This cabinet card captures a well dressed father and his two sons posing for their portrait at the Elite studio in Dusseldorf, Germany. The father is wearing a three piece suit with a tie and a pocket watch. The older child is holding a hoop toy. Both boys are wearing naval caps with lettering spelling out “Kaiserliche Marine”. The “Kaiserliche Marine” was the name of the German Empire’s Navy. It existed between 1871 and 1919. Kaiser Wilhelm II expanded and improved the navy, as well as, broadened it’s mission. The German navy became a very powerful force, second only to Britain’s Royal Navy. This fantastic family portrait has excellent clarity and is in very good condition (see scans).
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This vintage real photo postcard features American silent film actress, Fern Andra (1893-1974). Andra was one of Germany’s most popular actresses in German silent film. She also worked as a film director, script writer, and producer. The pretty smiling Miss Andra poses with a Borzoi dog. She was born in Watseka, Illinois. Her father died when she was five years-old and her mother remarried. Fern’s step-dad was a vaudeville actor, circus performer and tight-rope walker. By age four, Fern was part of a tight-rope act. She later trained in dance and singing. In 1899, at age six, she made her first film, a version of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. She continued to perform with the circus and toured the United States, Canado, and Europe. She was a member of a famous troupe of wire artists. In Berlin, she took acting lessons from Max Reinhardt, prominent film and theater director. She appeared in several of his plays and films. In 1913, she acted in her first German film. In 1915, she was in her first Austrian film. Some believe Andra was an Allied spy in World War I. To deal with these rumors, she married a Prussian Baron. At some point, she stated that she actually was spying for the allies. This was her first marriage. He was killed in the war. Her second marriage was to a professional boxer. Her appearance in the film “Genuine” (1920) caused a great stir. In this horror film, she wore a costume that was simply, her painted body. She continued to make films in Europe but by the mid 1920’s, her popularity waned in Germany. In 1922, she was widely reported as being killed in a plane crash. In fact, she, and her companion, director Geog Bluen, survived the crash but according to one article, died the next day. However, the pilot, a former World War I fighter pilot and brother of the “Red Baron”, was killed. By 1928, Andra was working in the United Kingdom and the United States. She also expanded her acting to radio and television. Andra was married four times. She was widowed two times and divorced two times. Her fourth marriage, to a General, lasted about 35 years. She had no children. The IMDb gives Andra 51 acting credits between 1913 and 1930. She is also credited as a writer, producer, and director. An interesting side note is that when she was working as a producer, she interacted with a young German playwright named Josef Goebbels. Interestingly, she did propaganda broadcasts into Germany for the allies during World War II. Fern Andra died at age 80, in South Carolina. The stamp box of this postcard has an interesting story. “NBC” (Neue Bromsilber Convention) was a price cartel established in 1909 that continued until the 1930’s. The purpose of the cartel was to ensure that the minimum price charged for postcards was kept at a sufficiently profitable level. A number of postcard publishing companies joined the cartel in an effort to stave off the effect of competition on the pricing of postcards. This postcard is part of a series (no.131/1). The logo for the motion picture company, “Film Sterne” ,can be seen in the lower left hand corner of the image. This vintage postcard is in very good condition.
