rousselle-Tellier, “Une image de fatigue chez Marc Trivier,” Marges, 2004).
“I was reading Genet; for me Genet was just letters on a page. Then one day I saw his portrait—it was like a fracture. How was it possible that these signs were also someone? To make a portrait is to rejoin the name and the face.” (Marc Trivier).
“What interested me was not simply photographing a body or a face, but that particular situation that is someone taking the photograph of someone else.” (Marc Trivier).
Portrait of Tsuguharu Foujita, original photograph on albumen paper. Blue stamp of the studio "Photographie Simon's, 40 rue de Passy, Paris" on the back of the print.
Splendid portrait inscribed by Foujita on his birthday: "A Lolotte Rabinovitz / Avec mes amitiés / Je suis toujours / prêt à toi [sic] / à Yoshinoya New York / ma fête 27 nov 1930". "To Lolotte Rabinovitz / With my friendship / I am always / close to you / at Yoshinoya New York / my birthday 27 Nov 1930".
Original photographic portrait of Sigmund Freud, in silver print made later by Engelman from the original negative.
After the Night of Broken Glass, the young Jewish photographer Edmund Engelman (1907-2000) fled to the United States leaving behind his precious but compromising negatives of his clandestine photography. He did not recover them until after the Second World War, in 1952, from the psychoanalyst's daughter Anna Freud.
Handwritten inscription signed by photographer Edmund Engelman in the lower margin of the photograph: “à Nadine Nimier Cordialement Edmund Engelman” (“To Nadine Nimier Sincerely Edmund Engelman”).
Nadine Nimier was the wife of the writer Roger Nimier. She hosted “Les après-midi de France Culture”, a show in which she received some well-known and highly respected psychoanalysts, namely Jacques Lacan and Françoise Dolto. It was on 20 January 1980 that she interviewed Edmund Engelman, then on a visit to Paris for the exhibition of his photographs at the Erval Gallery.
A beautiful portrait of the founder of psychoanalysis taken in May 1938, shortly before his departure from Vienna to London.
One hundred and six photographs were taken during Engelman's clandestine visit to Freud at 19 Berggasse in Vienna. Many of these photographs depicting the psychoanalyst's practice and art collection are known, but the artist only took a few portraits of the master. This photographic session was carried out at the request of August Aichhorn and bears witness to the last moments of the birthplace of psychoanalysis, a discipline from this point forward banned by the Nazi regime:
“On Sunday 13 March, a meeting of the management committee of the Viennese Psychoanalytical Society took place and two decisions were taken: all members of the Society must leave the country as quickly as possible and the headquarters of the Society must be at the place where Freud will settle.” (“August Aichhorn et la figure paternelle: fragments biographiques et cliniques” in Recherches en psychanalyse n° 1, 2004)
Edmund Engelman in his book entitled La Maison de Freud Berggasse 19 Vienne published in 1979 recounts:
“I remember both my excitement and my fear, that rainy morning of May 1938, as I walked through the deserted streets of Vienna towards 19, Berggasse. I carried my cameras, tripod, lenses and film in a small suitcase that seemed to get heavier with each step. I was convinced that anyone who saw me would know that I was going to see Dr Sigmund Freud, to accomplish a mission that the Nazis would not have appreciated. [...] I was afraid that there was not enough light to photograph the interior of Freud's house. Using flash or spotlights was out of the question as the Gestapo kept the house under constant surveillance. This unique document on the place where Freud had lived and worked over the past forty years, would have to be executed without arousing the slightest suspicion.
