FRENCH UNDRESSING: Naughty Postcards from 1900 to 1920 (1976) by Paul Hammond

Description

1976. New Ed. Paperback. Jupiter Books, 1976, 1st edn. trade paperback, cover in mint condition; 136pp, some slightly wrinkled toward the end. Even as early as 1900 France was famous for its libidinous visual exports, and Paris was synonymous with the image of decadence. With the invention of new photographic and printing techniques the postcard came into its own as a popular art form. The art of the postcard lies in its basically artless exploration of the unusual, in its freedom of thought and expression, and its eroticism. From Paris in this era came some of the naughtier cards known, of course, as French Cards. Something special, sir? During their heyday such postcards could be bought everywhere, in hotel lobbies, railway stations, restaurants, and newsvendor's kiosks, but most particularly in the arcades that connected the great Boulevards in the city center. The Parisian passage contained lodging houses, cafes, bookshops, strip joints, bath houses, and an exotic and erotic atmosphere that is reflected in the French Cards that were popularly collected in albums. Drawing from a fine collection of these the author describes how they were produced, who made them, why they look as they do, with particular attention paid to the conscious use of sexual symbolism. A witty, saucy guide to the naughty picture postcard with over 200 illustrations in color and black and white. 9x12in.