PORTRAIT OF AN ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL IN ST. DENIS, FRANCE

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This carte de visite portrait features an adorable little girl holding a beach pail. Note the painting of a sailboat on the pail. She is wearing a dark dress with a white lace bib. She is wearing high top shoes. The little girl seems a bit intimidated by her photographic session. The photographer of this cdv image is R. Termoz and his studio was located in St. Denis, France. Saint-Denis is a town in the northern suburbs of Paris, France.  (SOLD)

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Published in: on February 15, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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SWEET LITTLE GIRL AND HER DOLL IN ANNECY, FRANCE (CARTE DE VISITE PHOTOGRAPH)

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This carte de visite photograph features a portrait of an adorable little girl. She has the most interesting riveting eyes. She is wearing a long necklace and has a bow in her hair. The child is wearing boots and a short dress. During a recent trip to Austin, I noted that this style of dress was quite popular on the University of Texas campus. The little girl is standing next to her toy doll. This photograph was taken by J. Favrat who operated a studio in Annecy, France. The printing on the reverse of the image indicates that Favrat had won honors for his photography at a Paris exhibition in 1899. Therefore, we can safely conclude that this cdv photograph was produced sometime shortly after that date.

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Published in: on January 19, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF PRETTY FRENCH FILM ACTRESS JOSYANNE

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This vintage real photo postcard features French actress Josyanne (1901-1999) as she appeared in her screen role in the film “Carnelvale di enezia” (1928). The IMDb credits her with 14 film roles between 1924 and 1939 including L’aube de sang (1924), Le costaud des PTT (1931), and Aces of the Turf (1932). This postcard is of Italian origin and was edited by G. B. Falci of Milan. The postcard is part of a series (no. 103). Listed on the front of the photograph is the name Stefano Pittaluga (1887-1932). He was an Italian film producer credited with helping revive the Italian film industry in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s. He began as an owner of cinemas and than expanded to become a powerful distributor of Hollywood movies. Pittaluga further grew his business by becoming a major film producer.  (SOLD)

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Published in: on January 13, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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AN ADORABLE BABY AND HER DOLL

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This vintage real photo postcard features a lovely image of an adorable little girl holding a beautiful doll. The child is wearing a lacy dress, a necklace, and a pink ribbon in her hair. She is so photogenic. This postcard was sent by a woman named Suzanne to her younger brother living in Argentan, France. The postmark dates back to 1906. Suzanne wrote her name on the top right hand corner of the front of the postcard. She wrote it in red which is the same color ink she used to write her message on the reverse. The postcard was published by Germany’s Neue Photographische Gesellschaft (NPG) (New Photographical Society). The company was in business between 1894 and 1948. It was founded by Arthur Black (1862-1943) and it became of the most well known and largest companies involved in the production of postcards. Over time, NPG opened subsidiaries in London, Paris, Rome, and New York. Interestingly, the company was one of the “Best Companies to Work For”. Employees were given free medical treatment and illness benefits. Employees also received bonuses and life insurance. The company offered it’s employees a library, a casino, and a dining room which sold food for cost. In addition, the company offered it’s workers a reading room and a theater for lectures and theatrical performances. Now we know where Google and other employee friendly companies got some of their ideas from. Printing on the reverse of this postcard mentions that this postcard is an “Oranotypie” and also lists the name “A. G. Steglitz”. An oranotype is a trade name for a type of glossy real photo postcard published by NPG at the beginning of the 20th century. These cards are hand colored. I am unsure if Steglitz was a postcard publisher or a photographer. I have seen postcard aficionados refer to him as both a photographer and a publisher. My guess is that most of these “experts” are as unsure as I am about his role in producing postcards. 

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A FATHER AND HIS YOUNG SON OUT FOR A BICYCLE RIDE

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This vintage real photo postcard features a father and his young son outside for a bicyclc ride. The pair are posed in front of a large tree. Father is well dressed and wearing a cap. The little boy is also well dressed and he is wearing a straw hat. The postcard appears to be of French origin and is a rare find.

