LILA LEE : AMERICAN SILENT AND TALKIE FILM STAR : “CUDDLES” : VAUDEVILLE

This vintage real photo postcard features leading lady screen actress, Lila Lee (1905-1973). She performed in both silent and early sound films. She was born in New Jersey and her family were German immigrants. The family relocated to New York City. Her family encouraged her participation in “kiddie review shows”. The energetic and outgoing child was given the nickname of “Cuddles”. The name stuck to her throughout her acting career. Her juvenile acting kept her quite busy and she required private tutors for her education. Lila acted in vaudeville fo an eight year period. In 1918 she was signed by Jesse Lasky (Famous Players) for a film contract. In a short time, the company became Paramount Pictures. Her first feature film performance received much public approval. She was just 13 years old at the time of her film debut. Lila quickly became a leading lady and starred with performers like Conrad Nagel, Gloria Swanson, and Rudolph Valentino.  In 1922, she won the first WAMPAS Baby Star Award. Lila was a very popular leading lady during the 1920’s. Her films were popular with critics and audiences alike. She was one of the few stars that made a successful transition from silent to sound films. In the 1930’s she made some bad career decisions and had bouts of tuberculosis and alcoholism. As a result, her latter film roles were mostly in B movies. In 1936, her film career basically ended as the result of a scandal involving the sucide of a man that she was dating.  Lila Lee lied to the District Attorney when she reported that the victim left no suicide note, when in fact she knew that he did. Lee’s personal life was unstable. She was married and divorced three times. Her son, James Kirkwood became a successful playwright and screenwriter. His credits include “A Chorus Line” and “P.S. Your Cat is Dead”.  The IMDb lists 103 credits in Lee’s filmography (1918-1967). This vintage postcard was published by Alfred Noyer as part of the “Les Vedettes de Cinema” series. The postcard was released while she was employed by Paramount Pictures. The card is of French origin. (SOLD)

Published in: on September 11, 2022 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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MISS ELIZA WEATHERSBY : BURLESQUE PERFORMER : BRITISH BLONDES : CARTE DE VISITE

This carte de visite photograph features actress, Miss Elizabeth Weathersby (1849-1887). She was born in London. Weathersby began as a burlesque performer at a young age. She came to the United States in 1869 as a member of a touring troupe. When the tour ran into financial problems, Weathersby was signed by Lydia Thompson to become a member of the “British Blondes”. The Blondes were extremely popular in New York that season. They were a burlesque troupe and their theatrical repetoire included comedy, pantomime, satire, improvisation, and song and dance. The show was saucy. The acts included cross-dressing, risque costumes and off color jokes. The company’s six month tour was extended to nearly six years. They returned to the US two more times to play to large audiences. The burlesque troup stirred up lots of protest and controversy, spawning an anti burlesque movement. This form of entertainment was considered disgraceful, indecent, and unnatural. Eliza was a popular member of the troupe. Weathersby married socialite, actor, comedian Nathaniel Goodwin and they formed their own burlesque company that was active between the late 1870’s until Eliza became ill in 1884. She died three years later in New York City. Her death was the result of a flawed gynelogical surgery. During her career, Weathersby appeared in 7 Broadway plays between 1870 and 1873. The IBDb lists “Robinhood” and “Pippin” among her appearances. This cdv portrait was photographed by an unidentified studio. SOLD

Published in: on September 9, 2022 at 2:42 pm  Leave a Comment  
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JANE COWL : IN COSTUME FOR “WITHIN THE LAW

This vintage real photo postcard features American film and stage actress, Jane Cowl (1883-1950). Cowl was also a playwright. She was born in Boston, attended high school in Brooklyn, New York, and took courses at Columbia University. She made her Broadway debut in 1903. She landed her first leading role in a 1909 David Belasco production. Her first big success was in “The Gamblers” (1910). She had much success on the stage, including “Within the Law” (1912). This photo postcard captures Miss Cowl in costume for her role in “Within the Law”. She played in a number of Broadway productions of Shakespeare. She played Juliet in more than 1000 consecutive performances. In 1930, she performed with a young Katharine Hepburn in “Art and Mrs. Bottle”. In sum, the IBDB reports that Cowl appeared in 35 Broadway productions between 1903 and 1947. Cowl’s performing history includes working in film. She was the lead in two silent films. She had an over 30 year hiatus from the movies until taking on some supporting film roles during the 1940’s. IN 1906, Jane Cowl was married to Adolph Edward Klauber. He was the drama critic for the New York Times. He was a former actor and the son of a noted Louisville, Kentucky Jewish photographer. In 1918, Klauber left his newspaper job to become a theatrical producer and manager. He and Cowl separated in 1930. This vintage postcard portrait is in excellent condition (see scans).

