She was the last of the great courtesans of Victorian London. Her benefactors included leaders of political parties and a member of the British royal family, and her classical beauty was matched by her notoriety as a horsewoman. In the 1860s the fascinating sight of Skittles riding on Rotten Row in Hyde Park drew huge crowds of sightseers, and her skin tight riding habits, sans underwear, were copied by aristocratic ladies. She counted among her lovers the Marquess of Hartington, the future Edward VII, Napoleon III, and the poet Wilfrid Blunt. During her life as a courtesan, her discretion and loyalty to her benefactors became the focal point of her career. This gave her great weight in the courtesan lifestyle and made her a much sought after commodity.
My interests are in Victorian period photographs of actress/courtesans, African explorers, British military (Zulu War), and French "grand horizontals" of La Belle Epoque. I am always interested in acquiring new images in my interest areas through purchase or trade and will occasionally sell duplicate images.
I would like to thank Laure Deratte of Paris for her kind assistance and expertise in helping me establish this blog.
To contact: rshee434@aol.com
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Cora Pearl (1835-1886) Born Emma Elizabeth Crouch in England, she became
the most famous courtesan--the Queen of Tarts--of the French Second Empire.
Her cl...
10 ans après, le livre est là !!!!
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*COURTISANES,*
*Portraits poétiques et photographiques de la galanterie sous Napoléon III*
Textes et images rassemblés par Laure Deratte
17 x 22,6 cm, ...