290 - THÉO (Louise), née Cécile Piccolo (1854–1922). French opera singer. Autographed visiting card signed to a friend, regarding a reservation for a performance.

THÉO (Louise), née Cécile Piccolo (1854–1922). French opera singer. Autographed visiting card signed to a friend, regarding a reservation for a performance. No place, no date [Paris, late 19th or early 20th century]. Autograph visiting card signed “Louise Théo,” 2 handwritten pages in brown ink on flexible cardstock. A charming autograph card from the famous operetta singer Louise Théo, addressed to a friend whom she asks to reserve two seats for the following Wednesday, while expressing her reluctance to bother him. “My dear friend, would you be so kind as to reserve two seats for me on Wednesday, at the front of a row? Thank you in advance, and a thousand warm regards. I haven’t been out in 15 days!” The card also includes a few words of thanks and an affectionate closing, reflecting the personal and professional relationships the singer maintained within the Parisian entertainment scene. Louise Théo, whose real name was Cécile Piccolo, was one of the most acclaimed performers of French operetta in the late 19th century. She began her career in the café-concerts of the Champs-Élysées before making a name for herself on the Parisian stage. She was particularly noted for her performances in the works of Jacques Offenbach and created the title role in *Pomme d’api* as well as that of *La Jolie Parfumeuse*. An interesting document for the history of the performing arts and Parisian artistic social life during the Belle Époque. Some slight signs of handling. Dense, rapid handwriting, with several passages crossed out.