VIOLET PALFERAY : PRETTY DANCER : MEMBER OF THE TILLER GIRLS DANCE TROUPE 

This lovely vintage Rotophot real photo postcard features dancer and postcard model, Violet Palferay. She appears on more than 40 Rotophot series postcards. Palferay was a member of the very popular Tiller Girl woman’s dance troupe. The group began in London in the 1890’s and kept growing until there were dozens of Tiller Girl troupes spread around the world. Palferay appears on a Getty image taken in 1908 entitled “Girls of Berlin”. Variety Magazine described the Tiller Troupe of Girls as very American, even though they were English; and that they were “good to look upon, well dressed and a good show”.  This postcard was published by Rotophot (RPH) as part of a series (1577/78). The company was based in Berlin, Germany. Rotophot eventually morphed into Ross Verlag.  (SOLD)

PRETTY DANCER : WARDROBE MALFUNCTION : RISQUE : ARJALEW : RPPC : (1911)

This vintage real photo postcard features a pretty costumed performer. She is a dancer or actress or both. There seems to be a wardrobe malfunction evident in this photograph. The young woman’s skirt is a bit short of material. It is not providing complete coverage of her derriere. The photo was taken by Belle Epoque photographer, Arjalew. His studio was located in Paris, France. He is known for producing many beautiful Art Nouveau images. This postcard was published by Iris (Theojac, Theo Bachellery). The firm was located in Limoges, France. (SOLD)

PRETTY DANCER : REUTLINGER : ORANOTYPIE : NPG : BERLIN, GERMANY

This vintage real photo postcard features a pretty costumed performer. She is a dancer or actress or both. The woman is beautifully dressed. Note her wasp-like waist and her lovely kerchief. The photographer of this unidentified performer’s  portrait was Leopold Reutlinger (1863-1937). He was a leading photographer of his time and was, and is, renowned for his photographs of celebrities and beautiful women. The postcard was published by NPG as part of a series (No.551/2). The card is a “Oranotypie”. An oranotype is a trade name for a type of glossy real photo postcard published by NPG.  (SOLD)

15 YEAR-OLD PROFESSIONAL BALLERINA : LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA : VINTAGE PHOTO

This vintage photograph features a young ballerina. An inscription on the reverse of the photograph reveals that she is 15 years old and already had danced professionally for 2 1/2 years. In addition, the inscription provides her name and her location (Los Angeles). The photo studio embossed its name on the lower right corner of the image (Reithner Studio). (SOLD)

Published in: on February 14, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Comments (3)  
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PHRYNE : NINA BARKIS : GREEK COURTESAN : EMAILLOGRAPHIE : RPPC

This color tinted vintatge real photo postcard features actress, Nina Barkis playing the ancient Greek courtesan, Phryne. She has very long hair and she is shielding herself with a transparent lacey fabric. Miss Barkis was an opera singer and dancer. She was known for playing “Salome” and for modelling for photographer Jean Agelou. She also appeared on cards by postcard publisher, Gerlach. This image was created by a photographic process called “Emaillographie”. It is interesting that the first five letters of the technique is “Email”. This vintage postcard is of French origin. SOLD

PAULINE HALL (1860-1919): BEAUTIFUL MUSICAL THEATRE STAR

This cabinet card features Pauline Hall (1860-1919), one of the most popular turn of the century prima donnas. She began her career as a dancer in Cincinnati, Ohio at age 15. She joined the Alice Oats Opera Company but left to tour in plays with famed actress Mary Anderson. By 1880, she worked for well known producer Edward Everett Rice in musical productions. Early in their association, he gave her a role in “Evangeline”. Her shapely figure allowed her to take male roles as she did in “Ixion” (1885). Her greatest success came in the title role of the first American production of  “Erminie” (1886). She played in more than two dozen Broadway operettas. Her final role was in the “Gold Diggers” (1919). This photograph was taken by famed celebrity photographer, Elmer Chickering of Boston, Massachusetts. The cabinet card has wear in it’s lower right hand corner and has a very slight curl. It is in overall good condition *see scans. 

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Buy this Vintage Cabinet Card photograph (includes shipping within the US) #5013

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$58.85

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Buy this Vintage Cabinet Card (includes International shipping outside the US) 5013

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$68.00

CHILDREN HULA DANCING IN GRASS SKIRTS : FRENCH POLYNESIA : (1955)

This vintage real photo postcard features two children hula dancing. They are wearing grass skirts as well as infectious smiles. This postcard photo was taken in French Polynesia). More specifically, the setting is Tahiti, and the year is 1955. Note the card’s French Polynesia postage stamp.  (SOLD)

Published in: on October 1, 2022 at 2:16 pm  Leave a Comment  
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BLUMENFELD SISTERS : PRETTY BALLET DANCERS : SWEDEN : VINTAGE POSTCARD

This vintage postcard features the Syskonen Blumenfeld (Blumenfeld Sisters). The pretty young women appear to be ballet dancers. I do not know if they were professionals or amateurs. This photogravure postcard was published by a Swedish company. (SOLD)

Published in: on September 30, 2022 at 12:00 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)

LA SYLPHE : ACTRESS & EXOTIC DANCER : EDITH LANGERFELD : RISQUE RPPC

This vintage real photo postcard features American actress exotic dancer, La Sylphe. Her off stage name was Edith Lambelle Langerfeld (1883-1968). She attracted a great deal of attention in the 1890’s while performing at the Folies Bergere. She was born in New York City. Her father was German and her mother was Irish.Her father invented a machine used in the mining of coal. Edith was a dancer, but US laws prevented her from performing on stage due to her young age. The laws were more liberal abroad so when Edith turned six, she was taken abroad by her mother. She travelled around the world for eight years, spending the majority of her time performing in Europe. She became fluent in five language. During her second world tour, she was the primary dancer at the Alhambra Theatre in London. Next, she performed at the aforementioned Folies Bergere. Her debut in the US occurred when she was fourteen. In 1899, she introduced her rendition of “The Vision of Salome” dance. When “Salome” was banned by the Metropolitan Opera in 1907, La Sylphe’s popularity in the US soared. She named her performances “The Remorse of Salome”. She adopted the Far East body dance, otherwise known as “the houchee kouchee”. She began performing in vaudeville. She did toe dances, spanish castanet dances, muscle dances (belly dances),  and of course, the Salome dance. She also performed what she called the Devil dance. Some of her performances were risque. In one skit, her mid waist was covered by only pearls. In other performances she wore tights, picket fence skirts and a gossamer (light and thin) bodice. Her performances in New York shocked the public but the shows were tame compared to her routines in Europe. Some of her New York shows were attended by plainsclothes police officers to ensure that she did not cross over the morality boundary.. In 1919 and 1920, La Sylphe was in the cast of “George White’s Scandals”. Her performances included an Acrobatic act, as well as a Contortionist act. After 1928, she began performing in ballets. In one interview, La Sylphe expresses an interesting opinion about matrimony. In an article from “The Evening World” (1908), she states that being an old maid is a good idea. She asserts that she is going to be one. “Marriage is fine for men, but it’s rotten luck for a woman, This vintage real photo postcard was published by Philco as part of a series (No.3103A). The photo was taken by noted celebrity female photographer, Lallie Charles. (SOLD).