BRIGITTE HELM : TAKES A PHOTO : CAMERA ON TRIPOD : PHOTOGRAPHER : ACTRESS : RPPC

POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)

POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)

Postcard 1 features German actress, Brigitte Helm (1908-1996). The postcard captures Miss Helm taking a photograph with a camera on a tripod. Photographs of photographers in action are quite collectible. Now, back to Brigitte Helm. She is best known for her dual role in Fritz Lang’s 1927 silent film, Metropolis. After “Metropolis” she played in a long string of movies where she typically had the starring role. Helm was typecast as a Vamp or a femme fatale. She was born in Berlin. Her father was a Prussian Army officer. She was interested in acting at an early age and by age 12, was taking lead parts in school plays. At the age of 17, she acted in “Metropolis”. In 1925 she signed a ten year contract with UFA. She performed in both silent films and talkies. Beside “Metopolis” (1927), Helm was best known for “A Daughter of Destiny” (1928), “L’Argent” (1928), and “Alraune” (1929). Helm had an eventful personal life. Helm was involved in several traffic accidents. In fact, she was briefly placed in prison for manslaughter charges. She married industrialist, Dr Hugo Kunheim. The Nazis were not very pleased with her choice in men because Kunheim was Jewish. In 1935, Helm retired and moved with her husband to Switzerland where they started a family. Helm explained her retirement was because of disgust about the Nazi’s taking over the German film industry. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (No.8486/1). The card has the UFA logo which reveals it was published between 1925 and 1935. (SOLD)

Postcard 2 captures Miss Helm in a beautiful dress that illustrates her nice figure. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (No.8486/1). The card has the UFA logo which reveals it was published between 1925 and 1935.  (SOLD)

POSTCARD 1

POSTCARD 2

Published in: on November 24, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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VIOLET VANBRUGH : PHOTO BY LIZZIE CASWALL SMITH : UNCOMMON ROTOPHOT RPPC 1908

This is a rare and beautifully preserved Rotophot (RP) postcard featuring a striking portrait of the renowned British stage actress Miss Violet Vanbrugh (1867–1942). The postcard, numbered 0450, was published by Rotophot, a German publisher known for high-quality photographic postcards. The portrait itself was captured by Lizzie Caswall Smith, a prominent female photographer of actors and society figures during the early 20th century. This particular image is notable for its excellent clarity and fine detail, showcasing Vanbrugh in an elegant, dark gown with a delicate lace underlayer, her short wavy hair styled fashionably, and wearing simple yet refined pearl earrings. Violet Vanbrugh was part of a theatrical family—her sister, Irene Vanbrugh, was also a celebrated actress. She initially pursued her education at Exeter and developed an interest in drama at a young age. She made her stage debut in 1886 at the Theatre Royal, Margate, before stepping into the London theatre scene. Her breakthrough came when she joined Sir Henry Irving’s company, where she refined her skills and gained recognition for her classical performances. Over the years, she became highly regarded for her portrayals of Shakespearean heroines, including Lady Macbeth, Portia in The Merchant of Venice, and Queen Katherine in Henry VIII. Apart from Shakespeare, she also starred in major productions like “Caste” and “Diplomacy”. Vanbrugh was admired for her commanding presence and emotive delivery, making her a favorite among theatre audiences of the late Victorian and Edwardian eras. Violet Vanbrugh married Arthur Bourchier, a fellow actor, in 1894, and the couple became a theatrical powerhouse, frequently starring together in productions. They also managed the Garrick Theatre in London for a time. However, their marriage eventually ended in divorce. Despite personal setbacks, Vanbrugh remained a distinguished figure in the theatrical world well into the 20th century. She passed away in 1942 at the age of 75. The back of this postcard features the Rotophot logo in red, with a printed divider. It is addressed to Miss M. Pattison of  Cardiff, Wales. The handwritten message, written in cursive along the left margin, reads: “another for your collection”. The sender hopes the postcard will be added to the recipients postcard collection. The postcard bears a half-penny green King Edward VII stamp, which was postmarked in Cardiff in 1908.  (SOLD)

Published in: on October 30, 2025 at 8:45 am  Leave a Comment  
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BOY ON SLED : BY MISS CLARKE : DOYLESTOWN, PA : VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPH c.1905-1912

