Betty Darmand

Little is known about actress Betty Darmand, of whom in the 1900s countless German, French and Austrian postcards were made by Rotophot and other brands.


German postcard by SBW (?), no. 0973/74.


Austrian postcard in the Wiener Rotophot series, no. 2319.


Austrian postcard in the Wiener Rotophot series, no. 2319.


German postcard by Rotophot, no. 1528/2.

The new star of the Berliner Oper

Who was Betty Darmand?

An October 1907 issue of the German periodical, Die Woche, identified Darmand as a French beauty on the German stage.

In the same month, the Prager Tageblatt identified her as the new star of the Berliner Oper. Among her stage successes was the Operetta 'Die Dollarprinzessin' (1907-1908) by Leo Fall, with Joseph Josephi and Edith Whitney.

She was listed in the Berlin Metropol-Theater section of the 1908 Neuer Theater Almanach as 'Mlle. Darmand'.

Renowned German photographers such as Georg Gerlach portrayed her and Ernst Schneider photographed her in 1911 for the magazine Das Weib.


German postcard by GG Co., Serie 450/5. Photo: Georg Gerlach.


German postcard by GG Co., Serie 460/4. Photo: Georg Gerlach.


German postcard by GG Co., Serie 460/3. Photo: Georg Gerlach.


German postcard by GG Co., Serie 511/3. Photo: Georg Gerlach.

The films of a Fashion Queen

According to IMDb, Betty Darmand only acted in three films, in the 1910s.

She first appeared in two productions by Paul Davidson for PAGU/ Union: Börse und Adel/Stock Market and Nobility (Felix Basch, 1916), opposite Harry Liedtke and Hermann Vallentin, and the film comedy Die Laune einer Modekönigin/The Whims of a Fashion Queen (Felix Basch, 1916), opposite Harry Liedtke, Albert Paulig and Manny Ziener.

Both films were well published in the German and Austrian press. Referencing her film career, a 1917 issue of Die Fackel describes Die Launen einer Modekönigin as a film that allows viewers to admire the well-known model, Betty Darmand.

In the Austrian press, Darmand herself was presented as a fashion queen.

In her last film, Hotel Esplanade (Karin Swanström, 1919), Betty Darmand impersonated the role of the Marquise de Barrini opposite Paul Bildt and Grit Hegesa.


German postcard by Photochemie, Berlin, no. K. 1383. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin.


German postcard by Photochemie, Berlin, no. K. 1523. Photo: Ernst Schneider, Berlin.


German postcard by Photochemie, Berlin, no. K. 1526. Photo: Ernst Schneider, Berlin.


German postcard by Photochemie, Berlin, no. K. 1382. Photo: Alex Binder, Berlin.

Sources: Thomas Staedeli (Cyranos) and IMDb.