Corset Postcards: Photographs

French postcards, circa 1900 to the 1920s, depicting women seductively posed in corsets. This particular genre of scantily clad, "lovely ladies" posed in lingerie has always been popular with collectors. Over the years I have had many clients who collected in this area, a few who wanted only images of corseted women. It could be books, photographs, postcards, the actual vintage garments themselves as well as three-dimensional advertising displays, it didn't matter as long as the corset was visible. Many of the postcards in this genre were published in sets, usually five, six, ten or twelve cards per set. Some of the sets presented a pictorial narrative starting with the woman fully dressed and in the end nearly completely undressed. A turn-of-the-century strip-tease revealed progressively as each postcard was received in the mail.


"Real photo" (rppc = real photo post card) and printed, French photographic postcards.

 Printed and hand-colored collotype, circa 1900

 Masked undresser, hand-tinted real (rppc) photos, circa 1905

 Part of strip-tease series, printed collotypes, circa 1900

Circa 1915 music-hall performer, hand-tinted real photo (rppc)

corset as costume

 Circa 1915 fashion plate, sepia toned real photo (rppc) by the 

Jean Agelou Studio

 Circa 1915 exceptional corset and lingerie, sepia toned

real (rppc) photo by the Jean Agelou Studio

Circa 1915, sepia toned real (rppc) photo by the Jean Agelou Studio

Unusual corpulent model in bizarre fetishistic corset and rubber

neck brace. Photograph (rppc) by the Albert Wyndam Studio

Paris, circa 1925

Serious lacing from the back, wide garters, silk stockings
Photograph (rppc) by Grundworth, circa 1925

Maitress, Paris circa 1930
Photograph (rppc) by the Ostra (aka Biederer) Studio
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Click here to see corset items in my eBay store
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Corset Postcards: Illustrated

Illustrated French and German postcards, circa 1900 to the 1940s, depicting women seductively posed in corsets. This particular genre of scantily clad, illustrated "lovely ladies" posed in lingerie has always been popular with collectors. Over the years I have had many clients who collected in this area, a few who wanted only images of corseted women. It could be books, photographs, postcards, the actual vintage garments themselves as well as three-dimensional advertising displays, it didn't matter as long as the corset was visible. Many of the postcards in this genre were published in sets, usually five, six, ten or twelve cards per set. Some of the sets presented a pictorial narrative starting with the woman fully dressed and in the end nearly completely undressed. A turn-of-the-century strip-tease revealed progressively as each postcard was received in the mail.

This first group are illustrated postcards.

Fine lithograph, French circa 1900. Prostitute engaged with her client in what 

appears to be a seductive negotiation

"Keyhole" view, French circa 1900

Mademoiselle undresses and entertains a most interested admirer all 

in silhouette, German circa 1915

Undressing in beach-side cabana a voyeur at her door, 
German circa 1905

Fashion plate posed in corset, garters, stockings and high heels,

Austria, circa 1920s.

"Entrance Forbidden!"
Charming in corset, garters, stockings and high heels,
late 1940s/early 1950s 

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Click here to see corset items in my eBay store
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Hand-Tinted Real Photo Postcards: 1920s Art Deco Lovers

The world of collectible postcards is enormous and, for those seriously involved as a collector or seller, never ending. The surprising finds at the end of a day at a collectible postcard or paper show are what it all boils down to - the hunt and the reward of a treasure, possibly something not previously seen.


Here is a group of French, circa 1920s real photo postcards that have been colored by hand, using various techniques to create incredibly colorful, art deco inspired psychedelia. These types of cards were always plentiful at the Parisian paper and postcard shows, however this particular group, which I sold years ago, are very unusual and quite amazing. The use of vibrant colors, the art deco designs and the interaction of the posers themselves create passionate, kitschy valentines.

The overlying designs and shapes were created using stencils (pochoirs) to apply all the silver coloring; the roses are also colored using stencils; base background blues, and the image in the box, applied using air-brush.

Overall surface color effect created by dying the postcard in a color bath; surface colors applied by stencil, hand-coloring and air-brush.

Overall surface color effect created by dying the postcard in a color bath; surface colors applied by stencil, hand-coloring and air-brush.

Sepia toned emulsion surface with minute touches of hand-applied color 

and air-brush.

Similar to the top postcard, the overlying designs and shapes were created using stencils (pochoirs) to apply all the gold coloring; no addition applied coloring.

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Click here to see Hand-Tinted items in my eBay store

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La Vie Parisienne ~ 1920s French magazine.2

La Vie Parisienne magazine, an early popular culture magazine reflecting the Parisian high-life, is best known for it's exceptional art deco era issues filled with art work by some of the best illustrator's from the 1920s and '30s. The magazine had a very long and illustrious publishing history starting in 1872 and continuing for almost 100 years. 


The magazine's art director/editor during the art deco era was Leo Fontan who was also a very talented illustrator and contributor to this and other magazines. Contributing illustrators included Georges Barbier, Herouard (aka Herric), Georges Pavis, Leo Fontan, Gerda Wegener, Georges Léonnec, Maurice Milliere, Sacha Zaliouk, Fabien Fabiano, René Vincent, Vald'Es (Valvérane & D'Espagnat), Joseph Kuhn-Régnier, Armand Vallée, Louis Vallet, and Zyg Brunner among others.


Full-page illustrations for magazines from the 1920s follow.

