LINGERIE CATALOGS 1920s~1960s

A selection from the archives of lingerie catalogs from the United States, France and German, circa 1920s to the 1960s. Above and below Priscilla Designs.

Unusual handmade catalog similar to Yva Richard catalogs of the late 1920s and offer for sale "custom made" fetish attire, including corsets, "belts", boots and more.

Beautiful deco styling for this circa 1925 catalog from the 

Parisian department store, Printemps.

 A slight detour from lingerie, this catalog offers items for body massage and features on the back cover, a device to "develop and firm" your breasts.

From Germany circa early 1960s, a small format catalog offering sexy Parisian inspired lingerie aimed at playtime in the boudoir. 

Rosy Dessous was one of the largest mail order catalog companies offering all types of sexy lingerie. Located in Pforzheim, Germany publishing frequent catalogs and updates similar to Frederick's of Hollywood in L.A.

Fetishy rubberwear from Rosy. I'd like to find that one-piece, rubber

 combination foundation piece below!

Circa mid-1960s fetish wear catalog from Bizarre fashions in Los Angeles.

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CITIES OF THE FUTURE Surreal Fantasy Postcards circa 1900

Cities of the future, l'avenir, die zukunft a European genre unto itself, imagined cites and towns as they would appear circa 2000. These are playfully surreal fantasies, making up for there lack of visionary predictions with complicated collages and photo-montages accomplished by the skilled hands of artists, creative platemakers and printers.

Below is one of the great American examples of a city of the future postcard and surprisingly the only one for New York City that I can ever remember seeing. The image is a mash-up of turn-of-the-century "layer cake" style skyscrapers and a scene out of Fritz Lang's Metropolis. 

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FLYING FANTASIES Surreal Postcards 1900 ~ 1930s

Most postcard and photograph collectors are familiar with "studio portraits" taken at tourist attractions and amusement parks, especially popular in the early part of the 20th century. The couple sticks their heads through an opening in a two dimensional painting of a scene at the beach or as cowboy and cowgirl and the photograph snaps a picture. They are fairly common in the United States. Europeans created similar images with a particular twist, often of groups of people in or on lighter than air forms of transportation. These were particularly popular during WW1 with soldiers.

Here from my archives, is a group of real photo postcards depicting both civilian and military versions of the theme.

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And during the period just after the turn-of-the-twentieth century printed versions of the surreal, lighter than air fantasy cards were very popular throughout Europe, especially in France and Germany. Some wonderful examples of what it might be like to fly, by use of imagination and adaptation.

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FAT LADIES Postcards 1900-1950s

Continuing to sort through my postcard archives I have devoted the previous two posts to freaks, sideshow attractions and circus performers. I segregated out the fat ladies for their own post which they deserve, enormously! French, German, Italian and American postcards circa 1900 to the 1950s. 

(above) The earliest fat lady promotional postcard I've seen, published in Germany in the "gruss aus" style circa 1900. Jenny Letto 19 years old, 424.5 pounds.

Olga, the colossal lady, Germany circa 1910

Circa 1905, also in the "gruss aus" style and published for sale at German carnivals/fairs, the location of which would be written or rubber-stamped after "Gruss..." Many of these small town "volkfestes" featured menageries with human anomalies: fat ladies, giants, strongmen, etc. Still fairly easy to find at postcard shows in Germany, especially in comparison with the rare promotional card for Jenny Letto.

The woman of the future replacing man. A German "amazonia" fantasy, popular at the turn-of-the-century. Lithographed circa 1905.

Diamond Kitty 715 pounds, real photo postcard, American 1930s

Fetishizing a fat lady. Rubber chin strap and corset. Real photo postcard, Albert Wyndham Studio, Paris circa 1925.

The remaining are humoristic, all meant to be unflattering, in a way that was internationally acceptable decades before political correctness.

At the mineral springs taking the cure. "Effects of the Water", Italian 1930s

France circa 1930s prostitutes and their soldier clients.

American classic "linen" 1940s

French 1950s. Artwork below by Jean Chaperon

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