SIGNATURE OF JULIE VLASTO ON A PHOTOGRAPH TAKEN BY GENIA - EN ESPAÑA

Portrait of Penelope Julie Vlastos (greek origin, name changed to "Vlasto" in France), also known as Diddie Vlasto. Though she's practicing ballet dancing, another of her hobbies, on this photograph, Julie Vlasto is best known for her tennis performances during the 1920s. Born in Marseille, France, on April 8th, 1903, Julie Vlasto won the silver medal during the Paris Olympic Games in 1924. Together with French greatest female tennis player of all time, Suzanne Lenglen, she also won Roland-Garros women's doubles twice in a row in 1925 and 1926 (some unverified sources say that Diddie and Suzanne were also lovers). Diddie Vlasto became the n°1 French tennis player in 1926. Julie is the daughter of Michaïl Vlastos (1874-1936), a greek businessman from an old aristocratic family in Greece. In 1932, he founded the "Friends of the National Museum of Athens" and remained its President until his death. As an artist, he owned a collection of 760 greek artworks (paintings, vases, sculptures...) The collection was then given to Diddie and hidden in the basement of her house during the Nazi invasion. The house was taken by the Germans, but the Red Cross intervened and managed to give the collection back to their owners. After Diddie passed away in 1985, the entire collection was given to the National Archaeological Museum of Athens, in accordance with Diddie's father will. The photograph was taken by famous photographer Genia Reinberg, who made portraits of scientist and mathematician Albert Einstein, french actor Charles Dullin, physicist Paul Langevin or doctor Edmond Sergent from the Pasteur Institute. On the cardboard, a stamp "Photo-Studio, Genia Reinberg, 39 boulevard St-Jacques, Paris". Autograph: "Souvenir sympathique, Diddie Vlasto" (could be translated by "Kind regards and remembrances, Diddie Vlasto") The photograph is sticked on a cardboard, under glass. A few stains on the photograph, the frame is not in very good condition. Around 1920. Dimensions: - Photograph only: 17 x 22.5cm (6.7" x 8.8") - Frame: 28.5 x 35cm (11.2" x 13.8")