These vintage real photo postcards feature British beauty and actress, Drina Verchesi. Information about Verchesi is not readily available. A deeper dive into theater sources, will uncover some details of her life. It is safe to bet that she was not a major player on the British stage, but established enough to be featured on this postcard.
Postcard 1 is hand-painted and captures Miss Verchesi in a risque pose in a revealing dress. This card is certainly provocative for it’s era. The card was published by Rotary Photo (no.A526-1). The firm operated in London, England. (SOLD)
POSTCARD 2 is hand-painted and captures Miss Verchesi holding flowers and flashing a wonderful smile. This card was published by Rotary Photo (no.S.1-3). The firm operated in London, England. (SOLD)
This rare vintage real photo postcard features stage actress, Madge Hodgkinson. There is not much information about her readily available. She sat for one photograph that can be found in the collection of England’s National Portrait Gallery. The photograph was taken by female celebrity photographer, Rita Martin. An article in Royal Magazine (1908) includes another photo to Hodgkinson by Rita Martin. The caption describes her as “a pretty Gibson Girl” and that “Gibson Girls are always delightful”. It is written that Hodgkinson was one of many actresses recently marrying for wealth and/or title. The writer whimsically asks “At this rate, how long will the supply hold out”. Hodgkinson’s groom was Paul Grisewood, “a stock exchange man”. Further research is needed to illuminate details of the pretty actress’s life. This postcard was published by Raphael Tuck & Sons as part of the “Celebrities of the Stage” series (1002). The postcard has a Canadian stamp and a 1914 postmark from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. SOLD
La Jana (1905-1940) was an actress and dancer. Her nationality was Austro-German. She was the illegitimate daughter of a master gilder and his housekeeper. Her parents wed four years after her birth. Her family was Jewish. She went by the name, Henny.. She trained as a dancer at the Frankfurt Opera Ballet and her first stage appearance was at the age of eight. She later began dancing in revues. She was “discovered” in Paris and brought to Berlin to meet with Frederic Zelnik who got her into films. The film director who “discovered” her said that the first time he saw her dance, “that woman possessed the most attractive body that I had set eyes upon” in my not all that long life. He went on to describe her as simple, nice and approachable. He added that she “had as much interest in sex as in Immanuel Kant”. meaning, none at all. As her career advanced, she danced in revues in Berlin, Stockholm, London, and many other cities. When she appeared in “Casanova” she viewed by the audience semi-naked and on a silver platter. In Berlin, she began an affair with Crown Prince Wilhelm. There were also rumors that she had an affair with Joseph Goebbels. Charlie Chaplin was also one of her lovers. Clearly, her attitude about sex changed from the earlier days of her dancing career. In 1937, her performance in a film catapulted her to film stardom. In 1940, while touring Germany, entertaining troops, she fell ill with pneumonia and passed away. The IMDb gives La Jana 23 film credits between 1926 and 1940.
La Jana’s portrait for Postcard 1 was taken by the Manasse studio in Vienna, Austria. The Manasse studio was in existence between about 1922 and 1938. The studio was run by Olga Solarics (1896-1969) and her husband Adorja’n von Wlassics (1893-1946). Olga was known for her interest in photographing nudes. The studio flourished in Vienna during the 1930’s. Many of the portraits taken by the studio had an erotic flavor. The studio attracted some of the leading ladies of film and theater. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag (no.7043/1). This vintage postcard has a small imperfection located under La Jana’s left elbow. (SOLD)
Postcard 2 was published by Ross Verlag (no.5035/2). Miss Jana’s photograph was taken by the Manasse studio in Vienna, Austria. The Manasse studio was in existence between about 1922 and 1938. The studio was run by Olga Solarics (1896-1969) and her husband Adorja’n von Wlassics (1893-1946). Olga was known for her interest in photographing nudes. The studio flourished in Vienna during the 1930’s. Many of the portraits taken by the studio had an erotic flavor. The studio attracted some of the leading ladies of film and theater. (SOLD)
Postcard 3 was published by Ross Verlag (no.3911/1). Miss Jana’s photograph was taken by Martin Badekow (1896-1983) in Berlin. In the 1920’s, Badekow was a well known photographer in Berlin. He photographed portraits of many film stars and other celebrities. He also was a fashion photographer. Before she was famous, Badekow took many fashion photos of Marlene Dietrich. After World War I, he and his son Heinz, took photographs of the devastation in Berlin. Some of them can be found at Getty Images. After the 1920’s, interest in Badekow’s work waned. More recently, Badekow’s photographs from the Berlin cabarets and of the stars of German silent films, can now be found in museums and are considered symbolic images of Weimar Germany. (SOLD)
