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“A Letter from Erte”
Finding a Treasure of Historical Pierre Imans Mannequin Photos
By Marsha Bentley Hale

Photo below: Romain de Tirtoff better known as Erte (1892-1990)
Photos courtesy of Erte.

This is the first of a series of articles I call The Mannequin Adventures. Over the years I have amassed a collection of photos and articles relating to the evolution of the display mannequin. Along the way I have met wonderful people who shared their artistry, knowledge and support as I pursued my treasure hunt to discover pieces to the puzzle of the genealogy of “plastic people.” This piece honors some of my mentors and other talented people I have been lucky to know.

LOS ANGELES, Oct 14, 2004/ FW/ --- One of the treasured letters in my archives dealing with the history of mannequins is handwritten from the Russian born artist Romain de Tirtoff better known as Erte (1892-1990).

The style and elegance of Erte’s theatrical costume design and fashion illustrations is unmistakable. I wrote a letter to him inquiring whether he had designed mannequins for the Parisian manufacturer Pierre Imans who manufactured an exquisite line of mannequins dating back to the early 20th century.

Erte sent a straightforward handwritten letter back to me.

This is the journey of how I received a “letter from Erte.”

A gallery of Erte’s art can be seen at www.Erte.com.

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Previous: A Dummy Gets Into Kettering University Next: “A Letter from Erte”:Finding a Treasure of Historical Pierre Imans Mannequin Photos II
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Written August 12, 2004, Last updated October 14, 2004 fashionwindows.com,Inc.© 1997-2009

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