CLARA BOW : AMERICAN SILENT FILM ACTRESS : “THE IT GIRL” : RISQUE 

POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)

POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)

This uncommon vintage real photo postcard (Postcard 1) features silent film icon, Clara Bow (1905-1965 ). She successfully made the transition to talkies in 1929. Bow appeared in 46 silent movies and 11 talkies. She was known as the “It Girl” during the golden age of Hollywood. She was known for her vivacious energy, mesmerizing on-screen presence, and her impressive talent. She was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up in the borough’s tenements. Both of her parents had mental health issues and she grew up in an unstable and chaotic environment. She was a resilient and determined child and she took on a caretaker role for her younger siblings. She was responsible and mature beyond her years. Despite her humble background, she became a very influential figure in cinema history. Her rise from poverty to stardom, and her groundbreaking portrayals of independent and liberated women, helped her gain an enduring legend of the silver screen. Clara Bow was discovered in 1922 when she participated in a magazine contest searching for new talent. Her photographs were seen by film producer B. P. Schulberg who saw her potential and offered her a screen test. Her screen presence was impressive and she signed a contract with Paramount Pictures. In her earliest films, her versatility was was obvious as she transitioned effortlessly between dramatic and comedic roles. It was the 1927 film, “It” that made Clara Bow a superstar and earned her the nickname of “The It Girl”. She was viewed as modern, charismatic, and sexually liberated. Bow was also successful in “talkie” films, despite her Brooklyn accent. While Bow was successful professionally, her personal life was a “hot mess”. She had a long term troubled marriage to actor Rex Bell (m.1931) and she battled her own mental health issues, including anxiety and depression. In 1933, Bow retired from acting and became a rancher. This vintage real photo postcard was published by Ross Verlag (Germany) as part of a series (No.3394/1). Bow is wearing a grass skirt, a Hawaiian Lei, and holding a ukulele. She is showing her bare legs. The card is risque for it’s era. The logo for Paramount Pictures can be found in the images bottom right hand corner.  SOLD

Postcard 2 was published by Ross Verlag (Germany) as part of a series (No.4480/1). Bow is wearing a short skirt. She is showing her bare legs. The card is risque for it’s era. The logo for Paramount Pictures can be found in the images bottom right hand corner.  SOLD

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Published in: on May 7, 2024 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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BUXOM PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN : PURPLE FEATHERED HAT : HAND TINTED : NPG : RPPC

This German vintage risque real photo postcard features a pretty buxom young woman wearing a feathered purple hat. This photograph is meant to titillate. The woman is voluptuous. This photographic portrait was published by NPG (Germany) as part of a series (No.749/6). This postcard’s photograph has been hand tinted.  SOLD

Published in: on May 4, 2024 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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CAMILLA HORN : GERMAN ACTRESS AND DANCER : NAZI FOE : HOLLYWOOD : RPPC

POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)

POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)

These vintage real photo postcards feature German dancer and film star of the silent and sound era, Camilla Horn (1903-1996). She also was an internationally known actress, starring in several Hollywood films of the late 1920’s as well as a few British and Italian productions. Her father was a civil servant working in the Railroad Industry. She was born in Germany and educated in Germany and Switzerland. Horn was educated to work as a dressmaker. She went to Berlin where she trained as an actress and dancer. She next became a cabaret dancer. In 1925, she worked as an extra in a German film. Her big break came in 1926 after she replaced Lillian Gist in the UFA production of “Faust”. In 1928 she left for Hollywood where she played opposite John Barrymore in “Tempest” and “Eternal Love”. She became romantically involved with film director, Joseph Schenck. She returned to Europe (upon the advent of sound film) and in the 1930’s got in trouble with the Nazis and was prosecuted for an alleged financial offense. During the war years, she was too outspoken against the Nazis. The regime investigated her. She tried to escape unsuccessfully to Switzerland. Thereafter, she kept a low profile. After the war, she was convicted by a British tribunal and sentenced for three months of jail due to some minor offenses. It was also reported that post war, she worked as an interpreter for occupying American forces. Horn was a screen star from 1930 until her retirement in 1953. Horn was married four times during her life. Interestingly, in about 1972 Bruce Springsteen wrote a song about her. Camilla Horn was quite beautiful. She had blonde hair, slanting brown eyes and classical features.

