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Rigaud
French Postcards
V. RIGAUD
The V. Rigaud perfumery is one of the oldest in France, dating back to the reign of King Louis XVIII. We can thank the Rigaud family for introducing celebrity fragrances to the world.
There are several early postcards and magazine ads featuring opera singers advertising perfumes that were named in their honor. The postcards from the famous Paris perfumery, V. Rigaud, are particularly beautiful. If you were a BIG star you had an entire line of products named after you, which was the case with Mary Garden. She had perfume, facial powders, toilet water, lipstick, creams, and an assortment of other toiletries named after her. However, Rigaud may have introduced some Mary Garden products without her consent. As a result, Garden sued Rigaud in 1937, and won! If you are a collector, the tins which carried these products can still be found.
(1-5) Examples of V. Rigaud advertisements featuring Mary Garden and her line of cosmetics.
Geraldine Farrar: American soprano (28 Feb 1882 - 11 Mar 1967): Debut Berlin (Hofoper) 1901 as Marguerite. Created Amica (Mascagni), Goosegirl in Königskinder, Madame Sans-Gęne, Suor Angelica. Huge Metropolitan Opera career. "Jerry-flappers."
Mary Garden: Scottish soprano (20 Feb 1874 - 3 Jan 1967): Recommended by Sybil Sanderson to Carré of the Opéra-Comique (1900). Created Mélisande (1902), Leroux's la Reine Fiammette, Saint-Saëns's Hélčne, Massenet's Chérubin and Sapho, and Erlanger's Aphrodite. First American Thaďs.
Mary Garden as Salome.
Emma Trentini: Italian soprano (1878 - 23 Mar 1959): La Scala, London CG, Manhattan Opera (noted for her Musetta), and the toast of Broadway in Naughty Marietta (1906-09).
Carolina White: American soprano (23 Dec 1886 - 5 Oct 1961): Stage debut as Gutrune in Götterdämmerung (1908: Teatro San Carlo). First Chicago Minnie (La Fanciulla del West). First American Maliella (1912: I Gioielli della Madonna). Italian opera houses, Chicago, Boston, NY for operettas. Appeared in film, My Cousin Caruso (1918) opposite Enrico Caruso.