Salle Garnier, Monte Carlo, Monaco, ca 1920-1930s
The number 772 and MONTE CARLO – Le Théȃtre et les Terrasses appears at the lower left corner on the reverse. On the back center line: L. Gilletta et Cie, photo-édit, Nice [France]. It is difficult to date the card but given the clothing the people are wearing it appears that it would be in the 1920s or early 1930s. The unused black & white photo postcard is one of several shared by friends K & J.
The photograph shows part of the seaside front of the Salle Garnier, named after the architect, Charles Garnier. It is an opera house with the main public entrance located in the Monte Carlo Casino. It seats 524 and opened in 1879. Salle Garnier continues to be a venue for conferences and performance arts and where the Monte Carlo Ballet and Philharmonic Orchestra regularly perform. It was not originally designed for opera but was used for that purpose and the stage area was remodeled in 1899 to make it more suitable for the opera.
Monte Carlo Casino, Monaco
This second black & white unused postcard has the number 876 – MONTE CARLO – Le Casino d’Été at the lower left corner on the reverse. The Monte Carlo Casino is a gambling and entertainment complex that includes the opera house. The Casino opened in 1865. The House of Grimaldi was facing possible bankruptcy due to breakaway towns that no longer paid taxes on olive oil and fruit. The idea of opening a gambling casino was proposed by Princess Caroline, wife of Prince Florestan, as a way to replace the lost taxes with revenue from gambling. The ruling royal family still has a majority interest in the Casino. The citizens of Monaco are not allowed to enter the gaming rooms of the casino. The Casino has undergone expansions and renovations. Today Casino de Monte Carlo and tourism have been the primary source of income for the House of Grimaldi and the Monegasque economy.
As always, thanks go to K & J for sharing the cards.
For additional information, see:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Op%C3%A9ra_de_Monte-Carlo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monte_Carlo
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mounte_Carlo_Casino
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