A photographic album (incomplete) belonging to Helena Rubinstein, featuring private photos from various periods in her life, as well as people accompanying her. The album consists of seven pages, containing twenty-seven photographs. It does not form a deliberate composition, in the traditional sense, of a family album. The absence of chronology and organisation of the images suggests a sense of randomness in their arrangement.
These are mainly photographs of Helena Rubinstein and her first husband, Edward William Titus, as well as group photos taken during their winter leisure activities. Precisely dating the photographs in this album is challenging because of the lack of captions. However, it is certainly possible to date the album to the first half of the 20th century, slightly extending beyond its boundaries, such as the late 19th century, when Helena Rubinstein emigrated to Australia in around 1896, and into the third quarter of the 20th century. The first page of the album contains six photos, not only from different periods of Helena Rubinstein's life, but also of various types.
In the upper part of the page, there are three portrait photographs of Helena Rubinstein which were taken in a photographic studio, most likely in the 1930s. The woman is posing in elegant outfits. In the photograph on the left, Helena Rubinstein is sitting on a stool, facing the camera. It is a 3/4 portrait (to the knees). She is dressed in a dark, long-sleeved shirt with a light polka-dot pattern, a V-neckline and a dark skirt. She is wearing wears a modest headpiece. Her hands are clasped on her lap, and a ring is visible on one of her fingers.
Next to this photo are two similar portraits taken in different poses. Helena Rubinstein is wearing a light, long gown. Her shoulders are covered by a flowing scarf. She is sitting sideways on a stool with a cushion, resting her elbows on a studio table. Helena Rubinstein is showcasing elaborate jewellery on her wrists and hands - bracelets and a ring. Her ears are adorned with elegant earrings. Her hair is styled in a neat bouffon at the back, with smooth strands framing the front of her face, adding to her chic appearance.
The photographs glued to the lower part of the card most likely come from Helena Rubinstein’s Australian period. These photos were taken outdoors near water, with a mountainous landscape in the background. They form a series of photos taken on the same day. All the photos have white borders along the edges.
In the first photo, glued to the left edge of the card, two women are posing. The first woman from the left is Helena Rubinstein and, beside her, sitting on a polished surface, is an unknown woman wearing a hat and a light dress. Helena Rubinstein is dressed in a patterned ankle-length dress with long sleeves and a V-neckline, gathered at the waist with a narrow leather belt. She is wearing a hat with a wide brim. This is a close-up portrait of the women.
In the remaining two photographs, Helena Rubinstein is wearing the same outfit and headwear. The next photo (in the centre) depicts Helena Rubinstein (portrait to the knees), standing on the waterfront with a small cruise ship in the background and a mountain behind it. The last one (on the right) shows Helena Rubinstein sitting sideways on the waterfront on a polished surface, facing the photographer. It is a full-body portrait against a landscape. The photograph has a missing corner in the upper right.
On the second page of the album, there are pasted three portrait photographs of Helena Rubinstein. Along the upper edge of the page, there are two similar outdoor portraits of Helena Rubinstein. These photographs express her modest elegance, portrayed in a simple, light-coloured, double-breasted jacket, with a skirt which reaches the ankles and light-coloured shoes. Her head is adorned with a hat with an upturned brim, decorated with a wide ribbon tied in a bow on the side.
In the photo (on the left side of the page), the woman stands on the waterfront, probably by a canal or river. A boat, with an Australian flag, is visible near the shore. The background consists of trees on the opposite bank. In the second photo (on the right), Helena Rubinstein stands on a path leading to a building, which is obscured by bushes that form the backdrop of the photograph. Both photos have a white border along each edge.
At the bottom of the card, there is a small-format portrait of Helena Rubinstein (bust shot) wearing a hat, taken indoors. The woman is wearing an open, outer garment, underneath which she has a dark-coloured blouse. Her neck is adorned with a string of coral beads.
On the third page are pasted four photographs from different periods. The photograph in the upper right corner comes from the series of images at the beginning of the album. It is a full-length portrait of a man, in a hat, on horseback, with a mountainous landscape in the background. The photo was taken from the side in close-up. The man on the horse is Helena Rubinstein's first husband, Edward William Titus, whom she met in Australia.
In the upper left corner, there is a group photo taken under a roof at a table, behind which Helena Rubinstein is sitting, probably with her sons Roy and Horace Titus. An unidentified man is sitting next to her and an unidentified woman is sitting behind the table. The photo has a white border around each edge.
The photo is probably from the late 1920s or early 1930s. Below is a portrait of an unidentified man in a suit and hat, holding a child, outdoors. In the lower right corner is a portrait of Edward William Titus indoors, sitting at a desk against a backdrop of bookshelves, in his bookstore and publishing house at rue 4 Delambre in Paris. The photo was taken around 1925.
On the fourth page of the album, there are four photos. Two of them (in the upper part of the page on the left side) come from a series of photos from the first page of the album. They are two full-length outdoor portraits of Edward William Titus, taken at the same location as the portraits of Helena Rubinstein -– by the waterfront with a mountain landscape in the background.
In one photo, the man stands facing the photographer, with his hands behind his back. In the other, he sits sideways on a post, with his face turned toward the lens. The man is dressed in a jacket, shirt, tie, breeches, knee-high socks, and shoes. Both photos were taken on the same day. The third photo (on the right) shows Edward William Titus, possibly with his son. It is a full-length portrait in close-up, taken in front of a building with window blinds in the background. The man is dressed in a suit, shirt, tie, and shoes. He places his left hand on the back of the boy standing next to him. The child is wearing a sailor-style shirt, shorts, knee-high socks, and shoes. The portrait was most likely taken in the United States in the early 20th century.
At the bottom of the page, a photo from a sled race on ice is pasted. In the foreground, a group of four boys participates in an amateur competition, observed by a crowd of people. The boys are lying on sleds face down, each holding a tool with a blade in their left hand to push off. One boy is wearing ice skates.
On the fifth page of the album, on the right-hand side, are pasted two group photos, showing elegantly dressed people skiing, spending their free time during the winter holidays. These photos reference the one from the fourth page of the album. Below is a smaller group photo of two women and two men, unrecognised, taking a walk outdoors. Another photo of similar size shows four people (two women, two men) on horseback in an American town. In the upper left corner, there are two portraits of a man, most likely Edward William Titus. One portrait was taken outdoors, and the other, a half-length portrait, was taken indoors in Paris.
On the sixth page of the album, in the upper part, there is a photograph of Helena Rubinstein posing in the square in front of the ST. Mark’s Basilica in Venice. She is dressed in a light, patterned, knee-length dress with short sleeves, gathered at the waist with a wide fabric belt, which is tied at the side of the dress. Her head is adorned with a wide-brimmed hat. She is wearing a long necklace around her neck. The woman stands amongst pigeons, holding her right hand out in front of her, with a pigeon sitting on her hand. Below, there is a photo of a group of people skiing, which is a duplicate of the photo from the previous page. In the centre of the page, there is a gap where a photo has been removed from the album.
On the seventh page, are pasted two photos. Near the top edge, there is a photograph of a woman and two men in a hallway inside a building - the individuals are unrecognised. Below, there is a smaller-format photo of a boy posing next to a cannon.
Monika Harchut
