SILENT FILM STAR SANDRA MILOVANOFF

This real photo vintage postcard features actress Sandra Milovanoff (1892-1957). Although she was Russian born, she was known for her roles in French cinema, particularly during the silent era. Milovanoff was very passionate about classical dance and attended a number of dance schools in St. Petersburg. She then joined the dance company of Anna Pavlova. She toured varied European cities but left Russia in 1917 in order to flee the Bolshevik Revolution. She went with her family to Monte Carlo where she played a small role in a film. She was noticed by French director Louis Feuillade who began using her in films. She had much success in film until the arrival of sound movies which basically destroyed her career. The IMDb credits her with 28 film roles between 1917 and 1950. Her films include “Les Miserables” (1925), “My Crimes After Mein Kampf” (1940), and “The Private Life of an Actor” (1948). A sample of her work can be seen in the video seen below (“In The Night” (1929) starring Sandra Milovanoff and Charles Vanel). This postcard was published by Cinemagazine in Paris, France and is part of a series (No. 114).

Published in: on September 9, 2017 at 6:41 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A FASHIONABLE GENTLEMAN IN THE RESORT TOWN OF TORQUAY, ENGLAND

This cabinet card features a fashionable clean-cut gentleman posing for a studio portrait. His nice clothing indicates that he was a well-to-do man. Perhaps he was on vacation at the time of this photograph. He was photographed by James C. Dinham who operated the Gainsboroough Gallery in Torquay, England. Torquay is a seaside resort town located on the English Channel in southwest England. This gentleman may have been staying at one of the local resorts. A photograph of Dinham’s studio can be seen below. The photograph was taken in 1918 and the gallery is decorated for Armistice Day. The image and further information can be found at the Devon Heritage Site on the internet. Dinham established his business in the 1890’s. He had a very distinguished clientele but his gallery bordered a very poor area of the city. The residents lived in “ancient tenements” and were poor and lived in squalor. Dinham visited this neighborhood and took many photographs of colorful characters and street scenes. He gave these photos catchy titles but in truth, Dinham was engaging  in photo journalism. He was one of the pioneers in this field of photography. In researching Mr. Dinham, it was found that he began his studio 1881. The source reports that the gallery closed in about 1910 only to become “Dinham & Sons” which operated from 1910 until about 1939. Research also found that Dinham was cited in “Photography” (1898) for photographing the Duke of York during one of the Duke’s visits to Torbay (the Borough which includes Torquay).  SOLD

Published in: on September 8, 2017 at 2:05 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG AND PRETTY WOMAN IN BUCHAREST, ROMANIA (PHOTO BY JULIETTA STUDIO)

A pretty young woman, holding a bouquet of flowers, poses for her portrait at a studio in Bucharest, Romania. Printing on the reverse of this real photo postcard reveals that the photographer was Julietta, an appointed  photographer of Romania’s royal court. This postcard is dated 1914.   (SOLD)

Published in: on September 3, 2017 at 12:08 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG MOTHER AND HER TWO CHILDREN IN DRESDEN, GERMANY

This carte de visite portrait features a pretty mother and her two adorable children. The older child, a boy, is wearing a nautical style outfit. The younger child, likely a girl, is wearing a necklace. The mother in this image is wearing a most interesting dress. The flower and large polka dot pattern is more “busy” than usually seen in photographs from this era. The photographer of this image is James Buchanan Aurig (1857-1935). He operated studios in Dresden, Germany. Aurig’s self portrait can be seen below. Aurig began working as a photographer at the age of 15 in Chemnitz. In 1878 he workied for photographer Johannes Schumacher in Dresden. He next worked with various Dresden photographers. He opened his first photographic studio in 1887. He photographed portraits, wedding photos, and current events. At the turn of the century he began to travel with his photographic equipment to the homes of famous Dresden residents to produce home portraits. He also was known for his architectural photographs. He was one of the most prominent photographers in Dresden at the turn of the century. One wonders if James Buchanon Aurig was named after the 15th US President, James Buchanan (1791-1868). Buchanan was the US President between 1857 and 1861. Aurig was born in 1857, the first year of Buchanan’s presidency. Based on the dates I just cited, it’s very likely the photographer was named after the President.   (SOLD)

Self Portrait of Photographer James B. Aurig

Published in: on September 1, 2017 at 12:45 pm  Comments (2)  
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