LOUIS GALICE (DATES UNKNOWN) BORSCHA BORISCHKA. Circa 1895. 48 3/4x35 1/2 inches. Ch. Levy, Paris. Condition B+: minor repaired tears and restoration at edges. This poster for a performer reflects the craze for all things Russian that swept Paris after the Franco-Russian alliance in 1892. This young performer even adopted a curious, sing-song name to capitalize on the popularity of the Slavic state. That her fame doesn't extend past this poster suggests that she adapted a new personality and stage name once the Russian crazed died down. Transformers (fast changers) were very popular acts in the early days of Music Halls, so much so that Fregoli, an Italian quick-change artist, became world famous with his act. Charles Levy was one of the most important purveyors of posters for show business in Paris in the 1890s. Employing a string of talented lithographers, the posters he produced were largely anonymous. This one was designed by Louis Galice, about whom little is known except that he worked with different printers around Paris and, for a time, ran his own studio.
