This vintage real photo postcard features Miss Mabel Hirst. She was a stage and film actress. She was in just one film, “Then You’ll Remember Me” (1918). Interestingly, the film was directed by a woman, Edith Mellor. However, misogyny was the name of the game in 1918, and Miss Mellor was credited as Edward Waltyre. As a stage actress, Hirst’s productions included “The Cingale” (1904), The Merry Widow (1910), and “The Marriage Market” (1913). Surprisingly, my preliminary research yielded scant biographical information about Miss Hirst. I found one postcard that featured Mabel Hirst posed with her sister, Elizabeth Hirst, and her brother, Tom Hirst. Tom wore a military unifrom in the portrait and unfortunately, he was killed in World War I. Mabel died at age 49 in Ontario, Canada. This vintage postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (no.1739 C). Her portrait was taken by Play Pictorial. “Play Pictorial” was an English theatre magazine published in London between 1902 and 1939.The publication provided a pictorial presentation of West End theatrical productions with each issue focusing on just one play. The card was mailed in 1906. (SOLD)
The pretty costumed blonde actress featured in this real photo postcard is Edy Vayland. She is wearing a fantastic headdress. This portrait is a bit risque for it’s era. Preliminary research revealed little information about this Belle Epoque theatre actress. One source labelled her a burlesque actress. The postcard is from the 1910’s and was published in Italy by A. Traldi from the city of Milan. Traldi operated in Milan from 1902-1918. The publisher concentrated on view cards of Europe and the Middle East. They are also known for a series published that focused on dogs. Research reveals that they produced a number of postcard portraits of European stage performers. Miss Vayland’s photograph was taken by the Badodi studio in Milan. This real photo postcard portrait is in excellent condition (see scans). SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features Romanian born film actress, Elizza La Porta (1902-1997). She appeared in a number of German silent films between 1926 and 1930. The IMDb credits he with 19 film appearances. Some of her films had racy titles. She performed in “The Bordellos of Algiers” (1927), as well as “The Vice of Humanity” (1927). La Porta also appeared in a social commentary type film entitled “The Right of the Unborn” (1929). This silent film dealt with the issue of abortion and took a generally anti-abortion stance. La Porta retired from the film business with the advent of sound film. This vintage postcard was published in 1927 by Ross Verlag (Berlin, Germany). The card is part of a series (no.1694/1). The front of the postcard includes a logo advertising Sokal Films. Harry Sokal (1898-1979) was Romanian born and became a German film producer. He produced 22 films between 1926 and 1977. This portrait of Elizza La Porta was taken when she appeared in Sokal’s film, “The Student of Prague” (1926). This postcard is in very good condition (see scans).
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This vintage real photo postcard features actress Winnie Markus (1921-2002). She was born in Czechoslovakia and was a German film and television actress. She received theatre training at the Max Reinhardt Seminary in Vienna. She became a leading actress during the 1940’s and 1950’s. She had opportunities to work in Hollywood but she declined because she preferred to stay in Germany. She was married twice, once to an actor and once to a hotelier. Shortly before the end of World War II, she was shot in the leg by an inebriated Russian soldier. The IMDb lists 68 credits in Markus’s filmography between 1939 and 2001. This vintage real photo postcard was published by Film-Foto-Verlag and was part of a series (no.3558/1). The photographer was Hammerer for Wien-Film. This vintage postcard portrait is in very good condition (see scans).
Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #3562
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This vintage real photo postcard features English actress, singer, and dancer, Gaynor Rowlands (1883-1906). She carried the nickname of “The Nightingale of Wales”. She started her career in Empire Theatres’s Ballet. Upon graduation, she joined the company chorus line of George Edwarde’s Gaiety Theatre. She toured India in 1901/02. She quickly became a star and she became the most photographed of the “Gaiety Girls”. She was a popular subject of photo postcards and theatre magazine articles. Rowland’s life was cut short when she died of heart failure at the age of twenty-three after surgery for appendicitis. Eight portraits of Gaynor are in England’s National Portrait Gallery. The IMDb reports that she has one film in her filmography. lt was released in 1905. This vintage portrait postcard was published by Philco as part of a series (No. 3211 D). The photographer of this postcard photograph is Garet Charles. He operated a photo studio in London. His wife’s fame as a photographer, overshadowed his own. His wife was celebrity photographer, Lallie Charles. This photograph of Miss Rowlands is a bit risque for it’s time. The front of her dress is overly revealing. (S0LD)
This vintage real photo postcard features actress and singer, Miss Catherine Ferguson ( 1895-1972). At first glance, this image appears to be a photograph of a pretty woman on a bad hair day. However, this is actually a photograph of Miss Ferguson playing the role of “Mad Margaret” in “Ruddigore”. The comic opera was also known as “The Witches Curse”. The production was presented by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company and the music and libretto was written by Gilbert and Sullivan. It was first performed in 1887 for a run of 288 performances and was revived in 1920. During World War 1, interest in Gilbert and Sullivan was waning. The company’s main soubrette, Nellie Briarcliffe, left the company. In 1918, the company signed Miss Ferguson to replace Briarcliffe. Ferguson’s stage debut occurred in 1915, in “The Girl in the Taxi”. Ferguson took advantage of the opportunity at D’Oyly and she received much recognition and praise for her performances. In fact, it was thought that she had won the role of principal soubrette on a permanent basis rather than on an interim one. However, in 1919, Briarcliffe returned to the company and resumed her position as major soubrette while Ferguson was relegated to minor roles. Briarcliffe only stayed for one season, and upon her departure, Ferguson returned to being principal soubrette. She left the company in 1923 because of hearing loss. This photo postcard was published by Parkslee Pictures as part of a series (No. 36). The Cabinet Card Gallery has another real photo postcard of an actress playing “Mad Margaret”. You can view it by placing the name, “Aileen Davies” in the search box. SOLD
