Sarah Bernhardt as Hamlet (c.1899)
The actress Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923) was born in Paris and began her acting career in 1862. She quickly earned the title "The Divine Sarah," and was perhaps the most famous actress of the nineteenth century. In 1899, she played the title role in Hamlet, which opened in Paris and toured for two years across Europe. This photo is from that period. In 1900, she also played Hamlet in her first film, Le Duel d'Hamlet , which was played alongside cylinders of recorded dialogue.