The adorable stage actress featured in this vintage photo postcard is Madge Temple (1875/80-1943). She was an English actress, vocalist, and music hall comedienne. Temple’s first appearance in pantomime was at West London’s, Lyric Theatre, at Christmas in 1900. She then went on tour and in 1905, she began playing on the variety stage. She then successfully toured music hall theatres with such songs as “Come , Be My Rainbow”, “He’s a Very Old Friend of Mine”, and “I’m Looking for Mr. Wright”. In 1909 and 1910 she made a series of of recordings for Pathe. She was a popular performer on the British stage and became a star in Australia when she toured there in 1913-1914. Madge Temple was married to Herman Darewski (1883-1947), a successful composer of many popular songs. The pair had at least one child. The story of Neville Lawrence Darewski is told in a book entitled “SAS Italian Job: The Secret Mission to Storm a Forbidden Nazi Fortress”. He was known as “Major Temple”, adopting his mother’s last name as his nom de guerre. He was a member of a an elite “Special Duty” unit and was involved in secret missions during World War II. He was a member of Churchill’s “Ministry for Ungentlemanly Warfare”. In 1943 he was dropped behind enemy lines in Italy. He commanded a unit of five hundred Italian partisans. The group did a great deal of damage to the Italian and German military in Italy. They attacked a airbase and destroyed eighty-nine Italian planes. Unfortunately, Major Temple did not survive the war. He was killed in a truck accident as he was trying to escape the German army which after much time and effort, had surrounded his unit. This postcard is postmarked 1907 in Kilburn which is likely the Kilburn that is a section of London. The photographer of this portrait of Madge Temple is Ian Douglas Campbell-Gray. He is associated with ten portraits in the United Kingdom’s National Portrait Gallery. The British Journal of Photography (1910) printed a photograph of a commercial truck that advertised Campbell Gray’s photo studio. His creative flair is evident because the back half of the truck looked exactly like a camera. This postcard has a message which discusses the photograph on it’s front. The writer apologizes about her inability to find a photo card of “G.R.?” and claims that such cards are scarce because the performer was not active when the postcard was written. Could she be referring to “Gaynor Rowland”? This specific Madge Temple photo postcard is uncommon. The postcard is in very good condition (see scans). SOLD
This vintage sheet music is entitled “Alla”. The music is dedicated to the “Famous Artiste and Metro Star”, Mme Alla Nazimova (1879-1945). She was a Russian-American actress, director, producer and screenwriter. She was noted for her classic Broadway work. She acted in the plays of Ibsen, Chekhov, and Turgenev. She later worked in film. She acted, wrote screen plays and directed films. Her film “Salome” (1922) is considered a “cultural landmark”. Nazimova was bisexual and her sexual escapades garnered much public attention. A portrait of Nazimova graces the front cover of this sheet music. This sheet music was published by The Jones Music Company in 1920. The firm was based in New York City. This sheet music is in very good condition (see scans). SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features Hungarian film actress Agnes Esterhazy (1891-1956). She is quite pretty and is dressed in flapper fashion. Esterhazy predominately appeared in Austrian and German films. In total, her IMDb filmography includes 32 films between 1918 and 1943. Her parents were a Count and Countess. She married actor Fritz Schulz in 1910. He was 14 years old and she was 19 years of age. I am sure there is an interesting story there and a lot of material for armchair psychologists to hypothesize about. After World War I, the pair lived in Budapest and Agnes began acting lessons. She made her film debut in 1918 and many more roles followed. During her career she acted alongside Harry Liedtke, Hanni Weisse, Asta Nielsen and Greta Garbo. Agnes mostly played supporting roles but she also played some leading roles. Esterhazy’s career virtually ended with the arrival of sound films. After her retirement from film, she she acted at various theaters, many of which were in Ostrava (Czech Republic). Esterhazy’s husband (Fritz Schulz) was arrested by the Nazis and held in a Vienna prison. His crime was that he was Jewish. Esterhazy was able to get him released in the Spring of 1938. This portrait postcard was published by Ross Verlag (Berlin). The postcard is part of a series (no.776/6). Esterhazy’s photograph was taken by celebrity photographer, Alex Binder (Berlin). The card is posted and has a stamp that was issued by Yugoslavia in 1921. The message on the postcard is dated 1925. (SOLD)
This vintage sheet music is entitled “Sally of My Dreams”. The music is the theme song of the William Fox motion picture “Mother Knows Best”. Starring in the movie was Madge Bellamy (1899-1990). She was an American stage and film actress. Bellamy was a popular leading lady in films of the 1920’s and 1930’s. Her photograph graces the front page of this sheet music. This sheet music was published in 1928 by De Sylva, Brown, & Henderson Inc.. The firm was based in New York City. This sheet music is in very good condition (see scans).