This vintage postcard features Schine’s Kenton Theatre, located in Kenton, Ohio. The Kenton Theatre was built in 1929 and joined the Schine’s theatre chain. The theatre was built in a Spanish Colonial style. It had murals painted on the auditorium and lobby walls. In 1993, the theatre was purchased by M. E. Theatres and the building was remodeled. The renovation included the construction of a new marquee modelled after the original (1930’s style). This postcard depiction of the Kenton Theatre shows the marquis advertising a film starring Greta Garbo. The sign states “Garbo Talks”. This reflects that transition from silent films to “talkies” which occurred between 1926 and 1930. Greta Garbo (1905-1990) was a Swedish American actress who was active in films between 1920 and 1941. She played many tragic characters in her career and is considered by many to be one of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood movies. This postcard was published by the Wagner Post Card and Novelty Company. The firm was located in Delphos, Ohio. SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features actress Maureen O’Sullivan (1911-1998). She is holding a ping pong paddle and standing next to a ping pong table. The Irish-American actress is best known for playing Jane in the Tarzan series of films. This postcard was published by Dutch publisher Jos-Pe. Arnhem. The card is part of a series (No. 432), and at the time this photograph was taken, O’Sullivan was under contract with Metro Goldwyn. The postcard is posted and has a Netherlands stamp. SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features actress Maria Paudler (1903-1990). She was an Austro-Hungarian born German actress. She was the daughter of an architect. She received her acting training in Prague, performing on stage in both classical and modern roles from 1923 to 1938. After World War II she was imprisoned in the Czech Republic and was only set free after intervention from the Red Army. In 1949, she was severely injured in a car accident. The injuries almost ended her acting career. In 1951 she returned to acting and also directed some theatre productions. Paudler received offers from Hollywood but always rejected them. She published her memoirs in 1977. She was married to actor Georg Czimaq and when that marriage ended, she became engaged to actor Harry Liedtke. The IMDb credits Paudler with 63 acting appearances between 1926 and 1985. This photo postcard features Miss Paudler being upstaged by the geese that she is holding; one under each arm. Miss Paudler looks surprisingly comfortable in this pose. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (no. 3122/3). The logo for a film company appears in the lower right hand corner of the image. This vintage postcard is in very good condition (see scans).
Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #3547
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Billie Dove (1903-1997) was an American actress. Her parents were Swiss immigrants. During her teenage years, she worked as a model to support her family. Florenz Ziegfeld hired her as a teenager to appear in the Ziegfeld Follies Revue. She was not a particularly talented dancer or singer, her beauty and acting ability were her major assets. In the early 1920’s she moved to Hollywood and began appearing in silent films. It has been written that Ziegfield’s wife, actress Billie Burke, helped facilitate Dove’s transition to films. Apparently, Burke was trying to separate Dove from her husband because the pair were having an affair. It did not take long for her to become one of the more popular actresses of the 1920’s. Among her better known films was “The Black Pirate” (1926) with Douglas Fairbanks, and “The American Beauty” (1927). Dove was a ravishing beauty and was very photogenic. She married director, Irvin Willat, in 1923. The marriage had a six year duration. She then had a three year romance with Howard Hughes. Dove’s other interests included being a pilot, painter, and poet. After her last film, “Blondie of the Follies” (1932), Dove retired from films. It is thought that she retired because she was distraught about her role in her last film being “trimmed” by her co-star’s (Marion Davis) influential boyfriend (William Randloph Hearst). Hearst was upset because Miss Davis’s acting was overshadowed by Dove’s acting. Mr Hearst owned Cosmopolitan Productions which produced the movie. After retirement, Dove married oil executive Robert Kenaston in 1933 and the couple remained together until Kenaston’s death in 1970. She had a brief third marriage to an architect. It is interesting to note that jazz singer, Billie Holiday, borrowed Billie Dove’s first name when picking out her own stage name. Miss Holiday was an admirer of Miss Dove. The IMDb lists 50 movie credits for Billie Dove between 1921 and 1962.
Postcard 1 was published by “Ross Verlag”, The photographer of Miss Dove’s portrait was Defina of First National Pictures. (SOLD)
Postcard 2 was also published by “Ross Verlag”. Billie Dove looks beautiful in this portrait. Note the old style phone she is using. The postcard was sold exclusively by Ballerini & Fratini of Florence, Italy. The firm was known for producing a large number of postcards, including film stars of the 1920’s. I do not know why there were two publishing firms involved in producing this postcard. Perhaps there was a distribution agreement of some kind between the two companies. This vintage postcard is in very good condition (see scans).
Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #3545
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POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)
POSTCARD 1 (CLOSE-UP) (SOLD)
POSTCARD 2
POSTCARD 2 (CLOSE-UP)
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 