Program cover from the Marigny Théâtre, located at the intersection of the Champs-Élysées and Avenue Marigny in Paris. The artwork is by the French painter Raymond Tournon, who died at the age of 49 in 1919 during the flu epidemic.
The Marigny Théâtre, which still operates today, was constructed in 1883 to house a panorama from designs by Charles Garnier, the architect of the Paris Opera House. It was converted to a theater in 1894 by architect Edouard Niermans.
The program is for a performance of the play “La Bohèmienne” starring the famous Spanish actress, dancer, and courtesan La Belle Otero (1868-1965). A popular stage actress of the day, she was even more famous for her numerous lovers including Kaiser Wilhelm II, Prince Albert I of Monaco, King Edward VII, King Alfonso XIII of Spain, and the Russian Grand Dukes Peter and Nicholas.
The program is from a collection of ephemera gathered by members of the Frederick Otis family who made frequent trips to Europe and resided at 2033 S. Prairie Avenue for more than six decades.