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Published in: on November 23, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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JOAN OF ARC: READY FOR BATTLE (VINTAGE REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

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This vintage real photo postcard features a pretty actress portraying “Joan of Arc”. She is wearing armor, and holding a flag in one hand and a shield in the other. Her medieval costume includes breastplates and a helmet. She has a sword hanging at her side and is wearing boots that almost look “space age”. Joan of Arc (1412-1431) was nick named “The Maid of Orleans” and is a heroine of France for her role in the Hundred Years’ War. She was canonized as a Roman Catholic saint. After being captured, she was tried and burned at the stake. The life of Joan of Arc became a popular subject in literature, theater, and film. Even Mark Twain wrote about her in the novel “Personal Recollections of Joan of Arc (1896) as did Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in “The Mystery of Joan of Arc” (1924).

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STUDIO PORTRAIT OF A HANDSOME FRENCH SOLDIER IN GRENOBLE, FRANCE

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This vintage real photo postcard features a young French soldier posing for his portrait in a photography studio located in Grenoble, France. The soldier looks quite handsome in his crisp uniform. He is holding a pair of gloves. The photographer of this image has the last name of “Rambaud”. The postcard stock paper was manufactured in England.

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Published in: on October 26, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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PRETTY WOMAN ON THE ROCKS (1932 REAL PHOTO POSTCARD)

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A very pretty woman sits on the rocks and poses for this splendid vintage real photo postcard portrait. The woman sits on the rocks along the shore of an unidentified body of water. The young woman is wearing a summer dress and has a parasol beside her. It is amazing to me how, dressed in a relatively tame fashion, she is just as attractive as any scantily clad model that appears in the Sports Illustrated bathing suit issue. I will admit, that the photographer most certainly posed her to reveal her partially uncovered calves. I guess sexual provocativeness sells postcards as well as magazines. This postcard has a message that is dated 1932. It was published by L. Bergeret of Paris, France. I don’t know if there is a connection between L. Bergeret and Albert Bergeret (1859-1932). Albert was a leading French postcard producer in France who operated in the city of Nice. In 1900 he produced 25 million cards and by 1903 he published 75 million postcards. I am wondering if L Bergeret may have been a successor to Albert Bergeret. L. Bergerets images seem to cluster in the 1930’s.

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Published in: on September 12, 2016 at 11:05 pm  Comments (1)  
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FAMILY OF FIVE AND A ROLLING HOOP IN STRASBOURG, FRANCE (CABINET CARD)

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A well dressed family of five pose for their portrait at Emile Lorson’s photographic studio in France. The business was located in the town of either Strasbourg or Schlettstadt (now known as Selestat). The father of this family is not pictured. Perhaps he is away or deceased. The family in the photograph includes a mother, three sons, and a daughter. The oldest boy is holding his mother’s arm while she is supporting her daughter’s position on the wall. The youngest boy is holding a toy rolling hoop. Note his high top shoes. An inscription on the reverse of the photograph states ” Uncle Michael’s 3 Boys”. I wonder why there is no mention of the little girl? Possibly, she did not survive to the point in time that the inscription was written. Once again, I ask, “Where is Uncle Michael”? The answers to my questions are lost to history.   SOLD

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Published in: on August 9, 2016 at 2:48 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG MOTHER AND HER THREE CHILDREN

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This cabinet card provides a portrait of a lovely young mother and her three small children. Some viewers may disagree and opine that the photograph an image of four siblings. The oldest child in this photograph is holding a hat by his side and his mother is holding a fan. Not the little girl’s hair band. The family in this image is unidentified and the location of the studio that produced the cabinet card is unknown. I would hypothesize that the studio was European. It appears that the photographer’s or the studio’s name was “Melanie” which is a name of French origin.

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Published in: on July 16, 2016 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment