MAN WITH THE THICKEST BEARD IN READING, PENNSYLVANIA

fritz

fritz 1

Photographer J. S. Fritz photographed this portrait of a man with a beard. This beard is no ordinary beard. This beard is extraordinarily thick. His mustache is also not ordinary. This mustache is extraordinarily long. The photographer of this cabinet card hotograph is John S. Fritz. He was born on his father’s Pennsylvania farm in 1861. He left home at 15 to work in Philadelphia and while there, learned photography. He then worked with his brother in law as a traveling photographer. He left the business to pursue other occupations and he worked in both Atlantic City, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. He returned to photography and at some point operated a photography studio located at 852 Penn Street in Reading. He was married to Elizabeth Apffel  and had at least three children.   SOLD

fritz beard

MISS SARI PETRASS : BEAUTIFUL HUNGARIAN SINGER AND ACTRESS WHO BECAME AN INTERNATIONAL STAR (TWO REAL PHOTO POSTCARDS)

 POSTCARD 1  (SOLD)

petrass 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)

petrass 1 POSTCARD 2  (SOLD)

PHOTO OF A TROLLEY TURNING AROUND AT POWELL AND MARKET STREETS IN SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA

This vintage real photo postcard captures the “turning around” of a cable car in San Francisco, California. A caption on the front of the card discloses that the trolley is turning around at Powell and Market streets. Three conductors are doing the turning. Interestingly, the street sign in the photo is for Eddy Street. A sign on the trolley announces that the cable car is part of the Washington & Jackson Streets line. The car itself is numbered 518. Signage in the photograph advertises Florsheim Shoes, Paul’s Flower Stand, Hotel Powell, a cafeteria, and a liquor store. An article in the San Francisco Chronicle (1915) reveals that the flower stand still exists and has celebrated it’s 100th birthday. The stand was started because the founder of the next-door bank (Bank America) wanted a fresh flower in his lapel every day. In regard to the Powell Hotel; it was opened as the Hotel Turpin in 1908 and sold in 2014. The  was redone and renamed. It is currently named the “Axiom Hotel”. The reverse of this postcard is illuminating. The card was postmarked in 1948. The sender of the card had written a message to his parents in Middletown, Ohio. The sender is a soldier and will soon leave for Fort Worth, Texas with a Marine Sergeant and three other men. The postcard is clearly meant to be a way of keeping in touch and calming any worry experienced by his parents. This real photo postcard is in excellent condition (see scans).

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #2901

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$36.00

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) #2901

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$44.50

PORTRAIT OF A FASHIONABLE COUPLE POSING BY NIAGARA FALLS (1887)

This cabinet card photograph is both interesting an unusual. The photo features a well dressed couple sitting at the edge of Niagara Falls. Af first, I thought that they were actually posing at a photographers studio with a excellent photo backdrop. I have since questioned my hypotheses. The pair are sitting on short chairs atop some rocks at the edge of the Niagara River. The gentleman’s shoes appear to be in very shallow water. The appearance of the waters edge and the realism of the background, makes me think they are actually being photographed outside and at the water’s edge. The reverse of the cabinet card has an inscription revealing that the couple’s names are Joseph and Angelica (Angeline?) Baker and that the photograph was taken in either 1887 or 1888. The photographer is unidentified.  (SOLD)

Published in: on November 4, 2019 at 1:00 pm  Comments (9)  
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LOUISE LAGRANGE : FRENCH FILM ACTRESS : APPEARED IN A NUMBER OF SEXUALLY PROVOCATIVELY TITLED FILMS

This vintage real photo postcard features pretty French film actress, Louise Lagrange (1898-1979). She was born in Oran, France, which is now in Algeria. Her movie debut occurred when she was nine years of age. Her first marriage was to film director Maurice Tourneur. Her second marriage was to actor, William Elliot. The IMDb credits her with 48 film credits between 1907 and 1952. Her appearances included such films as “A Roman Orgy” (1911), “The Nude Woman” (1926), “In the Shadow of the Harem” (1928), and “Cage of Girls” (1949). Do I detect a pattern here? Lagrange certainly acted in a large number of films with sexually provocative movie titles. Cinemagazine (Paris Edition) is the publisher of this card. It was part of a series (no. 425).   SOLD

Published in: on November 2, 2019 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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CLOSE-UP WEDDING PHOTO OF AN ATTRACTIVE EUROPEAN COUPLE

This vintage postcard features an attractive bride and groom. The postcard originates from Bulgaria. The card is in very good condition (see scans).

Buy this Vintage Photograph (includes shipping within the US) #2898

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$23.50

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) #2889

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$32.00

Published in: on November 1, 2019 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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