This charming Edwardian real-photo postcard features Miss Eva Stuart, an actress and stage performer, posed holding a small black Spitz-type dog, very likely a Pomeranian. Stuart is elegantly dressed in a crisp white blouse with a high decorative collar and dark necktie, while the little dog—with its pointed ears, dark coat and prominent ruff is quite cute. The photograph was made by the celebrated London studio Foulsham & Banfield. Frank Foulsham and Arthur Clive Banfield operated one of London’s important theatrical portrait studios during the early decades of the 20th century, specializing in photographs of actresses, actors and other West End personalities. Their portraits are represented today in the collection of Britain’s National Portrait Gallery. This card was published by Rotary Photo(no.4880 D) as part of the Rotary Photographic Series. Interestingly, surviving Rotary catalog material records several different portraits of Eva Stuart under the same 4880 series, confirming that she was one of the theatrical personalities specifically marketed by Rotary to postcard collectors. Contemporary theatrical records also place a Miss Eva Stuart at London’s New Theatre in 1910, which fits very well with the style and probable date of this photograph. In addition, an actress of the same name later appeared in three Broadway productions between 1914 and 1915, although I can not confirm with certainty that the Broadway performer and this sitter were the same woman. SOLD
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