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This vintage real photo postcard (Postcard 1) features pretty German film actress, Erna Morena (1885-1962). In addition to being a performer, she was also a film producer and screen writer during the silent era. The IMDb reports that Morena appeared in 122 films between 1913 and 1951. Morena grew up in a middle-class family in Bavaria. At age 17, she attended applied art school in Munich. In 1909, after a short stint in Paris, she moved to Berlin where she worked as a nurse. She became a student at the German Theater’s drama school and in 1910 was hired as an actress by Max Reinhardt, Austrian-born theater and film director. She played a number of small theater roles and in 1913, Morena made her film debut in “The Sphinx”, produced by Leteraria Film. She was a “big time” actress. She worked under many well known directors and with some of the most well known actors in German film. Morena made a bid to become a film producer and formed her own film company which produced films in 1918 and in 1920. By the mid 1920’s, she was considered one of the biggest stars in German films. With the advent of talkies, her career declined. However, she did appear in supporting roles during the 1930’s. Between 1915 and 1921, Morena was married to the German writer, Wilhelm Herzog. He was a historian of literature and culture, a dramatist, the author of an encyclopedia, and a well known pacifist. Their marriage ended in divorce. Morena appeared in the 1940 film “Jud SuB”. The movie was a Nazi Germany historical drama propaganda film. The film was produced on the order of Joseph Goebbels, the Nazi politician and trusted aide to Adolph Hitler. The movie is considered one of the most anti-semitic films of all time. Postcard 1 was published by Ross Verlag and is part of a series (no.1752/1). The company was located in Berlin, Germany. Morena was photographed by the German photographer, Ernst Schneider. Research about Mr Schneider yielded a great deal of information. He was considered to be one of the most celebrated studio photographers in Berlin during three decades (1900’s, 1910’s, 1920’s. He photographed many celebrities from the world of theater, opera, circuses, and film. He was also one of the most prominent fashion photographers in Berlin. In addition, he was well known for his nude photography and he published books showcasing his work in this domain. Sometime around 1908 Schneider began working with postcard publishers “Rotophot” and “Neue Photographische Gesellschaft” (NPG). In 1919 he began working with Ross Verlag. This postcard, a former resident of a postcard album, is in very good condition (see scans below).
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Postcard 2POSTCARD 2 (CLOSE-UP)
Postcard 2 also features the lovely Miss Morena. This postcard was published by Photochemie, located in Berlin, Germany. The card is part of a series (no.k149). Photochemie published postcards of only German film stars or European performers performing in German films. The postcards were published between 1914 and 1919. The firm also produced postcards of other subjects. The photographer of this terrific image was Alexander Binder (1888-1929). He had the largest photo studio in Europe during the late 1920’s and the 1930’s. Many of his entertainment star portraits appear on Ross Verlag postards. It is thought that Binder was of Swiss origin. He was of the Jewish faith. He studied engineering but did not complete his studies. From 1908 to 1910 he studied photography at a school in Munich, Germany. After the completion of his photography studies, he went to Berlin and in 1913 opened his first photography studio. Before long, he became one of the premier photographers in Berlin. He primarily focussed on fashion and celebrity photography. Since Berlin was the capital of the European film industry, Binder photographed all the stars of the European film industry including, Lilian Harvey, Conrad Veidt, and Lya De Putti. Many of his images were used in popular film portrait postcards. His photographs could be seen in postcards published by Ross Verlag and Photochemie. Binder died in 1929 but new photo cards bearing his signature continued to be published until 1937. It is thought that the real photographer of these new postcards was Hubs Floeter (1910-1974) who was employed at the studio as an operator. The studio continued to be owned by Binder’s widow, Mrs. Binder Alleman and their two daughters. The studio was managed by the Jewish Elisabeth Baroness Vonhedlis Stengel who was later deported to the Theresienstadt concentration camp. In 1938 the Nazi’s closed Binder’s studio and it was later taken over by an Aryan photographer, Karl Ludwig Haenchen . Haenchen continued to produce celebrity portraits for postcards. His publishers included Film-Foto-Verlag. After World War II the studio was taken over by the Hasse und Wiese company. This postcard has a Hamburg, Germany postmark and is dated 1918. The postcard is in very good condition (see scans)
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The young man looking sharp in his crisp military uniform is Prince Joachim Franz Humbert of Prussia (1890-1920). He was the sixth child of Wilhelm II, the German Emperor. His mother was Augusta Victoria of Schleswig-Holstein. In 1916, officials in Ireland gave thought to giving the throne to Prince Joachim with the idea that Ireland would be safer a German King if Germany were to win World War I. Prince Joachim was also considered as a possible candidate to the Georgian throne after its independence following the Russian Revolution of 1917. The Prince held the rank of 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Regiment of Foot Guards. He held over thirty honors awarded by several nations. His awards included the Iron Cross from Germany. In 1916, Joachim married Princess Marie-Auguste of Anhalt (1898-1983). The couple had one son, Prince Karl Franz Josef Wilhelm Friedrich Eduard Paul (1916-1975). They may have had only one child, but they used enough first names to cover six more sons. I suppose that is a liberty reserved for royalty. Joachim became a commoner when his father abdicated the thrown. He became very depressed and committed suicide by gunshot in 1920. He was only 29 years old at the time of is death. It is believed that he had significant financial woes that added to his depression. Prior to his death, he divorced his wife, which likely led to further mood problems. This real photo postcard was published by “NPG” (Neue Photographische Gesellschaft) as part of a series (no.4954). The company was a leading bromide photo printing company for many years. The photographer was Ernst Sandau (1880-1918). He was born in Sweden and died in Germany. Some believe that he may have been killed in World War I. Sandau operated a studio in Berlin, Germany and was active between 1912 and 1918. His son, Ernst Jr., was also a photographer. This postcard is in very good condition (see scans).