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This vintage real photo postcard features Hungarian actress, singer, dancer, and model, Kathe von Nagy (1904-1973). She performed in both German and French films. Her father was a wealthy bank manager. At the age of sixteen, Nagy wanted to get married but her parents did not approve and sent her to a convent near Vienna, Austria. She stayed there 18 months but finished school elsewhere. Nagy wanted to become an author. She moved to Budapest and wrote articles for a magazine. She became interested in acting and enrolled in an acting school near Budapest. Her parents were none to pleased about her career choices and she was encouraged to return home where she worked in her father’s bank and secretly wrote novels. When she was about 22 years old, she moved to Berlin to pursue a career in film and worked for a Hungarian newspaper. She was given a role in a 1927 comedy film and by 1928, she began starring in films and was considered one of Europe’s top up and coming film actresses. She became a highly successful film actress. The IMDb reports that she appeared in 57 films between 1915 and 1952. She basically retired from film during the second world war. The head of the SS., Heinrich Himmler asked Nagy to be the face and body for “sex dolls” provided to German soldiers. The premise was that the use of such dolls would lessen the syphilis problems encountered by many of the soldiers. Nagy refused the offer. This story may be apocryphal. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (no.6085/2). Nagy’s photo was taken by the Yva studio located in Berlin, Germany. The name Yva is a pseudonym. The photographer was actually a woman named Else Ernestine Neulander-Simon (1900-1944). She was a German Jewish photographer and was well known for her “dreamlike, multiple exposed images”. She was a leading Berlin photographer during the Weimar Republic years of Germany. She specialized in fashion, nudes, and portraiture. Later, she became involved in the early days of producing photographs for advertising. Many of her photographs were published in magazines or were shown in international exhibitions. After the Nazis took power, she was forced to work as a radioagrapher (ie x-ray technician). In 1936 she was offered a job by Life Magazine, but her husband convinced her that life for German Jews would improve over time. He did not want to move and start a new life in a country where he did not speak the language. Unfortunately, she complied with his wishes. In 1938, Nazi regulations prohibited her from working as a photographer. In 1942, the Gestapo deported her and her husband to a death camp (probably Majdanek) where they were murdered. SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard (Postcard 1) features a portrait of beautiful stage and film actress, and businesswoman, Maxine Elliott (1868-1940). Her photograph was taken by celebrity photographer Benjamin Falk at his New York City studio. Elliott was more than a stage actress. She managed her own theater and experimented with silent films in the 1910’s. Elliott was an extremely popular actress. Apparently she was popular with the men too. It is thought that she had affairs with famous people including King Edward VII and J. P. Morgan. It is also reported that she dated baseball hall of famer, John Montgomery Ward and heavyweight champion Gentleman James Corbett. During World War I she was very involved with the cause for Belgian relief. Elliott was born in Rockland, Maine. Her father was a sea captain. She had at least three siblings including her sister Gertrude Elliott, who also became a successful actress. When Maxine was 15, she was seduced and impregnated by a 25 year-old man. She may or may not have married the man but it is known that she lost the baby. In 1890 she made her first stage appearance. Her big break came in 1895 when she was hired by Augustin Daly to be the supporting actress for the highly acclaimed actress, Ada Rehan. In 1898, after divorcing husband number one, she married comedian Nat C. Goodwin. The two starred together in a number of productions including “Nathan Hale” and “The Cowboy and the Lady”. In 1903, Maxine appeared in the Broadway production of “Her Own Way” (1903). The play launched Maxine into stardom. In 1905, the play went to London where King Edward VII requested an introduction to the pretty actress. They met and then rumors started about