This charming vintage photograph captures a young boy seated on a wooden sled, dressed in winter attire. The image is mounted on gray cardstock with a debossed border, a style prevalent between 1900 and 1915. The boy is dressed in a thick woolen outfit, high leather boots, and a wide-brimmed hat, typical of early 20th-century winter wear. He sits on a wooden sled, which resembles designs manufactured between 1895 and 1915, commonly used in Northern states. The photographer’s signature, “Miss Clarke,” is embossed in script on the lower right corner. The photographer is Miss Clarke, possibly the celebrated Sara Maynard Clark. The photograph was taken at Miss Clarke’s Doylestown, Pennsylvania studio. Various aspects of the photograph indicate that the photo was taken sometime between 1905 and 1912.  Sara Maynard Clark (1891–1973) was a prominent writer, editor, historian, and photographer based in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. After relocating to the area in 1933, she contributed extensively to local publications such as The New Hope, Bucks County Traveler, and New Bucks County Magazine, often incorporating her own photographs into her articles. She also collaborated with her husband, Harold (Hal) Clark, and their son, Maynard Clark, both photographers, to document the evolving character of Bucks County through photography. Her work is preserved in the Bucks County Artists Database and has been featured in exhibitions at the Michener Art Museum. If I have dated this photograph correctly, the photographer is likely a different woman than Sara Maynard Clark because she was likely living in Iowa, and not Pennsylvania, when this photo was taken. In addition, Clark is spelled Clarke on this photograph’s mount. Further research is required to confirm the identity of the female photographer who took this photo. (SOLD)

Published in: on September 16, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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ID’D FRONTIER COWBOYS: FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER : OAKLEY, IDAHO : CABINET CARD c 1890

This arresting cabinet card, taken in Oakley, Idaho by the photographer Mrs. R. I. Mills, captures a vivid and timeless portrait of five rugged Western men from the late 19th or very early 20th century. The image radiates strength, camaraderie, and a quiet intensity that invites speculation about the identities and lives of its subjects. The five men are posed against a painted studio backdrop that includes drapery and a classical vase stand, subtly contrasting with the grit and rough-hewn realism of the men themselves. Two sit in the foreground, legs crossed with a relaxed authority, while three stand behind them. All are dressed in frontier attire: wide-brimmed hats, wool coats, high boots, and neckerchiefs. Their layered clothing suggests the chill of the high desert West. The expressions vary slightly—some show stoic resolve, others a more neutral bearing—but none of the men are smiling. Their faces are rugged, with prominent cheekbones, strong jaws, and thick mustaches. The man at center back smokes a cigar, and one gets the sense that these are men of action—likely cowboys, ranchers, or possibly even lawmen or miners. The man seated at the right front—wearing a wide-brimmed hat, dark scarf, and white canvas trousers with riveted side seams—commands particular attention. His intense gaze and imposing posture suggest he may have been a leader among them. The others wear expressions of cool composure, unified by the weathered look of men who knew hard labor or possibly the frontier justice of the American West. Written in blue ink on the reverse of the card is an identification key, apparently penned by someone familiar with at least some of the sitters: James D. Glenn, Frank Taylor, Mr. Johnson. An inscription reveals that the men are all friends of James Glenn. It is likely that this photograph belonged to Mr. Glenn. This photograph was taken by a female photographer. Mrs. R. I. Mills was an early female photographer working in the American West—an unusual and significant occupation for a woman at the time. Her studio was located in Oakley, Idaho, a small Mormon-founded settlement in Cassia County. Historical records show that Mrs. Rachel I. Mills operated a photography studio in Oakley in the late 19th century. She was part of a small but growing number of frontier women who ran their own commercial photography studios. Though little has been published about her biography, her studio was active around the 1880s–1890s, a time when Oakley was transitioning from a pioneer settlement into a more established town with irrigation agriculture and Mormon communal development. Founded in the early 1880s by Mormon settlers, Oakley was a rural, religiously conservative community that grew around farming and ranching. It sat on the edge of the high desert and became a local hub for commerce in southern Idaho. During the time this photograph was likely taken—circa 1890—Oakley would have been a small but lively town, with residents involved in cattle ranching, grain farming, and trade.  (SOLD)

Published in: on May 20, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (3)  
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FROWNING BABY AND SMALL DOG IN HUNTINGBURGH, INDIANA (EARLY WOMAN PHOTOGRAPHER)

 

A frowning baby poses for a portrait at a photographers studio on Fourth Street in Huntingburgh, Indiana. The baby is clad in a long gown and sitting on a fur covered surface. The baby is sitting next to a small dog. Research yielded little information about the photographer. The photographer is Mrs. Jos. Sprauer, clearly an early woman photographer. Research found a pioneering photographer named Alois Sprauer of Jasper, Indiana. He founded a studio which operated for decades and was passed on to his son, Albert Sprauer. Jasper and Huntingburgh are nearby towns in southwestern Indiana. The “American Annual of Photography” mentions a W. J. Sprauer of Huntingburgh. The 1880 census includes a Joseph Sprauer, who was born in 1853 in Indiana. Hopefully, the Cabinet Card Gallery’s research department (made up entirely of the sites visitors); can shed some light on the identity of the photographer who created this image. Please leave a comment with any relevant information.  SOLD

Published in: on April 11, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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MRS VREELAND : FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER IN McPHERSON, KANSAS (1893)

Mrs. Vreeland Whitlock photographed this cabinet card in 1893. Whitlock’s studio was located in McPherson, Kansas.  Her subject is a young woman wearing a corsage, necklace, earrings, and a hair clip. The images of other female photographers can be viewed by clicking on the category “Female Photographers”. To view other photographs by Mrs Vreeland Whitlock, click on the cabient card gallery “Photographer: Vreeland”.  SOLD

