FIFTEEN YEAR OLD DAGMAR WEARING PRETTY DRESS IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS : CABINET CARD

This cabinet card features a teenage girl posing at the studio of photographer Anton Rohde of Chicago, Illinois. She is wearing a pretty wheat stalk print dress. Advertising on the bottom of the image indicates Rohde had wonf awards for some of his photographs. One of the displayed awards was received in 1888, and the other award was from the Photographers Association of America. The reverse of the photograph has an inscription which states “To Gini” and lists the subjects name as “Dagmar” and her age as fifteen years and eight months. Anton Rohde was once partners in a photography firm called Rohde & Schutz which was located at the same address that produced this photograph. He also was once  located at 88 West Ohio Street. He is listed in the 1892 and 1900 Chicago business directories. Research located his obituary which indicates that he died in 1917 at the age of fifty-five. He was survived by his wife, Augusta Rohde. SOLD

Published in: on July 31, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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CUTE LITTLE GIRL WITH SPARKLING EYES (1908 RPPC)

This vintage real photo features a cute little girl with sparkling eyes. Her smile is infectious. She must have been a spark plug. The postcard was published by NPG (“Neue Photographische Gesellschaft” as part of a series (no.721/3). The card has a Belgian stamp and is postmarked in the Belgian town of Petit-Fays. The postmark year is 1908.   SOLD

A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG GIRL SENDS “GOOD HEALTH” GREETINGS

This vintage real photo postcard features a beautiful young girl wearing a frilly dress and adorned with flowers. The postcard was published by Rotophot (RPH) as part of a series (S-917/2). The company was based in Berlin, Germany. In the message section, the writer wishes the reader “good health”. The hand tinted color postcard was mailed with a French stamp.  SOLD

Published in: on July 29, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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CHARLOTTE LEWIS : PRETTY ACTRESS : HEADSHOT & RESUME : ROMAN POLANSKI ACCUSER

This photograph features English film and television actress, Charlotte Lewis (1967-). Her mother is Irish/English while her father was half Chilean and half Iraqi. Lewis’s film debut was in Roman Polanski’s film “Pirates (1986)”. During that same year she played the female lead in “The Golden Child” with Eddie Murphy. Many film roles followed. In 1993, Lewis appeared  on the cover and inside Playboy magazine. In 2010, Lewis and her attorney Gloria Allred (famed women’s rights attorney), accused Roman Polanski of sexual assault. The incident allegedly occurred while Lewis was working with him on “Pirates”. Lewis was just sixteen years old at the time. A news article was published that brought up information from an interview she had given that appeared to contradict Lewis’s testimony. The controversy appeared again in 2024 when Lewis lost a defamation case she had filed against Polanski. Polanski is a convicted sex offender and is alleged to be a serial sexual predator. The IMDb reports that Lewis has 30 film credits between 1978 and 2019. This photograph was sent to a casting director, or some other film decision maker, to ask for consideration for an acting role in the production. The letterhead of Greene & Associates is on the resume. The firm is a talent agency in Los Angeles representing Lewis.  SOLD

CROWN PRINCE WILHELM AND PRINCESS CECILIE OF GERMANY (PRESS PHOTO)

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This vintage press photograph features Crown Prince Wilhelm and his wife, Crown Princess Cecilie. The photo was taken by George Grantham Bain in 1915 and it likely appeared in a number of newspapers.Some readers may be wondering about these Royals. Who are these people? Prince Wilhelm (1882-1951) was the last Crown Prince of Prussia and the German Empire. He married Duchess Cecilie of Mecklenburg-Schwerin (1886-1954) in 1905. The pair’s marriage wasn’t rock solid. The Crown Prince had affairs with both American opera singer Geraldine Farrar and dancer Mata Hari. The photographer of this photograph was a pioneer news photographer. George Grantham Bain (1865-1944) was a New York City photographer known as “the father of photographic news”. He was a chemistry graduate of St Louis University and also received a law degree there. He then became a reporter for two St. Louis newspapers in succession and one of his assignments was Washington DC correspondent. He then worked for United Press International and in 1898 started the Bain News Service. Forty thousand of Bain’s glass negatives are in the collection of the Library of Congress. This vintage press photo was published by the Bain News Service.  SOLD
220px-Ggbain                                                 Photo of George Grantham Bain

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GROUP OF RAILROAD WORKERS : ANTIQUE TOOLS : WORK CLOTHING : TRAINS : DEPOT : RPPC