I feared for my own safety as for the lives of the Freuds, and did not want to compromise myself by a misstep when they were so close to leaving Vienna safe and sound. [...] One weekend in 1933, at the summer residence of a friend, outside of the city, I had the pleasure of meeting a certain August Aichhorn who was closely interested in the highly controversial field of psychoanalysis and was, to my keen curiosity, a close friend of the famous professor Freud. [...] We quickly became good friends. [...] He confided to me that Freud, after a terrible harassment (raid of his house by the Nazis, detention of his daughter Anna), had finally received permission to leave for London, thanks to the intervention of senior figures and foreign diplomats. The Freuds, he told me, would set out within ten days. The famous apartment and its offices would be disrupted by the move and the departure of the owners. We agreed that it would be of the greatest interest to the history of psychoanalysis to undertake a precious and detailed testimony of the place where it had been born, so that, according to the courageous expression of Aichhorn, “it would be possible to erect a museum when the storm of the years is over. [...] Knowing my interest and my quality as a photographer, he asked me if I felt able to take photographs of Freud's house. I was enthusiastic. [...] Above all, I was eager to know Freud who had then entrenched himself in his private life and had little relationship with the outside world.” (Engelman, La Maison de Freud Berggasse 19 Vienne, 1979)
The photographer then explained that Freud, very weakened by illness, was supposed to be absent during the photography session, however, “The next day – the third day – while I was about to take some complementary photographs of the office (experiencing there for the first time a feeling of routine), I heard small rapid footsteps approaching. It was Freud. He had changed his usual routine unexpectedly and, returning to his work room, he found me there. We looked at each other with equal astonishment. I was confused and embarrassed. He seemed worried, but remained calm and placid. I simply did not know what to say so I remained silent. Fortunately, Aichhorn then appeared in the room and immediately gauged the situation. He explained to Freud the purpose of my work and introduced me. We shook hands, obviously relieved. [...] I asked him if I could photograph him. He kindly consented and asked me to continue my shooting as I pleased. [...] I even suggested, if it could be useful, and to avoid trouble or wasting time, to take the necessary photos for the passports. [...] Freud, at my request, looked slightly in profile, took off his glasses, and reacted with a smile to one of those remarks that photographers make while they prepare.”
The photograph described by Engelman is without question the one we offer. Despite the very detailed description of this unusual photograph, it has not been preserved for the illustration of the book.
This very rare photographic portrait of the founder of psychoanalysis was taken a few days before his exile and revealing the stigma of a cancer that will be fatal to him.
It iss the only image of him revealing a smile.
Exhibition catalogue of paintings by Tony Curtis, presented at the Center Art Galleries in Hawaii.
Catalogue illustrated with reproductions of works by Tony Curtis.
A very good copy. The original mailing envelope for the catalogue is included.
Signed by Tony Curtis in blue felt-tip pen on the front cover of the catalogue.
Provenance: from the collection of the distinguished autograph collector Claude Armand.
Later print of a black and white photograph of Joan Crawford, taken in the 1950s.
A fine copy.
Inscribed and signed by Joan Crawford to the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand: "Dear Claude thnak you for your warming letter. Bless you Joan Crawford."
Original colour photograph depicting a smiling Jacques Chirac.
Attractive ensemble held together by a paperclip, which has left a discreet mark in the upper left margin of the photograph.
Enclosed are an official letter, its envelope, and a card on which Jacques Chirac, then Prime Minister, wrote in black felt-tip pen the following words: "vous remercie de votre aimable message de félicitations et vous adresse ses sentiments les meilleurs."
Signed by Jacques Chirac in blue ink at the foot of the photograph.
Newspaper clipping from the Tribune de Genève featuring a photograph of Uri Geller, highlighting his skills as a magician and metal bender.
Rare autograph by Uri Geller in black felt-tip pen on his photograph.
Three original childhood photographs of Maurice Béjart, and his birth announcement
[after 1927] | 12.2 x 17.2 cm| three photographs and a card
Three original photographs of Maurice Béjart as a child beside his mother, taken in Mougins.
We attach the birth announcement, dated 1 January 1927, printed with his name “Maurice Jean Berger.”
Provenance: Maurice Béjart's personal archives.
Black and white photograph depicting a smiling Tony Curtis.
A handsome example, with slight ink smudging affecting the last two letters of 'Curtis.'
Bold blue ink autograph by Tony Curtis in the left margin of the image.
Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Reprint of a photograph showing a young Shirley Temple lying on a bed.
A fine copy.
Inscribed and signed in black felt-tip pen by Shirley Temple, dated 1988, to the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black-and-white photographic postcard depicting Gilbert Bécaud.
Discography of Gilbert Bécaud printed on the verso, with minor paper losses.
Inscribed and signed by Gilbert Bécaud to the noted autograph collector Claude Armand: "A Claude Gilbert," enhanced with a small cat sketch in blue ballpoint pen.
« Dans sa cosmogonie, chaque chose, chaque être, végétal, animal ou humain, mérite le même respect. Car tous sont confrontés à la même loi d'airain : la solitude. » (Luc Desbenoit).
