Henri Manuel cabinet card photograph of Sarah Bernhardt in 'Les Bouffons'

Gilt-edged cabinet card with photographer's blindstamps to the front and ornate lithograph printed by Grimaud; small paper label of Gaston Bernard at center. "Sarah Bernard" clumsily penned in upper margin, otherwise Near Fine with minor bumping at the corners.

An uncommon, and uncharacteristically unglamorous, portrait of Sarah Bernhardt in Miguel Zamacoïs' Les Bouffons, one of her few comedic performances. Henri Manuel was renowned for portrait photographs of performers and celebrities; he would become the official photographer of France from 1914 to 1944. A copy of the photo auctioned in 2013 was inscribed by Bernhardt (transpated from French), "This photograph is truly ugly, but since you like it, Mademoiselle, I have signed it."