01/06/2026
Absolutely one of my most favourite items in my shop...
This extremely rare, late 19th Century Stereoview of "Aïcha" is a fascinating historical item that connects the golden era of Parisian cabaret directly to French music royalty.
It captures a young Emma Saïd Ben Mohamed, an Algerian-descended circus artist and singer who performed in the early years of The under the stage name "Aïcha".
The item dates to the approximate time when Henri de used Aïcha as a model in his famous 1895 painting "La Danse mauresque" (The Moorish Dance). Aïcha is depicted sitting directly behind her friend, La Goulue, watching her perform.
Aïcha’s fame later increased as she became the maternal grandmother of the legendary French singer . For a short, volatile period she was even the infant Piaf's primary caregiver when Piaf's mother abandoned her shortly after her birth (in December 1915).
Altogether this is a very rare, and uniquely collectable stereoscopic card from the heyday of The Moulin Rouge.
The image is on tissue and handcoloured on the reverse, for viewing by holding up to the light. It gives 2 viewing options, a sepia image at first looks, but coloured when backlit.
Also known as a "Diaphanotype". It features the familiar red Moulin Rouge Windmill and name, and on the reverse the sitter is named as "77 Aicha".
The card is sadly not in the best condition, showing age wear and some tissue damage, as is common with this type of delicate stereo view, but it remains a fascinating piece of Belle Époque ephemera with an incredible history, a unique and valuable piece of Parisian and French social history.
The card is marked "B.K. edit", which helps date the card to the mid 1890s. Original Belle Époque stereoviews specifically branded for individual Moulin Rouge performers by B.K. Edit do not come up for sale very often. It is a genuinely rare photograph.