« Les photographies de Marc Trivier écrivent une tragédie de la lumière, celle-ci n'accueillant les êtres - hommes, arbres ou bêtes - qu'en les brûlant, avant disparition. » (Xavier-Gilles in Le Monde Libertaire).
« De trente-cinq ans de pratique photographique, d'obsessions, c'est peut-être ça qui reste : un mode d'enregistrement singulier de la brûlure de la lumière, décliné d'une image à l'autre, en une succession de propositions qui se ressemblent et pourtant chacune est aussi singulière que la fraction de temps auquel elle renvoie. » (Marc Trivier).
« La photographie ne dit qu'une chose : « C'était. » On ne fixe que ce qui a été. S'il y a une tragédie, elle est là. » (Marc Trivier)
« (...) au lieu d'être un portraitiste d'écrivains et d'artistes parmi tant d'autres, il se marginalise par son dispositif : sous prétexte de réglages, il fait attendre ses modèles, il les fait poser plusieurs minutes ce qui leur donne un air las. Il attend peut-être un comportement plus naturel. Et on se retrouve face à Francis Bacon en équilibre précaire, Samuel Beckett, Jean Dubuffet ou encore Michel Foucault plus ou moins tassés sur leur chaise. Des images intimes. » (Sylvie Rousselle-Tellier, « Une image de fatigue chez Marc Trivier », Marges 2004).
« Je lisais Genet ; pour moi Genet, c'était des lettres sur un livre. Et puis un jour j'ai vu son portrait, il y a eu comme une fracture. Comment était-il possible que ces signes soient aussi quelqu'un ? Faire un portrait, c'est ressouder le nom et le visage. » (Marc Trivier).
« Ce qui m'intéressait, ce n'était pas de photographier simplement un corps ou un visage, mais cette situation particulière qui est quelqu'un en train de faire la photo de quelqu'un d'autre. » (Marc Trivier).
"In his cosmogony, each thing, each being, plant, animal or human, deserves the same respect. For all are confronted with the same iron law: solitude." (Luc Desbenoit).
"Marc Trivier's photographs write a tragedy of light, which welcomes beings - men, trees or beasts - only by burning them, before disappearance." (Xavier-Gilles in Le Monde Libertaire).
"From thirty-five years of photographic practice, of obsessions, perhaps this is what remains: a singular mode of recording the burning of light, declined from one image to another, in a succession of propositions that resemble each other and yet each is as singular as the fraction of time to which it refers." (Marc Trivier).
"Photography says only one thing: 'It was.' One only fixes what has been. If there is a tragedy, it is there." (Marc Trivier)
"(...) instead of being a portraitist of writers and artists among so many others, he marginalizes himself through his approach: under the pretext of adjustments, he makes his models wait, he makes them pose for several minutes which gives them a weary air. He is perhaps waiting for more natural behavior. And we find ourselves facing Francis Bacon in precarious balance, Samuel Beckett, Jean Dubuffet or Michel Foucault more or less slumped in their chair. Intimate images." (Sylvie Rousselle-Tellier, "Une image de fatigue chez Marc Trivier", Marges 2004).
"I was reading Genet; for me Genet was letters on a book. And then one day I saw his portrait, there was like a fracture. How was it possible that these signs were also someone? Making a portrait is to weld together the name and the face." (Marc Trivier).
"What interested me was not simply to photograph a body or a face, but this particular situation which is someone in the process of taking a photo of someone else." (Marc Trivier).
Oblong color postcard depicting Charles Aznavour with his hands crossed under his chin.
A fine copy.
Signed by Charles Aznavour in black felt-tip pen in the right-hand margin of the card.
Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black-and-white photograph depicting cosmonaut Boris Yegorov in uniform adorned with his military decorations.
A handsome copy.
Rare autograph signed in blue felt-tip pen by Boris Yegorov in the left margin of the print.
On October 12, 1964, aboard Voskhod 1, Boris Yegorov completed his sole spaceflight as a physician, participating in the first mission in history to carry a crew of three.
Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black-and-white photograph showing a young Melina Mercouri lying in straw and chewing on a blade of it.
A handsome example. Press clippings mounted on the verso.
Signed by Melina Mercouri in blue ink.
Provenance: from the collection of the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black and white photograph of Micheline Presle, circa 1950s.
A fine example.