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Published in: on September 8, 2022 at 6:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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CAN CAN DANCER AT THE BAL TABARIN : RISQUE : PARIS, FRANCE : BY JEAN AGELOU

This vintage risque real photo postcard features a pretty young dancer at the Bal Tabarin cabaret. She may be a can can dancer, which is a dance that was known to be performed there. The venue was located in Paris, France. The club was opened in 1904 by Auguste Bosc, a composer and orchestra leader. The Bal Tabarin became very popular immediately after it’s opening. During the occupation of France in World War II, the club was frequently visited by German officers. Florence Warren, a South African dancer, performed there. The Germans did not realize that Warren was Jewish but she was interned as an enemy alien for several months. Upon her release, she returned to the club and partnered with Frederic Acar to become a favorite dance duo. She appeared on stage with successful performers, including Edith Piaf and Maurice Chevalier. Warren also kept busy aiding the French Resisance. After the war, the owners of the Moulin Rouge took over the cabaret and finally closed it in 1953.  The young dancer seen in this photo postcard was photographed by Jean Agelou (1878-1921). Agelou was a French photographer of the 1910’s and 1920’s who is best known for his erotic and nude photographs. He was born in Egypt and not much is known about his private life. Agelou generally used models between the age of 20 and 24 years-old. Although the 1900’s was the “golden age” of erotic photograph, photographers who took such risque photos had to use discretion. As a result, Agelou signed his work “JA”. In 1908, nudity in photographs was banned in France and photographers had to cover nude women images with strategically placed undergarments or other materials. Nude images had to circulate on the down low. They were sent in the mail inside of envelopes. Jean Agelou died in 1921; the result of a car accident. (SOLD)

Published in: on September 3, 2022 at 12:55 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT : PRETTY ACTRESS COLETTE BRETTL : FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER SUSE BYK : (RPPC)

This postcard features pretty British film actress, Colette Brettl (also Brettel) (1902-1973). She made her film debut in Wuthering Heights (1920). After appearing in several British films in the early 1920’s, she moved to Germany and appeared in films there until the advent of sound movies. She was married to Dutch actor, Ernst Winar. The photograph that graces this card was taken by Sus Byk in Berlin, Germany. She was a highly respected photographer. She was a member of the Photographic Association of Berlin and in 1913, she attended the first conference of German Women Photographers at the Berlin Women’s Club. At some time in the 1910’s, she succeeded famed photographer Ernst Sandau at his studio. She trained photographers Martha Maas and Lore Feininger. In 1927, Byk married philosopher and playwright Hellmuth Falkenfeld. In 1938, the couple were forced to flee Berlin due to Nazi anti-semitism. Byk and her husband emigrated to New York via Rotterdam and London. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (No.3199/7). (SOLD)

Published in: on August 31, 2022 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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LILLIAN BURNS : EARLY AMERICAN FILM ACTRESS AND ACTING COACH : RAPHAEL TUCK RPPC

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POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)

Postcard 1 features pretty film actress Lillian Burns (1903-1998). Burns was an American stage actress hailing from Illinois. She is most known for performing in “A  Florida Enchantment” (1914), “The Goddess” (1915), and “The Shop Girl” (1916). She was an acting coach for MGM from 1937 until the early 1960’s. Her filmography includes 41 credits from 1912 through 1916. This photograph was taken by celebrity photographer Lallie Charles (1869-1919). She and her sister, Rita Martin, were the most commercially successful female photographers of their time. The pair were from Ireland. They took photographs of many of celebrities of their era. This photograph was published by Raphael Tuck as part of a series (no.T825). The series was entitled “Celebrities of the Stage”. This postcard is in excellent condition (see scans).

Postcard 2 was also taken by Lallie Charles . This photograph was published by Rapid Photo Co. as part of a series (no.4228).The card was postmarked in 1908.

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POSTCARD 1
POSTCARD 2
Published in: on August 21, 2022 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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NINA WOOD : STAGE ACTRESS AND MUSIC HALL PERFORMER

Postcard 1  (SOLD)

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This vintage real photo postcard (Postcard 1) features pretty stage actress Miss Nina Wood. The message on the reverse tells the recipient that this postcard “will be a nice addition to your collection”. The postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of the Rotary Photographic Series (no.1787A). The photographer that took this photo is the John Story & Hoffmann studio. The postcard is postmarked 1905.  (SOLD)

Postcard 2 features Miss Nina Wood wearing a large hat and holding a bouquet of flowers. The postcard was published by Wildt & Kray {W & K) which was based in London. (SOLD)

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Published in: on August 20, 2022 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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MABEL RUSSELL BRITISH ACTRESS AND THIRD FEMALE MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

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POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)
POSTCARD 3 (SOLD)

These vintage real photo postcards feature actress Miss Mabel Russell (1886-1951). She was also known as Mrs Hilton Philipson when off the stage. Russell was a British actor and politician. She was a gaiety girl and starred in many London plays. She left acting to marry politician, Hilton Philipson, in 1917. Mabel caught the political bug and became the third woman to take a seat in the House of Commons. She was quiet on the floor of the house but was active behind the scenes. One of her bills led to the 1927 Nursing Home Registration Act. After retiring in 1929, she returned to acting for a brief period by left the theatre to focus on her family. 

