A collection of six 9 x 17.5 cm French tissues with the title Nos Mondaines. The views were published by Édition C. B. Marseille and the box was sold by Photo-Hall Latapie, a seller that was located at 11, Rue du Jeune Anacharsis in Marseille. It is unknown whether this retailer was related to the well-known photography store Photo-Hall in Paris.
The collection is part of a series with the title La Vie Joyeuse (The Happy Life). The inside of the cardboard box shows the titles of 60 series with various topics. This Nos Mondaines series shows a number of erotic images that, especially by today’s standards, look quite innocent. Nude photography was not widely accepted in France, but was tolerated by the authorities in the early 20th century. This provided space for an explosive growth in nude publications and sales of stereoviews and postcards.
The shown images are French tissues, also called tissue stereoviews or paper transparencies. They are rather roughly coloured and can therefore be better viewed with reflective light. The cardboard frames are richly decorated and contain the title of the series and the name of the publisher. The stereoviews were probably published around 1900.
Glossary: French tissue