Inscribed and signed by Micheline Presle to the prominent autograph collector Claude Armand: "A Claude Armand mon amical souvenir. Micheline Presle."
Color postcard depicting a young Ginger Rogers wearing a hat.
A fine copy.
Boldly signed by Ginger Rogers in blue felt-tip pen.
Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black-and-white photograph showing Debbie Reynolds smiling in profile.
A fine example. With the autograph envelope sent by Debbie Reynolds to the prominent autograph collector Claude Armand.
Signed autograph inscription from Debbie Reynolds to Claude Armand: "To Claude best wishes. Debbie Reynolds."
Original black and white photograph showing Pierre Daninos with a slight smile.
A handsome ensemble. We enclose the handwritten envelope in which the photograph was sent.
Inscribed, dated and signed by Pierre Daninos in blue felt-tip pen, addressed to the prominent autograph collector Claude Armand.
Also included is a ten-line autograph letter, dated and signed, in which Pierre Daninos thanks Claude Armand and shares the title of his forthcoming book, the result of his journey around the world: "Les touristocrates".
Original black and white photograph depicting Mistinguett wearing a hat.
Very slight, superficial scuffing to the margins, not affecting the image.
Vintage gelatin silver print. Printed stamp of the P. Apers photographic studio in Paris to the right margin of the image.
Autograph inscription by Mistinguett, signed and dated in black ink, to André Saudemon, at the foot of the photograph.
Original black and white photograph by the Associated Press British showing Cliff Richard posing in Athens with the Acropolis in the background, taken on the occasion of the release of the film "Summer Holiday".
A fine example. Associated Press British label affixed to the verso. Autographs of actors Roy Castle and Lebbi Siffre below the image.
Cliff Richard’s autograph in black felt-tip pen in the left margin of the print.
Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black and white photograph depicting Betty Grable.
A handsome copy. Press clippings mounted to the verso of the print.
Manuscript signature by Betty Grable in violet felt-tip pen in the left margin of the photograph.
Provenance: from the collection of the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Later print of an iconic 1950s photograph capturing "The look" in profile, with her right hand resting on her hip.
Signed in black felt-tip pen by Lauren Bacall.
Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Later print of a portrait photograph showing a young Gloria Swanson facing the camera.
A handsome copy.
Boldly signed by Gloria Swanson in blue ink.
Provenance: from the collection of the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.
Photographic portrait of Erroll Garner, seated at his piano.
A fine copy.
Inscribed and signed by Erroll Garner in blue ink in the upper left margin of the photograph.
Provenance: from the collection of the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black and white photograph depicting Cliff Richard slightly turned towards the camera.
A very well-preserved example.
Bold black ink signature by Cliff Richard in the right margin of the photograph.
Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black-and-white photographic portrait of Glenn Ford, dating from the 1930s–1940s.
A handsome print.
Boldly signed by Glenn Ford in black felt-tip pen in the upper left margin of the image.
Provenance: from the collection of noted autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black-and-white photograph depicting Shirley Temple as a child.
A fine copy.
Inscribed and signed by Shirley Temple in 1988, with an autograph dedication to the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black and white photograph depicting a young Alice Faye.
A fine copy.
Signed by Alice Faye in silver ink in the right margin of the photograph.
Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Autograph letter signed by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres to Charles Paillet, with autograph address and title "Honorary Expert Commissioner of the Royal Museums", with postal stamps. Usual fold marks. A marginal tear repaired without affecting the text.
Ingres provides descriptions and exhibition instructions for his two paintings Aretino and the Ambassador of Charles V and Aretino in the Studio of Tintoretto.
Autograph letter signed and dated "20 floréal year 79 19 May" [19 May 1871?], 3 pages on a bifolium of blue paper. Small lack of paper affecting a few letters, usual folds from mailing.
Rare letter by painter and illustrator Gérard-Séguin, known for his portrait of Honoré de Balzac (Musée des Beaux-Arts de Tours). Written in the midst of the Paris Commune, as famine and fighting ravaged the capital, the artist delivers a desperate yet spirited plea from the artist.