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This vintage real photo postcard features silent film actress, Edda Croy. Edda has “the girl next door” look. Preliminary research uncovered little about her. Edda had a very short career. She played in three German silent films, all release in the same year (1927). One of these films was directed by Robert Wiene. He is well known for directing the silent film “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari” (1920) and other expressionist films. Popular actor, Harry Liedtke, appeared in all three of her films. Actress Erna Morena, who’s photograph can be seen elsewhere in the Cabinet Card Gallery, apppeared in one of Edda’s films. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag (Berlin). It is part of a series (no.1923/1). Miss Croy’s photograph was taken by photographer Hans Natge. Natge was very involved in German film production. He played roles in the realm of cameras, directing and assistant directing. He was born in Berlin in 1893. His filmography on IMDb reports that he has 28 film credits between 1924 and 1949. Nineteen of these credits were for his role as the film’s “still photographer”. It is likely safe to assume that he took this photograph of Miss Croy in 1927. This vintage portrait postcard is rare and in very good condition (see scans).
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The pretty actress seen in this vintage real photo postcard is Christiane Jansen (1929-?). She was born in Germany. The IMDb credits her for 26 film performances between 1951 and 1972. Christiane appears very relaxed in this photograph. The logos from two film companies can be seen on the front of this card. “Berolina” was a film production company which operated in West Germany between 1948 and 1964. The second company is “Herzog Film”. Jansen was clearly employed by these conpanies at some point in her career. The photographer of this photo is K. L. Haenchen and it was taken while she was making “Mikosch Rockt Ein” (1952). The English translation of the movie title is “Mikosch Rocks On”. Christiane was 23 years of age when this photo was taken. The postcard was published by Kunst and Bild as part of a series (no.A636). This vintage postcard is in very good condition (see sans).
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This vintage real photo postcard features German actress, screenwriter, and producer; Lotte Neumann (1896-1977). She was active in the film industry between 1912 and 1958. Neumann was born in Berlin, Germany. At age 13, she took vocal training and acting lessons. She also studied dance and piano. Neumann also sang in two choirs. She originally desired to be a singer but after some advice from Max Mack, a German screenwriter, silent film producer and director; she chose to pursue a career in film. She made her debut in a short silent film, “Whims of Fate” (1912). Neumann became a popular actress in Germany. In 1917 she began acting in films which she produced herself. She established her own film company (Lotte-Neumann-Film-GmbH) which operated between 1916 and 1919. In 1919, she began working for UFA, a major German film producer and distributor that was active between 1917 through the end of World War II. In 1920 she starred in two films directed by Ernst Lubitsch. He was a German born American film director, producer, writer, and actor. It was prestigious for Neumann to appear in his productions. She remained popular through the 1920’s but her career declined with the advent of sound film. This was a dreaded fate suffered by many actors and actresses during the transition to talkies. Her final screen appearance was in 1931. After retiring from acting she continued to write screenplays and partnered with her her husband, Walter Wassermann, in creative endeavors. They worked together from 1935 until his death in 1944. The IMDb reports that Neumann appeared in 69 films, wrote 24 films, and produced 14 films. Neumann’s film career accomplishments are very impressive. This vintage postcard was published by Film-Sterne as part of a series (no.194/1). The photographer of Miss Neumann’s photo was the Becker & Maass studio in Berlin. The message on the reverse of the postcard was written in 1918. The stamp box of this postcard has an interesting story. “NBC” (Neue Bromsilber Convention) was a price cartel established in 1909 that continued until the 1930’s. The purpose of the cartel was to ensure that the minimum price charged for postcards was kept at a sufficiently profitable level. A number of postcard publishing companies joined the cartel in an effort to stave off the effect of competition on the pricing of postcards. This postcard is in fair condition. Please note that there are two very thin creases located on the left and center bottom of the card. The photo postcard is priced accordingly.
