EROTIC NUDE WOMAN PHOTOGRAPHED in 1936 CZECHOSLOVAKIA PHOTO ALBUM

Item #1379

Written inside the cover of this 13.625” x 9.625” photo album is “Olga Revier, Prague, Czechoslovakia, March, 1936.” There are sixty-one photos inside, of Revier nude and partially dressed.

The photographer was clearly experienced, if not a studio professional; and he appears to have been in love with his subject, perhaps his wife or girlfriend. This was clearly an ongoing project, as the passage of time is evident (for one thing, the model is sometimes shaven in her nether regions, and sometimes untrimmed, in full botanical splendor). In fact, the chronology is mixed, as photo “series” are scattered amid others.

The photos are various sizes, fro 2.25” x 2.5” to 7” x 8.5.”
The large photos are generally detached from the page, but this is not a distraction from the glamour of the album. In some photos the model is partially clothed, in wispy garments or nice hats or mink stoles; these seem earlier, and sometimes the makeup she wears is subtly tinted.

In other, more mature portraits, she wears nothing but jewelry and high heels. We even get a portrait of our lady fully clothed, in a lacy black floor-length number; she is no less alluring. The breadth and variety of photo sizes and finishes is as beguiling as the settings, costumes and decor.

Another point of contrast: the small photos are often set in a salon with paintings hung on the wall, or in front of a curtain, suggesting a theatrical or burlesque setting. The larger photos are generally set in a specialized photographic studio, with sparse furnishing and a black velvet backdrop.

The spider-webbed effect of the onion-skin page dividers has never seemed more appropriate. Step into my parlor…

Three photos are missing, the larger photos are placed on a page with the onion-skin divider on top. A few photos are loose at a corner or two.
Only one photo is damaged, a victim of poor placement on the page and careless page turning; but the photo is still enjoyable, our lady reclining coyly behind a potted plant, part of a series.

She was someone’s muse.

Price: $1,500.00