This letter is one of the few surviving manuscripts by Gérard-Séguin whose biography remains largely unknown: "Little is known about the life and work of Jean Alfred Gérard-Séguin, except that he studied under Jérôme-Martin Langlois at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, exhibited at the Salon between 1831 and 1868, and—close to publisher Pierre-Jules Hetzel—primarily worked as a book illustrator, contributing drawings for various publications, including Balzac's La Comédie Humaine, for which he also painted a portrait of the author. Working with Prosper Mérimée and the first Monuments Historiques commissions, he also copied out the church frescoes of Saint-Savin-sur-Gartempe" (Musée de Valence). Staunch Republican Gérard-Seguin supported the Commune and had previously painted a major historical canvas on the French Revolution of 1848, depicting a "guardian of the peace and the Republic." Severely impoverished by the siege and already 67 years old, he expresses in this letter his regret at not being able to join the ranks of the Communard fighters.
Black-and-white photographic promotional portrait for Disney studios, depicting Walt Disney. A minute black line is visible near the hair.
Rare and striking manuscript signature by Walt Disney in black ink, signed directly within the image.
First edition.
Contemporary Bradel binding in grey cloth-backed marbled boards, smooth spine decorated with a gilt floral motif, gilt date and double fillet at foot, brown shagreen label, original wrappers preserved; a contemporary binding executed for Léon Vanier with the binder's ticket pasted ton front pastedown "Reliures Léon Vanier 19 quai Saint-Michel Paris" .
Our copy exceptionally contains a faded original photograph by Otto Wegener depicting Paul Verlaine standing with a cane and wearing a top hat; exceptional signed autograph inscription by Paul Verlaine in the lower right margin of the print: "A Léon Vanier son édité et ami. P. Verlaine." (To Léon Vanier, his published [author] and friend. P. Verlaine)
Original vintage photograph, signed and dated by Jeanne Moreau, showing her alongside Raymond Pellegrin during the filming of "Les hommes en blanc" as part of the Caméra du lundi series.
Black and white vintage print, with printed stamp and notations on the verso.
Manuscript signature by Jeanne Moreau, dated, at the foot of the image.
Original photograph depicting Charles Gounod, full face.
Vintage gelatin silver print mounted on cardboard, produced by photographer Isidore Alphonse Chalot at 18, rue Vivienne, Paris.
Autograph inscriptions in black then blue ink on the verso by the recipient, A. Lasserre, inspector at the Opéra Garnier: "Portrait de Ch. Gounod signé le soir de la 926eme représentation de Faust (samedi 29 septembre 1888) A. Lasserre."
Additional handwritten note in pencil in the right margin of the verso: 1867e représentation de Faust le 28 septembre 1929.
Printed stamp at foot of the verso: "Maison Martinet Albert Hautecoeur, 18, bd des Capucines."
Charles Gounod’s dated autograph signature to upper right corner of the photograph : "Ch. Gounod 29 7bre / 88."
Black and white photographic postcard depicting Raymond Poulidor in cycling attire.
A handsome copy. To the verso, a promotional label for Raymond Poulidor equipment has been affixed.
Inscribed autograph tribute signed by Raymond Poulidor in brown felt-tip pen to the upper left margin of the card.
Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Original photograph depicting Emilio Visconti-Venosta in frontal view.
Contemporary silver print bearing, at the foot of the image, the blindstamp of Roman photographer Lorenzo Suscipj, a pioneer of photography in Italy.
Minor black specks to the surface of the photograph.
Mounted on a stiff card sheet printed with the photographer’s address.
A rare dated and signed autograph inscription by Emilio Visconti-Venosta to the verso: “À M Henri Fournier, souvenir d’un ami, E. Visconti-Venosta. Rome. 18 January 1877”. ['To Mr Henri Fournier, a token from a friend, E. Visconti-Venosta. Rome, 18 January 1877.']
An influential Italian statesman, Emilio Visconti-Venosta played a significant role in the struggle for Italian unification. Appointed by Cavour as royal commissioner to Giuseppe Garibaldi, he later served as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
A fine portrait by a pioneer of Italian photography, depicting one of the founding figures of Italy’s independence and unity.
Original black and white photograph depicting Maurice Druon in his Académie Française regalia.
A fine copy. Enclosed is the handwritten envelope addressed to the recipient by Maurice Druon.
Inscribed and signed by Maurice Druon in blue ink in the right margin of the photograph: "Avec mes meilleurs souhaits Druon."
Provenance: from the collection of the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.
Original black and white photograph depicting Michel Polnareff in the street, standing opposite a security guard.
A handsome example. Signed by Michel Polnareff on a piece of paper mounted to the verso of the photograph.
