This vintage real photo postcard features Marta Eggerth (1912–2013), the celebrated Hungarian actress and singer who became one of the most important operetta stars of the 20th century. Eggerth is shown here in a striking studio portrait, her face framed by her hands in a pose that emphasizes elegance, symmetry, and quiet intensity. The image has a distinctly early-1930s European glamour aesthetic, with soft lighting, refined makeup, and carefully styled hair typical of the period. Eggerth was born in Budapest, the daughter of a dramatic operatic soprano. She began singing as a child, and her mother devoted herself to developing her vocal and theatrical talents. Eggerth made her stage debut at just eleven years old, and while still a teenager toured internationally performing operatic works. By the early 1930s, she had achieved international fame, appearing in films in five different languages. While making a film, she met Polish tenor Jan Kiepura, whom she married in 1936. Together, they became an international sensation, appearing on stage and screen across Europe and the United States. In the U.S., Eggerth appeared on Broadway, including productions by Richard Rodgers, and starred alongside Kiepura in “The Merry Widow.” Between 1940 and 1945, she appeared in three Broadway productions. She also signed with MGM and made two films with Judy Garland. Remarkably, Eggerth continued performing well into old age; her final stage appearance occurred at age 99. IMDb credits her with 39 acting roles between 1930 and 1999, underscoring the extraordinary longevity of her career. The small diamond-shaped logo in the lower right corner of the image, with the initials resembling “FFD” and a series number, is associated with Film-Foto-Verlag (FFV), Berlin, a major German publisher of real photo postcards during the interwar period. Film-Foto-Verlag specialized in high-quality photographic postcards of film stars, singers, and performers. The postcard format, typography, and photographic style are fully consistent with early-to-mid 1930s German production, when Eggerth was at the height of her European film career. In regard to condition, this postcard’s image remains sharp with strong contrast and excellent facial detail. There is light edge and corner wear. The reverse is unused, clean, and free of writing. Overall, this postcard is in very good vintage condition (see scans).
This cabinet card is available for purchase at my store, The History Peddler, for $12.00 at auction.
Interested collectors may view the listing here:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/236602752405
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
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