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This vintage real photo postcard features German actress, Charlotte Susa (1898-1976). Sosa was very pretty and the “look” she gives the camera indicates that she knew it. She certainly has a sultry appearance in that dress. Susa was born in Memel, East Prussia. One of her parents was Italian and the other was Swiss. Her first stage appearance was in 1915. She began a successful career as both a singer and an actress. She played in a number of German opera and operetta venues. Her film debut occurred in 1926 with an appearance in a German silent movie. She became a popular actress and appeared in many femme fatale roles. After the advent of sound films, Susa began assuming leading roles. In 1932 she signed with MGM, relocated to the United States, and started an international film career. One newspaper columnist of the time wrote that Susa, Lilian Harvey, Anna Sten, and Henry Garat were all important “foreign talents” that were joining Hollywood pictures. Susa was projected to be a rival to Greta Garbo. Success in Hollywood did not come to fruition. She cancelled her contract in 1934. She stopped acting in films but returned to the stage after World War II. Susa, like many film stars, had multiple marriages. Susa stopped replacing husbands after her third marriage. Her third husband was Andrews Engelmann (1901-1992), a Russian born German actor. He appeared in German and British films during his career. Charlotte Susa died in Basel, Switzerland. The IMDb reports Susa had thirty-six film credits ranging from 1926 to 1941. This postcard portrait was photographed by H. Gartner and published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (no.5309/1). Eichberg Films is credited on this postcard. Richard Eichberg (1888-1952) began his career as an actor but became a succssful film director and producer in the German film industry. He directed 87 films and produced 77 films. At the time that Susa’s photograph was taken for this postcard, she was employed by Eichberg’s company. (SOLD)
This vintage real photo postcard features pretty actress and singer, Rosita Serrano (1912-1997 . She is casually dressed and is holding two adorable dachshunds. This photo portrait displays Rosita’s lovely smile. Serrano was a Chilean singer who obtained her major success in Nazi Germany between the 1930’s and the early 1940’s. Her singing was known for her bell-like voice and her pitch-perfect whistling. She was known by her nickname as “The Chilean Nightingale”. Rosita was born in Chile. Her father was in the diplomatic corps and her mother was a popular opera singer. The family lived in Portugal and France . By 1936, the family moved to Berlin. Serrano’s initial success was in the Wintergarten and the Metropol Theater where she sang Chilean folk songs. This performance earned her a record contract. From that point, she performed in German. Many of her songs became very popular. In 1938, she began to appear in films. When she was between film roles, she toured with two popular dance orchestras. Minister Joseph Goebbels helped het her appearances on a Wehrmacht (military) radio show. In 1940, Serrano’s song “La Paloma”, became very popular throughout Germany. Serrano’s voice style is described as “coloratura soprano”. Her recordings were in German and Spanish. She sang songs in the folk and pop genre. Her songs included flamenco, rumba, tango and mambo. During a Swedish tour in 1943, she did a benefit concert for Jewish refugees. As a result of this performance, she was accused by Germany of being a spy. Rather than return to Germany and face possible arrest, she fled to Chile. Germany than banned her music. She went on tour to the United States but was not well received. It is conjectured that US citizens could not get enthusiastic about hearing Serrano’s German songs, so close to the end of World War II. She returned to West Germany to appear in films in 1951 and 1952. Besides those two movie roles, her German comeback was unsuccessful. She returned to Chile where she lived out her life. She was not welcomed upon her return to her native country. The public in Chile condemned her for performing in Nazi Germany. She died in poverty. It seems to me that Serrano had the unfortunate pattern of consistently being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Poor timing ruined this talented singer’s career. Serrano’s filmography includes 8 films between 1938 and 1952. This postcard was published by Film Foto Verlag, a subsidiary of UFA Universum Film AG. Note the company’s horse logo on the reverse of the card. The photo was taken by Foto Quick and the postcard is part of a series (no. A3564/1). Check out the video recording of Miss Serrano seen below. This real photo postcard is in very good condition.
