MISS PAULETTE: RISQUE PORTRAIT OF AN EXTREMELY BEAUTIFUL ACTRESS

beauty unknown

The beautiful woman seen on this vintage real photo postcard is Miss Paulette. I have been unable to find biographical information about her. The former owner of this photo postcard identified her as Miss Paulette and stated she performed in Paris at the Folies Bergere, a cabaret music hall established in 1869. This portrait of the actress is risque for it’s era but it is certainly tastefully done. In an attempt to identify this actress, I came across the five postcards seen below. I believe that the pretty woman seen in the postcard above is Paulette Del Baye although I lack any concrete convincing evidence. This postcard has a German stamp that is postmarked in Rixdorf (a neighborhood in Berlin). The card was postmarked 1912.  The postcard was published by Neue Photographische Gesellschaft (NPG) which was located in Berlin and Stuttgart, Germany.The company was in business between 1894 and 1948. It was founded by Arthur Black (1862-1943) and it became one of the most well known and largest companies involved in the production of postcards.   SOLD

 

Vintage French RPPC Postcard Artist Stage Star Miss Paulette   Paulette

Image result for postcard Miss paulette  Paulette

Image result for postcard Miss paulette  Paulette Del Baye

Image result for postcard Miss paulette  Paulette Del Baye

c-1907-French-Theater-Beauty-Mlle-DEBRIVES-fashion-tinted-photo-postcard  Paulette Debrives

Paulette Debrives

Published in: on September 16, 2017 at 8:38 pm  Comments (5)  
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SILENT FILM STAR SANDRA MILOVANOFF

This real photo vintage postcard features actress Sandra Milovanoff (1892-1957). Although she was Russian born, she was known for her roles in French cinema, particularly during the silent era. Milovanoff was very passionate about classical dance and attended a number of dance schools in St. Petersburg. She then joined the dance company of Anna Pavlova. She toured varied European cities but left Russia in 1917 in order to flee the Bolshevik Revolution. She went with her family to Monte Carlo where she played a small role in a film. She was noticed by French director Louis Feuillade who began using her in films. She had much success in film until the arrival of sound movies which basically destroyed her career. The IMDb credits her with 28 film roles between 1917 and 1950. Her films include “Les Miserables” (1925), “My Crimes After Mein Kampf” (1940), and “The Private Life of an Actor” (1948). A sample of her work can be seen in the video seen below (“In The Night” (1929) starring Sandra Milovanoff and Charles Vanel). This postcard was published by Cinemagazine in Paris, France and is part of a series (No. 114).

Published in: on September 9, 2017 at 6:41 pm  Leave a Comment  
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FAUX NUDE PORTRAIT OF CABARET ARTISTE NINETTE D’ARVILLE (PHOTO BY LUCIEN WALERY)

This vintage real photo postcard is racy for it’s time. The postcard features French cabaret artiste Ninette d’Arville. She is wearing a body stocking that is aimed at simulating nudity. Preliminary research found no biographical information about Miss D’arville. However, investigation did reveal that this postcard is part of a series that shows the actress in the same body stocking but assuming a number of different poses. The image utilized in this postcard was produced by photographer 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.  Sold

Published in: on August 25, 2017 at 1:37 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF FRENCH FILM STAR MLLE BARBIER (PHOTOGRAPHED BY LEOPOLD REUTLINGER)

This exceptional real photo postcard comes from the Paris studio of Leopold Reutlinger. His subject for this photograph is a beautiful theatrical actress, Mlle Barbier. The actress is spectacularly dressed and wearing hoop earrings in this color tinted photograph. The postcard is part of a series published by SIP (no. 1357). The home of SIP (Societe Industrielle de Photograpie) was Rueil, France. Research did not yield a firm identification of Mlle Barbier. A strong possibility is that the attractive actress photographed for this postcard was Charlotte Barbier-Krauss (1877-1938). The French actress was best known for appearing in “The Empty Cradle” (1910), “Le calvaire de Dona Pia” (1925), and “Poil de carotte” (1925). In 1914, she married director Henry Krauss. Mlle Barbier’s filmography includes about 34 films between 1909 and 1938. She is also credited with appearing in six plays between 1921 and 1937.

Published in: on July 30, 2017 at 3:55 pm  Leave a Comment  
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TWO PORTRAITS OF GERMAN FILM ACTRESS MARINA VON DITMAR

POSTCARD 1   (SOLD)

POSTCARD 2   (SOLD)

