Sarah Bernhardt Photo Postcard

Sarah Bernhardt (1844–1923) was a French stage actress, and has been referred to as "the most famous actress in the history of the world" and earned the nickname "The Divine Sarah."

Her parents were Jewish, but she was raised in a Catholic convent. Bernhardt was perhaps the most acclaimed actress of the 19th century. She had a spectacularly successful acting career in France and then went to England in 1876 where she soon became the leading actress of the London stage, making annual appearances.

She made visits to America in the 1880s and there were two world tours during the 1890s. She asked Oscar Wilde in 1892 to write a play for her. Wilde wrote Salome for her, but the Lord Chamberlain banned it before it could be played.

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