This rare vintage real photo postcard features pretty stage actress, Miss Ethel Hollingshead. Note her fur stole. The animals is whole, face and all. I believe the creature is a mink. Certainly, this garment is not politically correct in today’s world. Not much information about Miss Hollingshead is readily available. The IBDb reveals that she acted in two Broadway plays; “A Message From Mars” (1901) and “Saucy Sally” (1904). She also appeared in “The Boatswain’s Mate” (1907) at London’s Wyndham’s Theatre. A deeper dive into the theater literature is required to learn more about Miss Hollingshead. This postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (No.1830A). SOLD
A pretty woman poses for her portrait at the Park Studio in Worcester, Massachusetts. She is fashionable in her dark dress and she is well accessorized. Note her pretty eyes. I estimate her to be in her teenage years or possibly in her early twenties. SOLD
This very uncommon vintage real photo postcard features the pretty young actress and singer, Miss Daphne Hope. She is dressed and posed provocatively for this postcard portrait. Her legs are exposed and she is wearing a short top. Even though Daphne’s legs are covered with flesh colored stockings, this is a risque postcard for it’s era.. Daphne Hope postcards are rare. It is also difficult to find information about her. The website “Footlight Notes” reprinted a 1912 article about Daphne Hope and her performing partner, William Burr. The pair were English music hall entertainers that took their show on the road to New York’s Fifth Avenue Theater. The article states that their talking act and “double singing” was simply “delightful” and “unique”. Hope is described as a “comely blonde, of the robust type, with a very pleasant voice”. The reviewer enjoyed the humorous banter between Hope and Burr. The article described their act as a “sunbeam” compared to the “shadows” vaudeville has imported in the past. SOLD
This cabinet card (Photo 1) features early British theatre actress, Hilda Hanbury (1875-1961). She is dressed for winter in this portrait. Note her warm looking coat and her hand-warming muff. Her hat is quite elaborate. Hilda’s sister, Lily Hanbury (1874-1908), was also an actress. Lily’s cabinet card photo portrait can be found elsewhere in the Cabinet Card Gallery. Hilda and Lily were cousins to actress Julia Neilson. Hilda began her acting career in the late 19th century and went on to have a successful stage and film career that spanned several decades. Hanbury made her professional stage debut in 1897 and went on to perform in a variety of plays throughout her career, including Shakespearean productions and contemporary dramas. She was particularly known for her performances in the plays of Noël Coward, and appeared in several of his works, including “The Vortex” and “Hay Fever.” Hanbury also appeared in a number of films during the 1930s and 1940s, including “The Ghoul” (1933) and “The Saint in London” (1939). Unlike her sister Lily, her film appearances were often in supportive roles. However, Hilda was considered a “stage beauty” and her image was popular on cabinet cards, cigarette cards, and postcards. Hanbury continued to act into her seventies, and her final stage appearance was in a production of Coward’s “Waiting in the Wings” in 1960. Hanbury was a close friend of playwright Noël Coward, and she appeared in several of his plays over the course of her career. Hanbury was known to be an avid bicyclist and a passionate gardener and was a member of the Royal Horticultural Society. She was a judge at flower shows and often exhibited at the Chelsea Flower Show. Hilda married Arthur William Fox (1870-1956) in 1905. After the marriage, she retired from the stage and lived in a sixteen-room house. The couple had nine servants. Hilda and her husband divorced in 1923. The divorce was precipitated by her husband’s adultery. The photograph seen on this cabinet card was taken by the London Stereoscopic Company, located in Cheapside, England. The photo was taken sometime in the 1880’s or 1890’s. Interestingly, there is warning notice on the reverse of the photograph concerning it’s copyright. In addition, there is an advertisement offering photography lessons, on the card’s reverse. There is also an advertisement from H. G. Pearce & Co., a stationer and printer. SOLD
Photo 2 is a vintage real photo postcard featuring Hanbury holding her cute black dog over her shoulder. Note her flat hat. This postcard was published by Stewart & Woolf (London, England). SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features stage actress Annie Hughes (1869-1954). The actress poses in this photograph with her child and her Jack Russell Terrier. Miss Hughes was born in England. As a child actress she was associated with the role of “Little Lord Fauntleroy”. The actress was married three times. She was in the title role of “Miss Tommy”, first produced at the Gaiety Theatre in 1907. In 1912 she took the production on a tour of the United States. This postcard was published by Philco and was part of a series (No. 3075 B). Philco was located in London. The postcard has a postmark indicating that it was mailed in1905. The photographer of this image was the Lafayette studio. The firm was founded in Dublin in 1880 by James Stack Lauder. His father, Edmund Lauder was a pioneering and successful photographer. The elder Lauder used the name “Lafayette’ to give the company a touch of Paris, which was a a city considered the center of the art and photography world. James was joined in business by his three photographer brothers. By the 1900, the company had studios in Glasgow, Manchester, London and Belfast. The studio also was invited to photograph Queen Victoria. The company still exists today. SOLD