Postcard 1 was published by Tucks as part of the “Celebrities of the Stage” series (No.T 718). Miss Russell’s photo portrait was taken by Dover Street Studios. This postcard was postmarked in 1907. (SOLD) 

Postcard 2 captures Miss Russell playing “Forbidden Fruit” in the Chinese Comic Opera “See See” (1906). The production ran in London’s Prince of Wales Theatre for 330 performances. This postcard was published by Tucks as part of the “Celebrities of the Stage” series (No.T 713). Miss Russell’s photo portrait was taken by Dover Street Studios. This postcard was postmarked in 1908. (SOLD)

Postcard 3 captures Miss Russell in her role in “Jack and Jill”. The “Bystander” magazine reported her appearance in that production in 1907, the same year as the card is postmarked. The actress was about 21 years old when this postcard photo was taken. The postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (No.4839R). (SOLD)

POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)
POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)
Published in: on August 17, 2022 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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DORA BARTON : ENGLISH FILM ACTRESS : TWO PORTRAITS : RPPC

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Image 1 - DORA BARTON : FILM ACTRESS : ROTARY PHOTO : RPPC (1904)Postcard 2  (SOLD)

 

This wonderful vintage real photo postcard (Postcard 1) captures actor Mr. Charles Garry and actress Dora Barton (1880-1966) in a dramatic scene from the play “Ivanhoe”. Ivanhoe was a dramatization by William Palmer of Walter Scott’s novel.Dora Barton plays Rebecca while Charles Garry plays the role of Isaac of York. Both actors later had film careers. This photograph does an incredible job of capturing the performers emotions. The photographer of this image was well known for his talent and family ties. Alexander Percy Guttenberg (1870-?) came from a family that produced a number of photographers. His father, Marcus Guttenberg (1828-1891) began as a daguerreotypist in Hungary, Prussia, Poland and Germany before starting a photography business in England (1851). One source reports that he established 24 studios in England but settled in the Manchester area. Percy, like his father, was also very successful. In fact, there are fourteen of his photographs in England’s National Portrait Gallery. Percy was famous for his work photographing actors and actresses. The image above was photographed at his Queen’s Theater studio in Manchester as part of a “Revival Series”. The postcard has been mailed and is postmarked in Sunderland in the year 1909. Sunderland is in the northeast of England.

Postcard 2 features a portrait of Dora Barton. Barton, an English actress, appeared in films between 1916 and 1938. Her mother and her sister were also actresses. The IMDb reports that Barton appeared in 12 films. She also appeared in a Broadway show in 1902. This postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (No.1654C). Barton’s photo portrait was done by Alexander Bassano. Bassano (1829 –1913) was a leading royal and high society photographer in Victorian London. The postcard has a 1904 postmark.  (SOLD)

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Published in: on August 12, 2022 at 12:00 pm  Comments (4)  
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PRETTY ITALIAN ACTRESS AND WRITER MARCELLA ALBANI

Postcard 1 (Sold)

POSTCARD 2  (SOLD)

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     POSTCARD 4  (SOLD)                      

Marcella Albani (1899-1959) was an Italian film actress that appeared in 50 films between 1919 and 1936. Albani was “discovered” by writer/director Guido Parish (Schamberg) when she was twenty years old. They became a very successful film couple until 1924 when they parted ways. Their movies were predominately tear jerkers and adventure stories. The actress also worked with other famous directors such as Joe May, Friedrich Zelnik, and Wilhelm Dieterle. Albani was a major star in the European cinema in the late 1920’s. Her films were made in five different European countries. Many of Albani’s roles were portraying elegant Latin beauties. At the advent of sound movies, Miss Albani turned to writing. One of her several novels was turned into a movie. She continued to act until 1936. Albani was married to director Mario Franchini in 1931.

Albani certainly looks elegant, sensual, and beautiful in this Postcard 1 portrait. She is dressed exquisitely. The postcard image is a bit risque for it’s era. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag of Berlin, Germany. The postcard is part of a series (no. 538/1). This portrait of Miss Albani was taken by celebrity photographer, Alexander Binder.   (SOLD)

In the photograph seen on Postcard 2, Albani again looks elegant, and beautiful. Her hat is a fashion statement in itself. The card is of German origin and published by Ross Verlag of Berlin. The postcard is part of a series (no. 1521/1). The photo is by Aafa film. According to one reliable source, the postcard was issued sometime between 1927 and 1928.  (SOLD)

Postcard 3 features a beautiful risque portrait of Miss Albani. The publisher of this postcard is also Ross Verlag of Berlin, Germany. The postcard is part of a series (no. 596/3). Printed on the postcard is the name “Albani Film”. The company was a film production and distribution firm and was active in 1934.  (SOLD)

Postcard 4 accentuates the beauty of Miss Albani. The portrait is artistic and risque. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (no.596/4). Print in the bottom right hand corner of the image states “Albani Film”.  (SOLD)

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Published in: on August 11, 2022 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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