These two real photo postcards feature German film actress Marina von Ditmar (1914-2014), a leading lady of the 1930’s and 40’s. . She was born in the Russia Empire and was of Baltic German descent. When she moved to Germany she studied acting. Her first roles were appearances at Schauspielhaus, Bremen, and the Altes Theater (Leipzig). In 1937 she joined the ensemble at the Volksbuhne in Berlin and by 1940, she was a permanent actress at this venue. Her first major movie success was in “The Csardas Princess” (1934). In 1943, she starred in “Muchhausen”, a film that had great commercial success. Von Ditmar was also well known for her role in “The Big Shadow” (1942). She appeared in several Nazi propaganda film including Stukas (1941). She married D. Hans-Georg Dehnhardt (1913-2001), a leading physician and owner of a sanitarium,  Soon after her marriage, she retired from acting. The IMDB credits Miss von Ditmar with thirty film roles. The top postcard was published by Film-Forto-Verlag and was part of a series (A 2622/1). The photographer was Baumann and there is an advertising logo for the German film company UFA. The bottom postcard was also published by Film-Foto-Verlag and was part of a series (no. A 3926/1). The photographer was Binz and there is an advertising logo for Prag Films. The Prag company produced 14 films between 1943 and 1945. Many of the people employed to produce these films were Czechs who were forced by war time German authorities to produce these films. The photographer, Tita Binz (1903-1970), was German and she photographed many film stars of the Third Reich, She also made portraits of the soldiers who earned the Knight’s Cross (the highest military award in Nazi Germany). Binz began her career by apprenticing in Paris between 1928 and 1930. She was an apprentice for her uncle, the celebrated photographer, Leopold Reutlinger whose studio was opened in 1850 and became of the worlds most renowned studios. Binz settled in Berlin and worked for various photo studios until opening her own studio in 1938. She specialized in portrait photography and photographed actors, artists, politicians, and other celebrities. One of her clients was the publisher Film-Foto-Verlag (formerly Ross Verlag). The founder of the company, Heinrich Ross was forced out in 1937 by the National Socialists because he was Jewish and Jews were not allowed to own businesses. Ross Verlag retained it’s name until 1941. Film-Foto-Verlag became known for it’s postcard portraits of film stars of the German and Italian cinema. Today, many of Binz’s photo portraits can be found in the collection owned by the Deutsches Historisches Museum in Berlin.

                                                           REVERSE TOP POSTCARD

            REVERSE BOTTOM POSTCARD

Published in: on July 21, 2017 at 4:12 pm  Comments (4)  
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ENGLISH THEATRE ACTRESS PAMELA GAYTHORNE AND HER NOT SO SUBTLE HAT

This vintage real photo postcard features English stage actress Pamela Gaythorne. She is quite attractive and wearing much jewelry and lace. Note her not so subtle hat. It looks as if a seagull is resting on her head.  Miss Gaythorne is captured in this image as she appeared in “The Fascinating Mr. Vanderveldt. She appeared in this theatre production with Violet Vanbrugh and Arthur Bourchier. The IBDB reveals that Miss Gaythorne appeared in, and often starred in, 12 Broadway productions. Her Broadway career spanned from “Keeping Up Appearances” (1910) through “This Fine-Pretty World” (1923). The New York Times (2/14/1911) reviewed a play named “Nobody’s Daughter”. Gaythorne appeared in this play and in writing about her, the reviewer wrote that he “heartily commends” her performance. The article adds that she played her character with “delightful spontaneity, charm, variety, and suggested youth and spirit, while touching the more sentimental passages with manifest sincerity”. The photographers of this image was Foulsham and Banfield, a prolific celebrity postcard portrait studio. The postcard was produced by Rotary Photo and is part of a series (no. 4107 A). The message on this card is from Bob to Miss Marion Lipman and states “I will come in and see you when I go to the city”. Also written in the message section is what appears to be “The Empire Confectionary”. Perhaps a Cabinet Card Gallery visitor can throw some illumination on that term and also ascertain what nation the stamp of this postcard represents. The postcard is postmarked 1906.

Published in: on July 11, 2017 at 8:51 pm  Comments (3)  
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BEAUTIFUL GERMAN ACTRESS: HELI FINKENZELLER

This vintage real photo postcard features pretty German film actress Heli Finkenzeller (1911-1991). During her career she appeared in more than 80 films and television shows between 1935 and 1991. Among her films, she was known for Emil un die Detektive (1954), Teorie und Praxis (1962), and Unser Pauker (1965). She was married twice, to an actor (Will Dohm) and than to a film director (Alfred Bittins).  She is the mother of Gaby Dohm, an Austrian actress. During Finkenzeller’s youth she hoped to become an opera singer. She had an excellent voice but it was too weak for opera. Instead she became an actress. She was discovered for film by director Karl Ritter in 1935. She was popular in films for UFA. a German film company. Later in her career she became active as a stage actress. This postcard was produced by Verlag and is part of a series (no. A 3958/1). The photographer was Star Foto. The logo for Tobis Film appears on the front of the postcard. Tobis was a German film production and distribution company founded n the late 1920’s. The company was discontinued in 1942 when the Nazi controlled government combined it with three other studios (Terra Film, Bavaria Films, UFA) to form a single state controlled film company.

The duet below is from Boccacio (1936) and it features Heli Finkenzeller and Willy Fritsch. One source states that Finkenzeller got “help” with the singing from Rosl Seegers.

