Two postcards from the auction we attended at Bordeaux. These beautiful cards are amongst several that were published by La Belle Jardinière in Paris. Founded in 1824, the store was the first to sell clothing that had been mass produced. This was a revolution at the time and met the needs of the growing middle class. The stores were open until the 1970s when they were taken over.
The postcards really are in excellent condition considering their age. The first features the Opera in Paris and fashions worn around 1815. The second card is of the Belle Jardinière store and clothes worn around the time that the cards were produced 1900. The backs of the postcards are non-divided. Any correspondence would have to be written on the space at the side of the illustrations. In France, postcards were like this until the autumn of 1903.