Published in: on January 30, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A PRETTY LADY & HER AUTOHARP : FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER FALL RIVER, MA : CABINET CARD

A woman poses for her portrait at Gay’s studio in Fall River, Massachusetts. She likely viewed her self as foremost, a musician. She chose to pose herself, or approved the photographers instructions, to pose sitting and holding her autoharp on her lap. Gay’s Studio was operated by a talented female photographer named Emily Gay. She ran the studio for over 40 years. She established the studio in 1878. Actually, the studio was started in 1863 by her husband Edwin Gay. In 1878, Edwin “lost it” and shot his brother-in-law and abducted his daughter. He absconded to Canada, where he died from TB in 1879. The TB that killed Edwin, caused him to turn the studio over to Emily in around 1878. Somehow, she managed to run the studio despite all the personal drama in her life. When Emily retired in the 1920’s, her daughter succeeded her in running the studio. An interesting sidenote is that Emily (her maiden name was Borden) was a distant relative of Lizzie Borden, the tried and acquitted axe murderer of her father and step-mother. Lizzie lived in Fall River and was photographed at Gay’s Studio. The cabinet card image exists today. SOLD

Published in: on January 28, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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STUNNING WOMAN : CHICAGO, ILLINOIS : FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER : MRS. GARRITY : CABINET CARD

An attractive woman poses for her portrait at the studio of Misses Garrity in Chicago, Illinois. She is wearing a terrific hat, a fur collared coat, gloves, as well as ribbons, cameo collar pin and earrings. She is a stunning woman and is wearing the best finery of the day. Mrs Garrity’s studio was located at the corner of Clark and Elm Streets. Sallie E. Garrity was one of a number of outstanding early female photographers whose marriage stifled a successful career. She opened her first public studio in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1886. She later opened a large and successful photography business in Chicago. In 1893, while working at the Chicago Exposition, she met a man who “wooed her away from Chicago and Photography to Los Angeles and matrimony”. To view other photographs by Miss Garrity, click on the category “Photographer: Garrity”.  SOLD

Published in: on January 14, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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HENRIETTE WATSON : PHOTO BY LALLIE CHARLES : IN THORNTON WILDER PLAY : RPPC 1909

This vintage real photo postcard features British actress, Henriette Watson (1873-1964). Watson was born in Scotland. She made her stage debut at age seven. At sixteen, she was trained and practiced enough to take “second lead” in comedies and modern dramas. As she grew older, larger parts came her way. After appearing in a number of touring and London theater engagements, she joined a touring company on a six month tour of Australia. In 1892 she toured Australia again with the “Mrs Bernard Beere Company”.  She appeared in “As in a Looking Glass” with the company.. She toured Australia again in 1899. She later acted in Thornton Wilder’s play, “The Merchant of Yonkers”. Watson’s photo portrait was taken by the celebrated celebrity photographer, Lallie Charles. She was known for her talent as well as the fact that she was a female photographer, an unusual phenomenon for her era. The card is part of the Rival Photographic Series and it was manufactured in England. The postcard was postmarked in 1909. Note the chip on the right border of the card. Accordingly, this postcard is in fair condition (see scans).

henriette watson_0001

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #5293

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$9.95

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) #5293

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$19.95

Published in: on November 5, 2024 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF MISS LIZZIE COOPERIDER (UPPER SANDUSKY, OHIO)

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The pretty woman with the large eyes in this portrait is identified on the reverse of the photograph as Miss Lizzie Cooperider. She is wearing a “layered look”. Note her unusual collar pin. The photograph was produced by McCahon’s Art Gallery in Upper Sandusky, Ohio. John McCahon was born in Ireland sometime around 1828. He was a photographer in central Ohio for more than 3 decades. He operated the Cottage Photograph Gallery in Roscoe and galleries in Utica (1870) and Westerville (1878). He opened a studio in Upper Sandusky in 1880 and the last stop of his journey as a photographer was in Newark (late 1880’s). In 1893 McCahon suffered a stroke and his wife Isabella and his daughters Bertha and W. Blanche assisted in continuing the operation of the studio. John McCahon died in 1896. His daughter W. Blanche (1864-1944) continued working as a photographer. After gaining valuable experience managing her fathers studio during his illness, she continued running the gallery until 1918. She then worked in a Mansfield, Ohio studio until she opened her own studio in Westerville as some time during the 1920’s and continued its operation until 1938. This cabinet card portrait is in very good condition (see scans).

 

lizzie-1-1

Buy this Vintage Original Cabinet Card (includes shipping within the US) #5326

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$26.00

lizzie-1

Buy this Vintage Original Cabinet Card (includes International shipping outside the US) #5326

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$36.00

Published in: on June 28, 2023 at 9:31 pm  Comments (1)  
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