La Tartine – The Slice – Die Brottschnitte

I was really pleased to see this postcard of a painting by Alfred Schlomka. Click on the image to make it bigger and look at the expression on the little girl’s face. His paintings seem to have been exhibited for several years around 1910 by the Société des Artistes Francais. This one was included on the ‘salon’ of 1914.

The last time I wrote about a postcard with a painting by A Schlomka I had a mini Schlomka family reunion in my comments box!

The unhappy princess

This is King Léopold II of Belgium with his daughter Clémentine. Before she came of age she suffered a lot because of her mother’s difficult temper. Her father gave her permission to travel without her mother which helped a lot.

The problem with being a princess is that you aren’t allowed to marry who you would like. Clémentine wanted to marry Napoléon Victor Bonaparte, who was descended from Napoléon and therefore not of royal blood. Her father threatened to disinherit her. She was already in her 30s and could feel her biological clock ticking away. Prince Napoléon and Clémentine decided to wait until her father died. She didn’t have to wait for much longer after this photograph was taken. Her father died in 1909 and when her cousin, Albert, became King, gave her permission to marry and she really did live happily ever after!

Les Reines de la Mode

I spent a long time trying to find out who this young lady was. Perhaps a Can Can dancer around 1907 at the Moulin Rouge? Anyway, she was beautiful enough to be photographed by Henri Manuel. Here is another of his postcards and a brief biography

Les Arceaux

As soon as I saw this postcard I thought of Salvador Dali. The twisted trees and the arches stretching into the distance I suppose. I don’t have a date for this card. Here are some more views of Montpellier. Can you spot ‘les Arceaux’?

Poisson d'avril

Two cards today to celebrate the first of April. Hope you didn’t get caught out by an April fool’s trick. It isn’t clear why fish are special on this day but jokes are played – only till noon. There are lots of postcards with lovingly held fish to be offered to loved ones. Fortunately they weren’t scratch and sniff!

“Pretty April fish
Bring her these flowers
So that their subtle perfume
Celebrates her heart”