 

Published in: on June 10, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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ESTHER RALSTON: TALENTED FILM AND EARLY TELEVISION ACTRESS

This vintage real photo postcard features beautiful actress Esther Ralston (1902-1994). She was born in Bar Harbor, Maine and was active in acting between 1915 an 1962. Her career started while she was still a child. She appeared in a family vaudeville act called “The Ralston Family with Baby Esther, America’s Youngest Juliet”. By the time she was 18, she was appearing in silent films including “Huckleberry Finn” (1920) and “Peter Pan” (1924). In the late 1920’s she appeared in many films for Paramount Pictures. She was successful enough to earn as much as eight thousand dollars per week Although she received good reviews for dramatic roles, Ralston primarily appeared in comedies, often in the role of spirited society girls. Esther’s image was initially “wholesome and fun-loving”. Florenz Ziegfeld Jr repackaged her as “The American Venus” after she appeared in the role of a beauty queen in the film, “American Venus” (1926). Miss Ralston made a successful transition to sound pictures but by the mid 1930’s she was usually appearing in supporting roles. Her final starring role was in “To the Last Man (1933) and her final film was “Tin Pan Alley (1940). That same year she retired from film and focused on stage and radio through the 1940’s. With the advent of television, Ralston spent time appearing in this new medium. Esther Ralston was married three times and divorced three times. All of her husbands worked in the entertainment industry. The imdb lists Ralston as having 108 credits as an actress. She certainly made an impact in the entertainment world and this is reflected by the fact that she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Esther Ralston’s obituary can be found at the web site of  “The Independent”. The obituary states that she was a “captivating blond beauty with an engaging sense of humor”. The article tells the story of Ralston’s reaction to co-starring with Clara Bow and Gary Cooper in “Children of Divorce” (1927) while Bow and Cooper were having an affair. In regard to Clara Bow, Ralston stated “I didn’t really dislike her, but she was pretty loose and I’d been brought up differently”. This photo postcard was pubished by Ross Verlag, a postcard publishing company based in Berlin, Germany. The postcard was produced for Paramount Pictures and is part of a series (No. 3393/1).

Published in: on May 26, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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HENNY PORTEN: MAJOR GERMAN FILM ACTRESS WITH ADMIRABLE PRINCIPLES (RESISTED THE NAZI GOVERNMENT)

 

Henny Porten (1890-1960) is the subject of this real photo postcard. Porten was a German actress and film producer of the silent era. She was Germany’s first major film star and appeared in more than 170 films produced between 1906 and 1955. Along with Asta Nielsen and Pola Negri, she was one of the three most popular German actresses. Her father was a film director and her sister was an actress/screenwriter. She began her film career without any stage experience which was an unusual phenomenon for German actresses. Porten was not well known outside of Germany. A large number of her early films were directed by her husband, Curt Stark. Stark died during World War I (1916) while serving on the Eastern Front. In 1921 she remarried a Jewish man named Wilhelm von Kaufmann. When the Nazis took power, she received much pressure to divorce her husband. She refused to comply and her career plummeted. She was denied a visa to emigrate. Her career blossomed again after World War II. The photograph of Miss Porten seen on this postcard is by the Becker & Maass studio of Berlin, Germany. The photographers were well known for portrait and fashion photography in the first decades of the twentieth century. They photographed dozens of German film stars for magazines and postcards. You can view more of this studios photographs by clicking on the category “Photographer: Becker & Maass”.  The postcard is published by Rotophot which began publishing “RPH” postcards in 1916. There were three different series: Buhnen-Sterne (stage star), Film Sterne (film star), and Film Sterne (displayed scenes). This postcard is from the Film Sterne series and was no. 216/3. The film star series ran from number 61 through number 224. The front of the Film Sterne cards included the name of the film studio represented. This card advertises Messter-Films of Berlin. These postcards were continued by the Ross Verlag company who’s origins can be traced back to the earlier Rotophot postcard company. The You Tube clip below presents Henny Porten in some scenes from “24 Hours from the Life of a Woman” (1931).

 

Published in: on May 10, 2017 at 4:47 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF AN UNIDENTIFIED BEAUTIFUL FASHIONISTA (ADDENDUM: IDENTIFIED AS ACTRESS MAY FORTESCUE)

fashionista

This cabinet card portrait features a pretty fashionista photographed by an unknown studio. Perhaps this young lady is a theater actress. This image is consistent with the work of Napoleon Sarony, Jose Mora, and other New York City celebrity photographers. The photograph presents a profile view of this attractive woman. ADDENDUM: Someone has identified the woman in this photograph as actress May Fortescue. See the images below of Miss Fortescue and see if you agree with the identification. I definitely agree. May Fortescue (1859-1950) was an actress, singer and actor/manager during the Victorian era. She was a protegee of playwright W. S. Gilbert. At age 22 she was a member of the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company for two years. She left the stage after becoming engaged to an English “Lord”. Friends talked her fiancee out of marrying the actress and he broke off the engagement. Fortescue sued him for “breach of promise” and was awarded ten thousand pounds. After her break-up, she returned to the stage and appeared in many leading roles. She acted until 1926.   (SOLD)

fashionista-1

fortescue_may_4-2                    fortescue_may_6-3-2

Published in: on May 9, 2017 at 8:02 am  Leave a Comment  
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