Signed by Michel Polnareff in the upper part of the image.
Provenance : from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Autograph letter signed by Germaine de Staël and dated 9 January 1809 to Julie Nigris, daughter of Élisabeth Vigée Le Brun. Two pages written in black on a bifolium. Autograph address on verso, armorial wax seal traces and postmarks.
Usual folds, a tear with a small piece of paper lacking on the address page due to the opening of the seal.
Published as an addendum in Souvenirs de Madame Vigée Le Brun, 1837, vol. III, pp. 264-265.
Germaine de Staël is eagerly awaiting her portrait as Corinne - her novel's heroine- she had commissioned from the famous Vigée-Lebrun. The letter is a precious link in the fascinating history of the painting the baroness would discover a few months later.
"Madam, I have given up on engraving the portrait of your mother. It is too expensive for my whim and I have just suffered a considerable lawsuit that is forcing me to make do with less. But would you be so kind as to tell me when Madam Le Brun will give me the portrait of Corinne? My intention was to send her a thousand écus upon receiving it, but as I have not heard from her, I don't know what to do.
Please be so kind as to get involved and negotiate what I want in this regard. Another pleasing negotiation would be your arrival to Switzerland this summer. Prosper says he will come. Wouldn't M. de Maleteste be seduced by this reunion of all his friends? I dare to count myself among them. Seeing him once, it seemed to me that I was meeting an old acquaintance."
Germaine de Staël addresses Vigée Le Brun's daughter Julie, inviting her and her mother to brighten up her exile. She also tried to gather at her home of Coppet her lover Prosper de Barante as well as Julie's, the Marquis de Maleteste. Dreading solitude, she was determined to invite a host of interesting personalities. Two years earlier, Vigée Le Brun had begun painting a portrait of the baroness depicted as the heroine of her latest novel Corinne. In-between portrait sittings with the baroness, the artist had met the famous members of the so-called Coppet group: Frederick of Prussia, writer Benjamin Constant and salonnière Juliette Récamier. De Staël had already requested a change as soon as the painter had started the canvas and asked for a different landscape in the background. Aware of the somewhat unprepossessing appearance of her model - neither she nor the baroness denied it - Vigée Le Brun created an ambitious portrait mixing antiquity-inspired attire with a furiously romantic allure. She managed to capture the baroness's inspired gaze instead of an expected neoclassical austerity. Despite her enthusiastic initial reactions, Germaine de Staël was not pleased with it and commissioned another portrait from local artist Firmin Massot. The latter produced a poor but faithful copy of the Vigée Le Brun's composition, except for her face and expression he smoothed out and made devoid of any emotion. The baroness's reaction illustrates the irreconcilable dilemma faced by women of letters at the beginning of the 19th century: torn between their identity as intellectual figures (which Vigée Le Brun had magnificently captured in this portrait), and the normative criteria of femininity Germaine de Staël wanted to align with.
A precious piece of correspondence, bringing together two illustrious women - the patron and the artist, whose visions of femininity would soon oppose on either side of the easel.
Engraved bookplate of Eward Wasserman by Marie Laurencin with the words "Ex-libris Edward Wasserman" inscribed on the plate.
Outstanding print on japon with wide margins of Laurencin's engraving for bibliophile Edward Wasserman.
Photographic postcard issued by the television weekly Télé 7 Jours, depicting Guy Lux smoking a cigarette.
A well-preserved example.
Signed by Guy Lux in blue felt-tip pen.
Black-and-white photographic postcard depicting Dolores del Rio in a frontal portrait.
A very attractive example. Envelope sent from Mexico included.
Inscribed and signed by Dolores del Rio in blue felt-tip pen to the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand: "To Claude Armand best wishes Dolores Del Rio."
Black and white photographic postcard depicting Ginger Rogers in profile.
A fine copy.
Inscribed and signed by Ginger Rogers for the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand: "To Claude Armand kindest wishes. Ginger Rogers."
Black-and-white photographic postcard depicting a young Charles Trenet wearing a hat.
A handsome example. Charles Trenet’s discography with Columbia printed on the verso.
Inscribed and signed by Charles Trenet: "Pour monsieur Thézard souvenir joyeux de Niort. Charles Trenet."
Photographic postcard by Studio Philips, depicting Johnny Halliday in black and white, holding his guitar in his right hand, resting it on his shoulder.
