DESIGNER UNKNOWN LES SOEURS LAFFONT'S. Circa 1900. 29 1/2x43 1/2 inches, 75x110 cm. Camis, Paris. Condition B / B+: doscoloration and minor restoration along vertical and horizontal folds; foxing in image. Quick-change artists, known as "transformists" became all the rage in Paris in 1896, when Leopoldo Fregoli first performed his astonishing act, changing costumes as many as sixty times in a single performance. His success spawned many imitators, amongst them the Laffont sisters. If the history of their advertising is any measure, they certainly achieved a modicum of fame themselves as Alfred Choubrac also designed a poster for their act (see Reims 577). This image was designed by an in-house lithographer at Camis, whose artisans were never allowed to sign their work.
