L'héritage Crac-Fort[1902-1903]fre"L'héritage Crac-Fort," a series of 10 postcards illustrating and parodying the story of Thérèse Humbert: "L'affaire Humbert," the notorious swindler of French celebrities. The title of the series is a pun on the family name of Thérèse Humbert's supposed American benefactor, Crawford, from whom she claimed to have received her enormous, fabricated, and unavailable fortune. "Crac fort" is a popular, familiar expression for a sudden loud noise or sensation, either literal or metaphoricalDates from postmarks and manuscript notes.Accompanied by translation.Also available in original print http://morris.law.yale.edu/record=b1454250Digital reproduction. New Haven, Connecticut: Yale Law Library, 2019 LM ZA Postcards v.2 no.14 tall.Online resource; description based on print version record. Thérèse Humbert, a woman of humble origins with limited education and meager means, executed an elaborate swindle that endured for nearly two decades. She accomplished this by deceiving prominent figures in French society who willingly entrusted their fortunes to her in hopes of substantial returns. They, in turn, enriched her considerably, and until her scheme unraveled, she lived a life of opulence and admiration. However, when the falsehoods underpinning her schemes were exposed, she garnered significant public attention, albeit not for admiration. Unrepentant even in the face of her downfall, Thérèse delighted the public during her trial. Plump, jolly, and as good-humored as ever, she entertained her lawyer with witty asides in the courtroom. Her story continues to be recounted in modern times through books, articles, and the 1983 French movie "Thérèse Humbert," in which Simone Signoret portrays her.