POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)
POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)
Sari Petrass (1888-1930) was a Hungarian operetta actress and singer. She played leading soprano parts during the 1910’s and 1920’s. She appeared all over the globe. She gave performances in Budapest, Vienna, London, and Broadway. In 1911 she made her debut as a lead singer in a show in Budapest. The show became an international hit. Petrass wasted little time learning to sing in English. She performed in “Gipsy Love” (1912) at England’s Daly’s Theatre. The show ran for 299 performances. She next appeared at Daly’s in “The Marriage Market” (1913). This postcard features her in the role of “Mariposa Gilroy” in that show. She appeared alongside Gertie Millar. Interestingly, Petrass was a skillful horse rider and had an opportunity to ride a donkey in the opening scene of the play. The show ran for 423 performances. A photo from the show can be seen below. Sari Petrass and her costar, Robert Michaelis are seen in the photograph. In 1916, Petrass was the subject of a rumor in America. It was falsely reported that she was executed in Hungary for being a British spy during World War 1. It was “fake news”. In late 1916, she moved to New York where she starred in “Miss Springtime” at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway. In 1917, she married a Long Island stock broker named Felix Augustus Eugene Sommerhoff. Sommerhoff was the nephew of composer Robert Schumann. Petrass continued performing after her marriage. In 1930, Sari Petrass and a friend (Lady Horne) were killed in an accident while in Belgium. Their chaufffeur was attempting to drive onto a ferry but he was blinded by beam from a lighthouse and crashed into the Scheldt River. Both Petrass, and her friend, died from drowning.
Postcard 1 is part of the “Arcadian Series” (no. A 67). The publisher was formerly The Arcadia Bazaar Co and was also known as the A B Company based in Ramsgate, England. Petrass was a sitter in six portraits in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. The photographer of this image is Rita Martin. Miss Martin was well known for her expertise in taking portraits of theater stars and other celebrities. The message on the reverse of the postcard is signed in a cute manner, “Heaps of Love, Lucy”. (SOLD)
Postcard 2 is a close-up portrait of Miss Petrass. Her beauty is captured in this photograph by Rita Martin. The postcard is published by Beagles Postcards as part of a series (no. 218 K). The publishing house was located in London, England. (SOLD)
POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)
POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)
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