the pair having an intimate relationship. In 1908, Goodwin obtained a divorce from Elliott. This is about the time she met 70 year-old J. P. Morgan. They became friends and rumors of their romantic involvement were never confirmed. Financial advice from Morgan helped her become a wealthy woman. The same year as her divorce, she opened her own theater, “The Maxine Elliott” in New York City. She was both the owner and the manager. In fact, she was the only woman in the US, at the time, managing her own theater. In regard to acting on Broadway, Elliott had an extensive resume. She appeared in 22 Broadway productions between 1894 and 1920. In 1913, she began acting in silent films. The IMDb reports that she was in five films including “From Dusk to Dawn” (1913), “Fighting Odds” (1917), and “The Eternal Magdalene” (1919). In 1913, Elliott went to England and started dating tennis star Anthony Wilding, fifteen years her junior. According to one source, the pair planned to marry, but he was killed in action in World War I. As a result, Elliott became obsessed with the war and moved to Belgium where she volunteered her money and time toward Belgian relief. It is reported that she also nursed wounded soldiers. Belgium recognized her by awarding her the Belgian Order of the Crown. Elliott retired from the stage in 1920. She stated that she “wished to grow middle-aged gracefully”. This postcard portrait features a young and beautiful Maxine Elliott. This image is a beautiful remnant of turn of the century theater history. This postcard was published by the Rotograph Company which was based in New York City. The postcard is part of a series (No.B888). SOLD
Postcard 2 features a photograph taken by female celebrity photographer, Lizzie Caswall Smith. Lizzie Caswall Smith (1870-1958) was a British photographer who operated in the early 1900’s. She specialized in photographing members of society and celebrities. Many of her photographs were used for postcards. She was involved in the Women’s Suffrage movement and photographed many of the leading suffragettes. She also photographed many actors including Billie Burke and Maude Fealy. She operated the Gainsborough Studio from 1907 through 1920 (309 Oxford Street) and moved to a new location (90 Great Russell Street) where she remained until she retired in 1930 at the age of 60 years-old. Her most famous photograph is a portrait of Florence Nightingale taken in 1910. It was auctioned in 1908 and sold for 5500 pounds which is an equivalent today of nearly 8,000 dollars. The National Portrait Gallery has 84 portraits associated with Lizzie Caswall Smith. This postcard was published by the Rotograph Company which was based in New York City. The postcard is part of a series (No.B636). SOLD
Postcard 3 features a nice portrait of Maxine Elliott. This image, taken by William Morrison (Chicago, Illinois) is a beautiful remnant of turn of the century theater history. This postcard was published by the Rotograph Company, which was based in New York City. The postcard is part of a series (No.B636). (SOLD)
Postcard 4 features Miss Elliott’s portrait by Ernest Walter Histed (1862-1947). Histed was born in England but achieved his success as a photographer in Chicago, and later, in Pittsburgh. He then returned to England and opened a photography studio there. His subjects there included Clara Butt (Opera Star) Pope Pius X, and the Empress of Germany. Histed returned to the US and opened a studio on Fifth Avenue in New York City. He later moved to Palm Beach, Florida and continued his profession until 1934. The Museum of the City of New York has a large collection of his work. The National Portrait Gallery (England) has 32 of his photographs in their collection. This postcard was published by London’s J. Beagles & Co. as part of a series (No. G386).The company was started by John Beagles (1844-1909). The company produced a variety of postcards including an extensive catalog of celebrity (stage and screen) portrait postcards. After Beagle’s death, the business continued as J. Beagles & Co. until it closed in 1939. (SOLD)
Postcard 5 comes from the studio of celebrity photographer, William McKenzie Morrison of Chicago, Illinois. Morrison’s studio was in the Haymarket theater building. This postcard was published by the Rotograph Company which was based in New York City. The postcard is part of a series (No.B658). (SOLD)
Postcard 6 features a pretty portrait of Miss Elliott taken by R. W. Thomas. It is likely that he is the same man that authored “The Modern Practice of Photography” (1927).This postcard was published by London’s Davidson Bros. as part of a series (No.1200). The message from the sender of this card introduced me to a new word. The writer asks “Isn’t this a beauteous maiden?”. I looked up the word “beauteous” to see if it existed. I learned that the word exists and means “beautiful”. I also learned that “Beauteous” is a word that is customarily used in literature and not conversation. (SOLD)
Postcard 7 Elliott photrographed in costume for her role as Gipsy in “Under the Greenwood Tree”. Her photograph was taken by famed celebrity female photographer, Lizzie Caswall Smith. This image is a beautiful remnant of turn of the century theater history. This postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (No.187E). (SOLD)
Postcard 8 was published by London’s Ralph Dunn & Co. as part of a series (No. A342). (SOLD)
This color tinted vintage real photo postcard features a performer named Miss Arlington. One of the music halls where she performed was the famous Moulin Rouge. Apparently, she was popular enough to merit her own postcard portrait, but not popular enough for me to find information about her online. Arlington was photographed by Lucien Walery. He was a celebrated Paris photographer known for his portraits of artists and cabaret dancers from the city’s music halls. He is very well known for his portraits of Mata Hari and Josephine Baker. Walery did a lot of work in the genre of nude/erotic photography. He photographed the beautiful women of Paris between the early 1900’s and the 1920’s. This postcard has an undivided back and was postmarked in 1904. This postcard is in good condition (see scans).
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The adorable stage actress featured in this vintage photo postcard is Madge Temple (1875/80-1943). She was an English actress, vocalist, and music hall comedienne. Temple’s first appearance in pantomime was at West London’s, Lyric Theatre, at Christmas in 1900. She then went on tour and in 1905, she began playing on the variety stage. She then successfully toured music hall theatres with such songs as “Come , Be My Rainbow”, “He’s a Very Old Friend of Mine”, and “I’m Looking for Mr. Wright”. In 1909 and 1910 she made a series of of recordings for Pathe. She was a popular performer on the British stage and became a star in Australia when she toured there in 1913-1914. Madge Temple was married to Herman Darewski (1883-1947), a successful composer of many popular songs. The pair had at least one child. The story of Neville Lawrence Darewski is told in a book entitled “SAS Italian Job: The Secret Mission to Storm a Forbidden Nazi Fortress”. He was known as “Major Temple”, adopting his mother’s last name as his nom de guerre. He was a member of a an elite “Special Duty” unit and was involved in secret missions during World War II. He was a member of Churchill’s “Ministry for Ungentlemanly Warfare”. In 1943 he was dropped behind enemy lines in Italy. He commanded a unit of five hundred Italian partisans. The group did a great deal of damage to the Italian and German military in Italy. They attacked a airbase and destroyed eighty-nine Italian planes. Unfortunately, Major Temple did not survive the war. He was killed in a truck accident as he was trying to escape the German army which after much time and effort, had surrounded his unit. This postcard is postmarked 1907 in Kilburn which is likely the Kilburn that is a section of London. The photographer of this portrait of Madge Temple is Ian Douglas Campbell-Gray. He is associated with ten portraits in the United Kingdom’s National Portrait Gallery. The British Journal of Photography (1910) printed a photograph of a commercial truck that advertised Campbell Gray’s photo studio. His creative flair is evident because the back half of the truck looked exactly like a camera. This postcard has a message which discusses the photograph on it’s front. The writer apologizes about her inability to find a photo card of “G.R.?” and claims that such cards are scarce because the performer was not active when the postcard was written. Could she be referring to “Gaynor Rowland”? This specific Madge Temple photo postcard is uncommon. The postcard is in very good condition (see scans). SOLD
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 