The verso features the artist's discography, with minor text loss at the head and foot. A well-preserved example.
Bold blue ink signature by Johnny Halliday.
Colour photographic postcard depicting Fernand Raynaud holding a crate of oranges, with a sign reading: "Ici on vend de belles oranges pas chères."
On the verso, a blue ballpoint signature of Fernand Raynaud has been affixed.
Inscribed and signed by Fernand Raynaud in red felt-tip pen: "Merci Claude. FRaynaud."
Provenance: from the collection of the distinguished autograph collector Claude Armand.
Photographic postcard inscribed by Laurent Terzieff to the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Postcard reproducing a black-and-white photograph by Studio Harcourt, showing Laurent Terzieff resting his head on his arms.
Autograph inscription signed by Laurent Terzieff in black ink to the right of the image: "A Claude Armand merci de votre très aimable lettre. L. Terzieff."
Original black-and-white photograph depicting Elvire Popesco in a three-quarter profile.
A handsome print. Vintage print, with the printed stamp of the Nicolas Treatt Studio in Paris on the verso.
Signed in black ink by Elvire Popesco.
Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Postcard after an original photograph by David Hamilton depicting a young girl walking through a flower-filled meadow.
A fine copy.
Signed by David Hamilton in black felt-tip pen at the foot of the card.
Provenance: from the collection of the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.
Color photographic postcard depicting Johnny Hallyday, a guitar in his right hand, balancing on a locomotive.
Photographic postcard produced by Philips studios.
Signed in Johnny Hallyday's hand in the upper left margin.
Colour photographic postcard depicting Claude François.
A well-preserved example. A newspaper clipping has been affixed to the verso, which also shows traces of glue.
Signed in black felt-tip pen by Claude François, with a small flower drawing and the word "bises".
Provenance: from the collection of the prominent autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black and white photographic portrait of the legendary jazz musician Benny Goodman, holding his clarinet in his left hand.
A fine example. A newspaper clipping announcing the musician’s death is affixed to the verso of the print. We include the original mailing envelope, bearing Benny Goodman’s initials, in which the photograph was sent. A concert program for Benny Goodman and his jazz band performing in Zurich in 1970 accompanies the set.
Signed by Benny Goodman in blue ballpoint pen in the upper left corner of the photograph.
Provenance: from the collection of renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Photographic postcard depicting Lionel Hampton in the 1960s–70s playing the vibraphone.
A handsome copy.
Signed by Lionel Hampton in blue felt-tip pen on the verso of the photograph.
Provenance: from the collection of the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Black-and-white photographic postcard depicting a young Ludmila Tcherina.
Pinholes to the corners of the card.
Signed autograph inscription by Ludmila Tcherina, in white felt-tip pen, to the prominent autograph collector Claude Armand: "A Claude bien amicalement Tcherina."
Provenance: from the collection of the renowned autograph collector Claude Armand.
Photograph signed by Tyrone Power in violet ink.
A handsome print. Printed stamp of a London dealer on the verso of the image.
Provenance: from the collection of the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.
Postcard-format reproduction of a photograph by David Hamilton depicting a nude woman seen from behind, gazing at herself in a mirror.
Signed by David Hamilton in black felt-tip pen at the lower right corner of the card.
A handsome copy.
Provenance: from the collection of the noted autograph collector Claude Armand.
Original carte-de-visite portrait signed and inscribed by Alexandre Dumas.
Albumen print photograph on mount. Stamp of Charles Reutlinger's studio in Paris on verso.
Very fine portrait signed and inscribed on the lower part of the mount: "A Madame aimée Persat, A. Dumas".
Probably gifted to the second wife of Maurice Persat, an officer who took part in the Napoleonic Wars as well as Independence uprisings in Latin America, Spain and Greece, where he bought back a young Turkish slave, Adélé. Back in France, she was placed in a convent under the protection of the governor of Marseille and converted to Catholicism. Persat, a liberal and agitator, was forced into exile in the meantime. Dumas undoubtedly drew inspiration from Adélé's story, relayed in the Marseille papers for his famous Monte Cristo heroine Haydé. The real-life Haydé died of phtisis along with her child in 1832. Persat remarried in 1854 to Henriette Charles Latour, to whom this portrait by Dumas is certainly inscribed.
