Julian Mandel or Julien Mandelbaum is one of the most famous commercial photographers of female nudes of the early twentieth century. Born to Jewish parents in Alsace, he was drawn to Paris as a young man at the age of about 28, where his photographs became well known in the early twentieth century. By the mid-1930s, his coveted depictions were being published by renowned French publishers and the German-based "Neue Fotografische Gesellschaft" (New Photographic Society). With his elaborately designed nudes, he produced erotic postcards for over 25 years to earn a living. The depicted models are thereby mostly photographed in high-quality arranged, revealing poses, are characterized by exquisite color tones and are artfully composed, while soft lighting and the skillful play with light and shadow create a special contrast.

The coveted nude photographs were specially produced as inconspicuous postcards in the appropriate handy format and marketed as such. However, they were very popular at the time because their practical format made them easy to place in jacket pockets, packages and books. Despite these staid times, he signed his works, which were frowned upon by bourgeois society, as one of the few artists often to do so, with a stamp or the words J. Mandel on the front. In the wake of the Nazi persecution of the Jews, which was becoming more and more evident throughout Europe, Julian Mandel left his then-wife, their son, and France forever in 1935. He emigrated to Brazil where, along with friends, he helped other Jews fleeing France to emigrate to the United States, Brazil and numerous other countries on the South American continent. He smuggled many, especially to Brazil, where he soon started a new family. Julian Mandel concealed the fact that he was Jewish, no doubt to help other Jews flee to escape the Nazis. Unfortunately, not very much is known about the mysterious artist. Much information from his time in Paris can be corroborated by his work, but what he did later in South America to maintain his existence financially is less known. What is certain is that he never returned to Europe and spent the rest of his life in Recife / Brazil, where he died at the age of 68. At the time, under this name, he is a well-known figure in early nude photography and leaves behind a wife and 3 children. Nevertheless, it is believed to this day that his name was only a pseudonym and he kept his real name secret throughout his life.