Mady Christians (1892-1951) was an Austrian-American actress. She appeared in many films and stage productions, both in Europe and the United States. This photograph captures Christians and two dogs in a scene from the silent film “Zoph und Schwert (Braid and Sword)” (1926). Some of her most notable performances include roles in the films “The Great Dictator” (1940) and “The Shop Around the Corner” (1940). She was also a successful stage actress and appeared in several Broadway productions. Christians was forced to flee Nazi Germany in the 1930s and emigrated to the United States where she continued her acting career. She was an active performer between 1916 and 1951. She was born in Vienna. Her father was a well known German actor. The family moved to Berlin and in 1912 they moved to New York City where her father became the general manager of the Irving Place Theater. In 1917, she returned to Europe to study acting under Max Reinhardt. Before the early 1930’s she appeared in several European films. In 1929, she starred in the first full sound film made in Germany. After touring the United States in a play, she was offered a Broadway contract. While appearing in Broadway she became part of a small and influential group of lesbian theater producers, directors, and actors. Christians became involved in political issues. She worked to help refugees, to gain rights for workers, supported Russian War relief, and was involved in other political issues. Her political work brought her to the attention of the FBI and other anti Communist groups, notably the House Committee on Un-American Activities. The FBI investigated Christians when an informant identified her as a “concealed communist”. The investigation virtually ended her performing career. She passed away in 1951 This card was published by Ross Verlag. The firm operated in Berlin, Germany. Note the mention of the German film company Aafa Film-Regie and the film’s director, Victor Janson in the lower right corner of the image. SOLD
This uncommon vintage real photo postcard features French singer, dancer and entertainer, Marcelle Lender (1862-1926). Lender was also famous for her modelling in paintings by Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. Lender began dancing at age sixteen and quickly escalated her fame by performing at the Theatre des Varietes in Paris, France. Lender was the model for several works by Lautrec. Her most notable appearance in his paintings was of her dancing the Bolero, in full costume, during an 1895 performance of “Chilperic”. That painting is today in the collection of the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. This postcard portrait of Miss Lender was taken by the famed Reutlinger studio. The card was published by the English firm, Rotary Photo. SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features Spanish actress, singer, and dancer, Carmen Sevilla (1930-2023). She started her career in the 1940’s and succeeded in becoming one of the most popular stars of the Spanish cinema until the 1970’s. Among her film roles were appearances in “Imperial Violets” (1952), “Vengeance” (1958), and “Antony and Cleopatra” (1972). She was also a successful singer who’s discography includes fifteen studio albums. Carmen was born in Seville, Spain. Her father was a composer. After the Spanish Civil War, she and her family moved to Madred and her father and grandfather worked as lyricists for major films. As a child, Sevilla enjoyed singing and dancing and made her stage debut at the age of twelve. In the 1940’s she studied at the Conservatory of Music and took dance lessons. She made her film debut in 1946. In 1947, she competed in the Miss Spain contest. Her first leading film role occurred in 1948 and her career quickly blossomed. Her popularity led to her being sought for advertising purposed. She was in Spain’s first Coca Cola commercial. She made her last film in 1978. In 1991 she began a new career as a television presenter. Sevilla was married twice. Her first marriage was to a well known composer / conductor. In 2012, she was diagnosed with Alzheimers. The disease led to her death just seven days before this posting. Sevilla’s photo portrait, seen on this postcard, was taken by the Harcourt studio. The card was published by the Globe (Paris) and is part of a series (No.203). SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features a bejeweled pretty woman posing for her portrait at a photo studio in Southsea, England. My hypotheses is that the studio is called London Portraits based on the ink stamp seen on the reverse of the postcard. It is unknown whether the attractive subject seen in this photograph is a resident of Southsea or perhaps a visitor to this seaside resort which was established in the 18th century. The area is located in Portsmouth at the southern end of Portsea Island, Hampshire. SOLD
This image features a pretty woman photographed in Butte, Montana, at the studio of a photographer named Dusseau. The woman is wearing a lace collar and has a ribbon tie. She is also wearing a lovely piece of jewelry over the tie. Research found some information about photographer A. J. Dusseau. His first name was listed as “Angelo” in some sources and as “Alrick” in other sources. Perhaps one of these names is incorrect, or possibly Mr. Dusseau used both names during his lifetime. Dusseau was born in Burlington, Vermont in 1842. He worked as a carpenter for a railroad in Wisconsin and in 1865 he was employed as an assistant engineer on a steamer in Missouri. He then moved to Cheyenne, Wyoming. In 1869 he moved to Helena, Montana, where he worked as a musician for five years. In 1874 he relocated to Deer Lodge, Montana, and opened a photographic gallery which he moved to Butte in 1877. While living in Butte, he led the Silver Coronet Band and Orchestra for three years.In 1881 he married Amanda Henault of Missouri. He operated a studio in Montana through the 1880’s and 1890’s. His Butte studio was located above the post office on the corner of Main and Granite Streets. After Butte, he ran studios in Helena, Havre, and Fort Assinaboine. At times he worked with partners. One of these partners was named Thompson and they began working together in 1902. It is interesting to note that Montana did not become a state until 1889. Dusseau was truly a pioneer photographer in the “Big Sky State”. Judging by Dusseau’s varied job history, he must have had a thirst for adventure. SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 