This striking real photo postcard (RPPC) features silent film actress Marion Davies in a dramatic costume portrait, likely from a historical or fantasy-themed film. She gazes intently at the camera with a confident, mysterious expression, her curly hair peeking from beneath a richly embroidered headscarf. She wears a flowing velvet and gauzy dress with braided details, evoking medieval or Renaissance fashion. Printed in sepia tones, the card showcases Davies’ distinctive beauty and screen presence, which made her a star of the 1920s. In the lower right corner of the image is the credit “Fanamet-Film.” Fanamet was the European distribution arm of Paramount Pictures, active primarily in the 1920s and early 1930s. Based in Vienna, Fanamet handled the European marketing of American films, including those of Marion Davies. The postcard was published by Iris Verlag, a well-known German and Austrian publisher of film star postcards. The serial number 399-2 appears in the lower left corner. These cards were widely collected across Europe during the silent film era and are known for their excellent photographic clarity and elegant layouts. The reverse of the postcard shows a clear postmark: reading Tallinn, Estonia, and it is dated 1927. A rough translation of the Estonian message is as follows: “Dear young man, I wish you much happiness in the new year. May the coming year bring you joy and success.” This appears to be a New Year’s greeting, warm and personal, typical of the time.(SOLD)
This is an original vintage 2004 bebe Fall Collection advertising postcard/invitation featuring model and actress Olga Kurylenko, photographed during the period when she was an internationally successful fashion model shortly before her film career took off. The striking fashion portrait shows Kurylenko wearing an oversized black wide-brimmed hat, plaid tailored jacket and dramatic fur-trimmed collar, with the white bebe Fall Collection logo prominently printed across the image. The reverse reveals that this was an invitation to an exclusive preview of the new bebe & bebe Sport Fall Collection, held in 2004 in Austin, Texas. Kurylenko had already established herself as an important fashion model by this time, appearing in major fashion magazines and campaigns and becoming a face of several brands including Clarins, Helena Rubinstein, Roberto Cavalli and Kenzo. She subsequently made the transition to acting and became internationally famous playing opposite Daniel Craig’s James Bond in Quantum of Solace (2008). SOLD
These two matching cabinet cards form a particularly appealing husband-and-wife pair, photographed at Libby’s New Photograph Parlors in Keokuk, Iowa, probably during the 1880s or early 1890s. Both portraits are mounted on matching cream-colored cards with fine ruled borders and the distinctive “Libby’s New Photograph Parlors” imprint printed in red beneath the photographs. The fact that these two individual portraits have remained together as a married couple adds considerably to their historical and collecting interest. The woman is shown in an especially attractive late-Victorian portrait wearing a dark, richly decorated bodice over a high white lace or ruffled collar. She wears dangling earrings and additional jewelry at the front of her dress, while her hair is arranged in a remarkable and highly elaborate series of carefully formed curls and rolls across the crown of her head. Her hairstyle, jewelry, clothing, and exceptionally sharp facial detail make this a particularly good study of Victorian women’s fashion and hairstyling. A penciled notation on the reverse reads “Keokuk, Iowa,” further confirming the location associated with the photographs.Her husband is presented in a similarly formal head-and-shoulders portrait. He wears a dark suit coat, white shirt with broad turned-down collar, and a dark bow tie. His neatly combed hair, clean-shaven face, and restrained formal clothing give him the dignified appearance characteristic of a prosperous Victori an gentleman, and his portrait also has excellent sharpness and tonal detail.The photographer was Evelyn Porter Libby (E. P. Libby), one of Keokuk’s notable photographers in the decades following the Civil War. Libby moved to Keokuk with his wife Amanda and their three children in 1866, after previously operating photographic studios in Dubuque from 1857 to 1859 and Manchester, Iowa, from 1860 to 1865. He continued to maintain branch operations in Fairfield and Manchester after settling in Keokuk, with evidence suggesting that he may also have worked from branches in Hamilton and LaHarpe, Illinois. Portraiture was an important part of Libby’s business, but he also became well known for photographs of landscapes, buildings, and public works. His stereographic series titled “Western Views” is sought by collectors today, and he documented construction of the Mississippi River canal extending from Keokuk toward Montrose. Libby also wrote articles concerning the practical aspects of photography, showing that he was more than simply a local studio operator. When he died in 1895 at age 66, his obituary described him as a progressive photographer, capable chemist, and artist of more than average ability. Together, these portraits offer an unusually appealing glimpse of a Victorian husband and wife while also representing the work of an identifiable and historically significant Iowa photographer. The pair is in good antique condition overall. Both photographs retain excellent facial detail, contrast, and tonal quality. The woman’s card is the better-preserved of the two, showing light corner and edge wear, normal age toning, a few very small surface marks, and the penciled Keokuk notation on the reverse. The husband’s card shows more substantial wear at the upper corners, including areas of surface loss, staining, and glue residue from an earlier attachment, along with additional age-related marks visible on the reverse (See Scans).
This Vintage Real Photo Postcard is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $55.00 at auction
This striking late 19th-century cabinet card features a compelling double portrait of two well-dressed gentlemen, captured with clarity and quiet confidence by Hargrave of New York City. The image presents the men in formal attire—dark jackets, crisp white shirts, and bow ties—reflecting the refined fashion and dignified bearing of the era. One gentleman wears a full, neatly groomed beard, while the other sports a carefully styled mustache. Their expressions are composed and thoughtful, suggesting a studio portrait intended to convey both character and respectability. This photograph was taken during the vibrant photographic culture of Manhattan in the late 1800s. Note the elegant backmark, featuring a cherubic figure and decorative typography. Based on the style of dress, grooming, and mount design, this photograph likely dates to the late 1880s to early 1890s, a time when cabinet cards were at the height of their popularity. SOLD
This charming late-19th-century cabinet card features an exceptionally appealing young child posed in the photographic studio of James H. Reynolds of Burlington, Iowa, probably during the late 1880s to mid-1890s. The child stands beside an ornate wicker studio chair against a wonderfully elaborate painted backdrop, wearing a dark button-front outfit accented by an unusually large white lace collar. Particularly attractive details include the child’s broad-brimmed woven straw hat and high button-up leather boots, both excellent examples of children’s fashion from the Victorian period. Whether the child is a boy or girl is difficult to determine with certainty from the clothing alone, since young children of both sexes could be dressed similarly during this period. Period city directories clarify that James H. Reynolds maintained photographic studios on Jefferson Street in Burlington during the 1890s. Reynolds was already producing photographs in Burlington by the late 1880s, and surviving directory records place him at several downtown locations through at least 1896. Burlington itself was an important Mississippi River community and transportation center. By the period in which this photograph was made, river traffic and major railroad connections had transformed Burlington into an important commercial gateway between Chicago and the developing communities farther west. The cabinet card remains in very good antique condition overall. The photographic image is particularly strong, with excellent clarity, contrast and tonal detail. There is expected light wear to the mount, including minor corner and edge wear and a few small surface marks. The elaborate photographer’s imprint on the back remains clear and attractive (see scans).
This Cabinet Card photograph is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $28.00 at auction
This antique cabinet card photograph features a pretty young woman identified in pencil on the reverse as Mabel Graham, photographed by Washington Boyce of Danville, Illinois. Mabel is shown standing in an elegant studio setting beside a large decorative planter filled with leaves and flowers. To her left is a painted or constructed architectural column prop, adding a formal Victorian parlor atmosphere to the portrait. She wears a fitted late-19th-century dress with a high collar, dark pleated front panel, closely tailored sleeves, and a striking vertical row of light-colored decorative buttons down the bodice. Her hair is arranged high on her head in a fashionable Victorian style, and she faces the camera with a serious, composed expression. The photographer, Washington Boyce, is an interesting figure in the history of regional photography, having been referenced in connection with an 1894 Illinois breach-of-contract case involving the sale of a photographic studio and a non-compete clause. He was also noted in an 1886 photographic journal for holding a patent connected to an innovative photographic paper box. This cabinet card is a nice example of his Danville studio work. SOLD
This real photo postcard, produced by Cyko, features a striking studio portrait of a young couple, likely from the early 20th century. The woman stands confidently beside the seated man, her poised expression conveying warmth and quiet elegance. Her dark hair is styled neatly, framing a face with striking eyes and a delicate smile that suggests kindness and charm. She wears a long-sleeved satin dress with a high collar, adorned with a beautifully intricate lace sash draped across her torso, giving the impression of a special occasion, possibly a wedding. The man, seated with a composed and self-assured posture, has neatly combed hair and a gentle yet firm expression. His well-fitted suit, complete with a boutonnière of delicate flowers pinned to his lapel, adds to the formal nature of this portrait. His steady gaze and slight smile suggest a dependable and kind personality. Given the couple’s formal attire, the woman’s decorative sash, and the man’s floral embellishment, this could very well be a wedding portrait. The woman’s beauty is undeniable, with her graceful presence and confident stance adding to the timeless appeal of this image. The reverse side of the postcard contains a warm and somewhat wistful handwritten message from “Della Garlwait” to “Miss Martha Grossman” of South Wayne, Wisconsin. The message expresses anticipation for a visit and regret for not writing sooner, while also requesting an extra copy of a previously sent photograph. The casual yet heartfelt tone suggests close friendship or family ties. SOLD
“Madia! I’ve just met a girl named Madia. And suddenly that name. Will never be the same.” With apologies to Leonard Bernstein, I just couldn’t resist. Madia Borelli was a Belle Epoque Parisian dancer and actress. Borelli was one of the many Parisian stage performers, dancers, and theatrical beauties photographed by Leopold Reutlinger during the early 1900s. She was not a major international stars such as Cléo de Mérode or Cécile Sorel, but she is known from a number of postcard Reutlinger created. Reutlinger was one of the premier Paris studios for images of actresses, dancers, singers, and other performers.
Image 1 is a vintage real photo postcard featuring dancer Madia Borelli. She was a Parisian dancer and actress active in the early twentieth century. The photographer of this portrait of Miss Borelli was the famed photographer Leopold Reutlinger of Paris, France. The postcard was published by S.I.P., which is the Societe Industrielle de Photograpie of Rueil, France. The postcard is part of a series (no. 1239). (SOLD)
Image 2 is a striking risque vintage real photo postcard featuring Borelli, a Belle Époque Parisian dancer and actress, photographed by the famous Reutlinger studio of Paris. The postcard was published by S.I.P. (no.1339). This is a particularly beautiful and decorative theatrical postcard. Borelli is shown in an elaborate jeweled costume with an extraordinary crown-like headdress, large circular side ornaments, dangling jeweled chains, necklace ornaments, and richly decorated bodice. The image has attractive hand-coloring, especially the green and turquoise highlights in the jewels, which stand out dramatically against the dark background. Her serious expression and exotic stage costume give the portrait a very strong Belle Époque theatrical quality. The reverse of the card is postally used, with French stamps and a Grenoble postmark. The handwritten message is in French and the card was postmarked in 1906. This combination of Reutlinger photography, S.I.P. series numbering, postally used reverse, hand-coloring, and the highly ornate jeweled costume makes this a highly displayable card. (SOLD)
This is a WWII German “Sterbebild”, or death memorial card, honoring the life and sacrifice of Gefreiter (Corporal) Josef Thalhammer, who died on December 10, 1943, at the young age of 20, during combat in Russia. These cards were distributed to family, friends, and community members in memory of fallen soldiers. They are a poignant part of wartime German culture, often saved in family Bibles or photo albums. The front side features a portrait photograph of Thalhammer in his military uniform. His expression is youthful yet solemn, with a calm, determined look in his eyes. He wears the field cap and tunic of a Wehrmacht soldier, with visible insignia including the eagle-and-swastika emblem over the right breast pocket and collar tabs typical of an enlisted man in a Grenadier regiment. Below the photograph is a brief obituary: ” In Memory in Prayer of our dear son and brother Josef Thalhammer, son of a farmer from Westerskirchen, Gefreiter in a Grenadier Regiment, who on December 10, 1943, at the age of 20, met a hero’s death in Russia.” A poem follows, expressing grief and remembrance for a young hero buried in a distant field, ending with a reference to a brother who also died before him. The reverse side displays an illustration of a German soldier’s grave in the woods, marked with a cross and helmet. The inscription reads: “Gefreiter Josef Thalhammer killed on 10.12.1943 He was dear to us in life, we will not forget him even in death. The card is printed by Gebr. Geiselberger, Vilsbiburg (a Bavarian print house known for producing such cards), and bears the code HCoM 109. What are these cards? Known as “Sterbebilder” or “Totenbildchen”, these small memorial cards were traditionally printed in Germany, Austria, and Catholic regions of Europe. During WWII, they were commonly issued for fallen soldiers and distributed at memorial services or mailed to relatives. They typically feature a portrait of the deceased on one side and a prayer, obituary, or poem on the reverse.(SOLD)
This appealing real photo postcard captures a lively outdoor scene of two young women posed with their bicycles while standing on a small wooden footbridge in what appears to be a rural park or countryside setting. The photograph presents a relaxed moment of recreation from the early twentieth century and reflects the growing popularity of cycling as both sport and leisure during this period. The two women stand side by side on their bicycles facing the camera. Both wear light-colored cloche-style caps or bathing caps, a fashionable accessory of the 1920s that helped keep hair neatly in place during outdoor activities. The woman on the left smiles broadly, giving the image a cheerful and spontaneous feeling. She wears a cardigan-style jacket over a dress or skirt, her hands comfortably resting on the handlebars as she balances the bicycle on the bridge. Her companion on the right wears a loose striped dress with wide sleeves, a garment that reflects the relaxed silhouettes typical of the flapper era. Her expression is more reserved, though still friendly, as she looks directly toward the camera. Both women appear confident and self-assured, embodying the increasingly independent spirit of young women in the 1920s who embraced new freedoms in fashion, mobility, and recreation. The bicycles themselves are classic road bicycles of the era with upright handlebars and narrow tires, and the wooden bridge beneath them—constructed with simple railings and planked boards—adds a picturesque quality to the composition. Behind them a sloping grassy bank and dense trees frame the scene, suggesting a quiet country lane or park pathway. The reverse of the card shows the imprint “LEONAR 4365.” The Leonar name refers to photographic postcard paper manufactured by Leonar-Werke Arndt & Löwengard of Wandsbek near Hamburg, Germany, a company active from the early twentieth century until its later merger with Agfa. Leonar postcard papers were widely used throughout Europe and were particularly common from roughly the 1910s through the 1930s. The photographer of this photo could have been a local studio or even an amateur photographer. Based on the women’s clothing, their caps, and the casual outdoor sporting theme, this photograph was most likely taken in the 1920s, during the height of the cycling and outdoor recreation craze of the interwar period. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 