THE CABINET CARD GALLERY

This is a striking early real photo postcard portrait captioned “Halloway Sisters,” showing three young women posed closely together in theatrical fashion, very likely a sister act or stage trio from the Edwardian/music-hall era. The women wear pale, gauzy stage dresses with matching headbands and oversized floral ornaments, giving the image the look of a publicity portrait for singers, dancers, or light theatrical performers. Their carefully arranged hair, soft-focus studio lighting, and coordinated costumes all point toward a professional entertainment postcard rather than an ordinary family portrait. A fairly broad search for the Halloway Sisters was not able to firmly identify this exact trio. The reverse bears a green Netherlands 2½ cent stamp. The circular postal cancellation is from The Hague, and the date is 1913. In regard to the condition, the image side has good contrast and strong theatrical presence, with visible age wear including corner and edge wear and a noticeable diagonal crease near the upper left area by the printed caption. There is also some light spotting and wear in the image, particularly toward the right side and along the borders. The reverse shows normal postal handling and ink cancellations. Overall, it remains a very displayable and collectible early theatrical postcard (See Scans).

This vintage Postcard is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $9.95 or best offer

Interested collectors may view the listing here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/236818880579

This antique carte de visite photograph presents a finely composed Victorian-era portrait of a seated woman photographed by Hansen & Weller of Copenhagen, Denmark. The portrait shows a thoughtful, well-dressed woman seated in a studio setting, holding what appears to be a folded letter or packet of papers in her hands. She wears a dark fitted dress with a light collar and cuffs, a brooch or decorative fastening at the throat, and her hair is neatly arranged in the restrained style of the period. Her expression is serious and composed, with the quiet formality often seen in nineteenth-century portrait photography. One of the photographers of this cdv portrait is George Emil Hansen (1833-1891). He was a pioneer Danish photographer. His father and brother were also photographers. He won photography awards in London (1862) and Berlin (1865). Hansen was the photographer of the Danish Royal Family. His photographic work spanned from 1856 through 1891. The card likely dates from the 1870s or 1880s, based on the CDV format, the typography, the woman’s dress, and the style of the studio mount and backmark. This CDV shows age-appropriate wear. The mount has light edge and corner wear. The photographic image has surface marks visible near the upper right of the image area. The reverse is clean overall with a very nice decorative studio imprint. Overall, this is a pleasing Danish CDV with strong visual character and an attractive Copenhagen photographer’s backmark (see scans).

This carte de visite portrait is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $16.00 or best offer

Interested collectors may view the listing here:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/336585262595

This is a lovely antique lithographic theatrical postcard picturing Miss Florence Warde, a British stage performer associated with the musical comedy and pantomime stage of the Edwardian era.  Among her roles, were appearances in “Spring Chicken” at the Gaiety Theatre in 1905 and “Sinbad” at Drury Lane in 1906. The card was published by Raphael Tuck & Sons as part of Tuck’s “Celebrities of the Stage” series. The front presents Warde in a beautifully hand-colored or color-tinted theatrical portrait, wearing an elaborate pink costume with a large feathered headpiece, curled hair, and a dramatic upward gaze. The image has soft lighting, theatrical glamour, and a carefully posed expression meant to suggest both beauty and stage presence. The publisher’s information on the reverse identifies this as part of the “Glossō” Postcard Series 5756. The “Glossō” series cards were known for their glossy finish and their attractive color work. The card was postally used in Great Britain, with a green King Edward VII halfpenny stamp and a clear Leicester postmark dated 1907. SOLD