This vintage occupational real photo postcard features a group of railroad workers wearing their work clothes. Note that three of the men are holding antique tools. The fellow standing on the right is holding a giant wrench. Next to that same gentleman is a large rack holding railroad construction equipment. Behind the men is a small depot building. The AZO stamp box indicates that this postcard was published between 1904 and 1918. This postcard has excellent clarity and is in good condition (see scans). This occupational railroad postcard is likely one-of-a-kind.  SOLD

Published in: on July 26, 2025 at 12:42 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A FRENCH INFANTRY OFFICER AND HIS PRETTY WIFE


This vintage real photo postcard features a lovely young couple. The husband is a French non-commissioned officer of the the 156th infantry regiment. The pin on his hat reveals his specific regiment. The soldiers pretty wife apparently likes ruffles. Her long sleeve dress is riddled with ruffles. I’m certainly no fashionista, but I think her dress is lovely as well as interesting. SOLD

Published in: on July 25, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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BLACK PHOTOGRAPHER : PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN : NEW BEDFORD, MASS : CABINET CARD

This cabinet card portrait features a fun looking vivacious young woman. She looks pretty and fashionable in her spring like clothing. She is wearing a wonderful hat and a beautiful smile. She shows an excellent and relaxed presence in front of the camera. Perhaps she was a local or touring actress. This young woman’s photograph was taken by the Headley & Reed studio in New Bedford, Massachusetts. The Headley & Reed partnership was an interracial one. Phineas Camp Headley (1858-1921) was a white man while James E. Reed (1864-1939) was an African American man. They operated a studio at 5 Purchase Street. Reed was an important figure in New Bedfords early history. He took photos of city streets, whaleships and people. His human subjects were both white and black. He had a passion for the field of photography and was prolific in his work. By 1895, he was making enough money to open his own studio, which he did with his partner, Mr. Headley. Headley, a white man, besides being a photographer, was a successful cotton broker. Headley & Reed were the premier studio in New Bedford and operated successfully from 1890 until 1896. One of Reed’s claims to fame was that he photographed Frederick Douglas. It is not known why Headly left the business. Reed continued running the business until 1914. Reed moved on to become the first Photostat (photocopier) Operator for the Massachusetts State Archives, a position he held until he retired. During Reed’s photography career, his wife, Anna Jourdain, colorized and tinted his photographs. She also worked on tiffany style lampshades. She was educated in art at the Swain School of Design (New Bedford).  SOLD

PORTRAIT OF A WOMAN WEARING STARS IN NEW YORK CITY

This vintage photograph features a woman who seems intent on making a fashion statement. Unfortunately, it is difficult to interpret the message she is trying to deliver. Certainly she is dressed in a very feminine manner. Some may argue that her attire is very juvenile. The bows on her shoes and her large and frilly bonnet might be expected to be seen on a little girl rather than someone this woman’s age. The woman in this photograph displays an air of confidence and a tight smile. She has a long braid hanging down to her waist decorated by a hair bow. She is holding a fan and wearing a beaded necklace and a bracelet. Perhaps the most striking aspect of this photograph is the pattern on the woman’s dress. The dress has a pattern that consists of five-pointed stars. These stars may have some meaning. Historically five pointed stars have been associated with certain religious, cultural, and fraternal groups. This vintage photograph was taken by a studio located on Strand Avenue in New York City.  SOLD

Published in: on July 23, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (3)  
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EDITH STOREY : AMERICAN SILENT FILM ACTRESS

This vintage real photo postcard features American silent film actress, Edith Storey (1892-1967). She was born in New York City and began acting when she was still a child. Her first film was “The Two Brothers” (1908). By 1913, she had appeared in 75 films and between 1908 and 1921 she performed in nearly 150 films. She performed in many Westerns and was noted for her excellent horseback riding skills. She also did her own stunts. She worked for Vitagraph Studios (New York) for the majority of her career. Storey also acted on stage and was noted for acting in a number of male impersonation roles. She appeared in two Broadway plays. The first was in 1903 and the second was in 1904. She retired at the age of 29 in the year of 1921. During the Spanish Flu Epidemic, Storey drove an ambulance in New York City for the National League for Women’s Service. It is also reported that she worked as a hospital night nurse at the height of the epidemic. After retiring she served almost 30 years as village clerk for Asharoken, Long Island. She died at the age of 75 in Northport, Long Island, New York. Within the message on the this postcard, Daisy (the sender) tells Lucille (the recipient) that Edith Storey is her favorite movie actress. A caption on the front of this card states that Storey has brown eyes and dark brown hair. This postcard was published by Kraus Mfg. Co. of New York.  (SOLD)