A portrait of Tunisian singer Habiba Messika on the cover of Nice-based magazine "L'Éclaireur du dimanche" in 1929, one year before she was tragically murdered by her former lover. Messika was singing in an oriental cabaret in Nice called "L'Oriental" at that time. Source: L'Éclaireur du dimanche, February 3rd, 1929 - Gallica. Her voice can be … Continue reading When Habiba Messika was singing in Nice
Funny picture of American pianist and bandleader Billy Arnold. Source: La Rampe, March 1st 1926 - Gallica.
... how about digging in digital libraries? Paris Saint-Ouen flea market photographed byAndré Zucca in 1941. A record on the rare early 1910's French label "La Semeuse" can be seen on the second picture. Source : André Zucca / Bibliothèque historique de la Ville de Paris / Roger-Viollet (Photo 1/Photo 2).
Parisians discovering Edison's phonograph at the Exposition Universelle of 1889. Source: Collection Jaquet de gravures extraites de périodiques et de journaux illustrés du XIXe siècle - Gallica.
In the early 1930's, the French edition of Vogue included a column on newly published records featuring great illustrations by Swiss and French artists Herbert Libiszewski, aka Libis (1897-1985) and Raymond de Lavererie (1901-1956). Here is a small selection. Source: Gallica. November 1931 - http://c.bnf.fr/fMv May 1930 - http://c.bnf.fr/fMH June 1933 - http://c.bnf.fr/fME June 1930 - … Continue reading Gorgeous illustrations from the 1930’s issues of French Vogue
Antarctica, Christmas 1904. French explorer Jean-Baptiste Charcot playing a cylinder of Baryton Jean Lassalle for a public of penguins. The program of this Christmas concert included "Ouvre tes yeux bleus, ma mignonne" (Jules Massenet) and "Connais-tu le pays où fleurit l'oranger?" (Ambroise Thomas). Source: Le Monde Colonial Illustré, January 1939 - Gallica.
Nice Odéon advertisement from 1929. Source: Le Petit journal, December 24th, 1929 - Gallica.
"The Court concludes that it is urgent to forbid bad talking machines to deform the public's artistic sense and unanimously sentences saphir machines to eternal silence". Fascinating example of the commercial battle between the Gramophone Company and Pathé in France in the early 20th century! Source: Le Matin, January 26th, 1910 - Gallica.
An advertisement from 1907 for the French branch of the Edison Company. Source: Le Matin, December 5th, 1907 - Gallica
Interesting story: in 1928, two Opera artists take legal action against the French P.T.T. (Posts, Telegraphs and Telephons). Source: Le Petit Journal, December 24th, 1928 - Gallica.