Illustrator not indicated

Illustrator not indicated

Illustration by Herouard

Illustration by Georges Barbier

 

Illustration by Georges Barbier

Illustration by Fabiano

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Click here to see La Vie Parisienne magazines in my eBay store

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La Vie Parisienne ~ 1920s French magazine.1

La Vie Parisienne magazine, an early popular culture magazine reflecting the Parisian high-life, is best known for it's exceptional art deco era issues filled with art work by some of the best illustrator's from the 1920s and '30s. The magazine had a very long and illustrious publishing history starting in 1872 and continuing for almost 100 years. 


The magazine's art director/editor during the art deco era was Leo Fontan who was also a very talented illustrator and contributor to this and other magazines. Contributing illustrators included Georges Barbier, Herouard (aka Herric), Georges Pavis, Leo Fontan, Gerda Wegener, Georges Léonnec, Maurice Milliere, Sacha Zaliouk, Fabien Fabiano, René Vincent, Vald'Es (Valvérane & D'Espagnat), Joseph Kuhn-Régnier, Armand Vallée, Louis Vallet, and Zyg Brunner among others.


Covers for magazines from the 1920s follow.

Illustration by George Pavis 

Illustration by Prejelan

Illustration by Herouard (aka Herric)

Illustration by George Leonic

Illustration by George Leonic

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Curio Cabinet.5

Close-up, curio cabinet view. The collection of Monsieur d'Eros Selavie, Paris; photographed 1985; feature matchbook, circa 1930s; devilish Christmas tree ornament, circa 1910s; etched and decorated French, plastic pill box, circa 1920s. See the following posts for additional photographic details of the contents of these wonderful curio cabinets. 

Curio Cabinet.4

In this curio cabinet case in Monsieur d'Eros Selavie's collection are two boxes of Lumiere, Lumicolor film, circa 1940s?; ceramic jester's head, circa 1920s; die-cut, articulated, male and female figures, circa 1910s; stanhope, peepshow in the shape of a television set, circa 1940s; plastic ball-point pen in shape of female nude, circa 1930s.

Curio Cabinet.3

Another curio cabinet view from Monsieur d'Eros Selavie's collection of books, ephemera, photographs and objet d'art; Paris, 1985. Starting from the lower left corner: rectilinear, girning face photograph, Century of Progress Exposition, Chicago 1933; miniature French photographs album circa 1900 filled with erotic images; brass, light refracting viewer, circa 1890s; die-cut lithographed eye, circa 1900; American pin-back button, circa 1910; circa 1910/1915 travel books in background; (along top edge) circa 1880s picture strip for praxinoscope; (along right side) pill box; pin-back buttons; American pin-up cigarette lighter, circa 1940s; die-cut clown scraps, circa 1915; circa 1910/1915 travel books in background; (book in center) La Silhouettes a la Main by R.Theo, Paris circa 1900.

Curio Cabinet.2

Another view through a glass cabinet case in Monsieur d'Eros Selavie's collection. On display are a variety of images and objects including (clockwise from the left): five volumes of miniature books filled with photographs of German actors and actress, circa 1920s; real photo postcard of a German actor, circa 1930s; Odd Fellows fraternity pin with red ribbon, circa 1910; travel books in the background; miniature, hand-made, collaged artist's book, American circa 1980s.

Curio Cabinet.1

Through a case window of one of the curio cabinets in the collection of Monsieur d'Eros Selavie, Paris circa 1985. On display from left to right: Japanese teacup with risque image on bottom circa 1930s; erotic, French mechanical, hand-made from bakelite circa 1920s; (behind) circa 1920s, Art Deco styled porcelain half-doll; Le Livre Noir French surrealist periodical circa 1950s; (in front) French postcard circa 1910 showing samples of minature, wax, couture dolls; (in front) green, erotic, ceramic pipe, origin and date unknown; embroidered Spanish postcard of St. Lucy, the patron saint of sight (note eyes on tray), circa 1940s; (in front) erotic Japanese netsuke figurine, circa 1920s and at the far right: small, primitive sculpture of a couple in embrace, origin and date unknown.

Blog Post/Image Post

Vasta Images/Books is me Joseph Vasta.


I have been in the rare book and photographs trade as an international buyer and seller since 1984. I have been traveling between my home in New York City to Europe, primarily Paris, since converting my collection into my inventory of material for sale over 25 years ago. Along the way I became eBay seller "roseros" and in the prior three years, eBay store seller Vasta Images/Books, the original name of my business, dating back to the first catalogue I published in 1985. There is a link above that will connect you directly to my eBay store's homepage filled with approx.1,500 items for sale.


My rationale for this post is to share with you, the blogspot users in particular and the internet in general, rare and unusual images from my archives.


I promise I will NOT blog about and post endless pictures of my unbelievable Christmas decorations or my two adorable children or my faithful border collie or that amazing cruise to nowhere I just returned from with my third wife; I will never post my vacation photographs or my mother's recipe for the best fruit cake ever or link you up to the most incredible pizza place in Florence.


I do promise to post rare and unusual images including books, photographs, periodicals, posters, postcards and other paper ephemera as well as three dimensional objects and original artworks in an attempt to share imagery to make your eyes very happy and possibly, show you material that you've not previously seen!


The material will be primarily from the areas mentioned in the mission statement on the right side of this page.  It will include items created from the mid-19th century to today.
The focus will be on European material from between the two world wars, from circa 1915 to circa 1945. The posts will be thematic and will contain multiple images and will begin soon.