Maria Corda (1898-1976) was a Hungarian actress and a star during the silent film era in German and Austria. She began her career in acting in the theaters of Budapest during the beginning period of World War I. One of her gigs was working as a dancer with the Royal Opera in Budapest. When the Austria-Hungary Empire fell apart, she began working in the film industry. She appeared in her first film in 1919 ;under the direction of Hungarian, Korda Sandor, who later changed his name to Alexander Korda. Korda was the leading movie director in Hungary and he featured her in three of his films in 1919. Maria became the most famous actress in Hungary. Hungary’s leader had Alexander seized by the secret police. Maria and her brother-in-law exerted pressure on the British Military consulate and was able to get her husband freed. The couple fled Hungary and settled in Vienna, Austria. It was in Vienna that the pair changed their names. He became Alexander Korda and she, for some unknown reason, became Maria Corda. In 1920, Alexander began directing films in Austria and Maria became an Austrian silent screen star. Alexander directed Maria in a number of films including “Samson and Delila” (1923). In 1926, the couple moved to Germany the couple teamed up again and were able to continue their film career success. The caught the attention of First National, a Hollywood movie studio. Alexander and Maria were offered a package deal to come to American and make movies. They settled in Beverly Hills. Maria did not encounter the success that she had in Europe. Her Hollywood career aspirations were crushed in 1928 by the advent of sound pictures. She knew little English and had a thick accent. In addition to her movie career, her turbulent marriage also came to an end. They divorced in 1930. Her husband returned to Europe where he had a long successful career in British filmmaking. Maria moved to New York and wrote a number of novels. She spent her later years in Switzerland. In 1942, her husband was knighted and she insisted upon being called “Lady Korda”, even though Alexander was remarried. When Alexander died in 1956, he was onto his third marriage, but that did not stop Maria from trying to claim an inheritance. Maria had an interesting personality. Writers have asserted that she was temperamental and ambitious. She had a tendency to embellish her background. She often described herself as the “Hungarian Garbo”, an opinion reflecting aggrandizement. The IMDb reports that Maria had 28 film credits between 1919 and 1929. —–Postcard 1 was published by Ross Verlag (Berlin), The card was part of a series (no.1633/1). Note the “Fox” logo on the bottom right hand corner of the image. Maria starred in a Korda film for a Berlin based subsidiary of Fox in 1926. Therefore, this postcard is likely from 1926. The film was entitled “Madame Wants No Children”. The postcard was sold exclusively by Ballerini & Fratini of Florence, Italy. SOLD —–Postcard 2 was published by “Europe” which I believe was based in France. It is part of a series (no.315). This photograph of Corda is risque. She is barely covering herself with what appears to be a blanket. Only her strategically placed arm shields her from crossing the risque border. At the time that this photograph was taken, Maria Corda was under contract with Mercure Film. The logo of the company can be seen in the lower right corner of the card. This photo postcard features Corda in costume for her starring role in “The Private Life of Helen of Troy (1927). The film was directed by her husband, Alexander Korda. This postcard portrait of Miss Corda is in very good condition (see scans).
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