Postcard 1 was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (No.4123/1). The logo for “United Artists” can be seen in the lower right hand corner of Horn’s image. This postcard has a 1930 postmark. (SOLD)

Postcard 2 was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (No.7348/1). The card has a Latvian stamp and postmark.  (SOLD)

Published in: on March 30, 2024 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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CLAIRE ROMMER : FILM ACTRESS :SAVED FROM NAZIS BY ARISTEDES De SOUSA MENDES

POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)
POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)

POSTCARD 3 (SOLD)

These vintage real photo postcards feature German film actress, Claire Rommer (1904-1996). Her filmography on IMDb credits her with 49 film appearances between 1922 and 1934. She made her film debut at the age of eighteen. She also began her career as a soubrette appearing in operettas and comedies on the Berlin stage. However, her fame came from her film work. She played both leading and supportive roles. She played in silent films and made a successful transition to sound films. She even sang in some of her talkies. She was married to a prosperous Jewih man, named Adolf Strenger. Because of her marriage, in 1938 she was banned from any participation in the German film industry. It was thought that she was probably not Aryan like her husband. The rise of the Nazis forced the couple to leave Germany and emigrate to the United States via Portugal.The pair left Europe with the assistance of Aristedes de Sousa Mendes. He was a Portuguese Consular stationed in France. Mendes defied orders from his government and issued thousands of visas to Jews, allowing them to escape with their families and their lives. He was a hero for his work as a Holocaust rescuer. Ultimately, Mendes was severely punished for his defiance. After leaving Germany, Rommer’s film career ended. In the US, she divorced her husband and married a meat industry multi-millionaire.

Postcard 1 was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (No.1933/1). Claire Rommer’s photo portrait was taken by celebrity photographer, Alexander Binder. This vintage photo postcard is in excellent condition (see scans). (SOLD)

Postcard 2 was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (No.1933/2). Claire Rommer’s photo portrait was taken by celebrity photographer, Alexander Binder. This vintage photo postcard is in very good condition (see scans). (SOLD)

Postcard 3 was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (no.3010/1). Miss Rommer’s portrait was taken by famed celebrity photographer Alex Binder, who operated his studio in Berlin. The postcard was postmarked in 1928. (SOLD)

Published in: on March 29, 2024 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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EVELYN HOLT : GERMAN ACTRESS : BANNED FROM FILM BY THE NAZIS : RPPC

POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)

POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)

POSTCARD 3 (SOLD)

Evelyn Holt (3 October 1908 – 22 February 2001) was a German actress. Her father was a journalist. Her film career began with UFA, a German film company. It did not take long for her to become a film star. She was popular in the 1920’s and early 1930’s. Holt was blond and blue eyed. In 1931 she became a soubrette at the Grosses Schauspielhaus (a popular theatre) in Berlin. Her film career came to an abrupt end when the Nazis’ took power. It was alleged that Holt was half Jewish, and she was banned from films. The ban was based on her being born with a Jewish sounding last name. Holt married Jewish publisher Felix Guggenheim (1904-1976) in 1936. Two years later the couple emigrated to Switzerland, then England, then the United States. She remained in the U.S. and never returned to acting.

Postcard 1 reveals that Evelyn Holt was quite pretty. She looks very confident in this image. Her dress is shiny. Is it silk? This postcard was published by Ross Verlag, a firm located in Berlin. The card was part of a series (no.6509/2). The photographer of this portrait is Walther Jaeger and the photograph was taken in Berlin, Germany. (SOLD)

Postcard 2 was published by Iris Verlag. Iris Verlag in Vienna was the most important Austrian publisher of film star postcards.  The logo for “Lux Film” can be seen in the lower left hand corner of  the image. The company was an Italian Film distribution and production company. This card is part of a series (no.946).  (SOLD)

Postcard 3  was published by Ross Verlag, a firm located in Berlin. The card was part of a series (no.3553/1). The photographer of this portrait is Ernst Schneider and the photograph was taken in Berlin, Germany.  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. The card was postmarked in 1928 in the city of Riga, Latvia.  (SOLD)

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Published in: on March 28, 2024 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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ELLA RUSSELL : AMERICAN OPERA STAR : RPPC

Postcard 1 (SOLD)

Postcard 2 (SOLD)

Ella Russell (1864-1935) was an American opera star. She was born in Cleveland, Ohio but spent much of her life in England. She was 33 years-old when she made her American debut. She had already appeared in Europe. During her career, she sang a command performance in front of England’s Queen Victoria.

Photo Postcard 1 was published by Frederick Hartmann. His postcard publishing company was headquartered in London. He was active in the UK between 1902 and 1909. It is thought that he produced the first divided back card in the world. His postcards were printed in Saxony (Germany) because of the country’s advanced printing industry. He produced view cards from all over England and imported glamour cards from the European continent. He was the English distributor for Trenkler & Company postcards. In 1907, Hartmann partnered with Christian Linck. The business went bankrupt that same year (1907).  (SOLD)

Postcard 2 was published by J. Beagle as part of a series (No.410). The publishing company was headquartered in London. (SOLD)

Postcard 2

Published in: on March 20, 2024 at 12:00 pm  Comments (5)  
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FOUR BEAUTIFUL SIBLINGS IN COBLENZ, GERMANY

Four beautiful children pose for their portrait in Coblenz, Germany. It is likely that the children are siblings. The three girls are wearing bows in their pretty long hair. The boy is wearing a nautical outfit. The photograph is by A. Graeb of Coblenz, Germany. Coblenz is a city situated on both banks of the Rhine River.  (SOLD)

Published in: on March 4, 2024 at 12:01 pm  Leave a Comment  
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MARIA SOLVEG :(MARIA MATRAY) : PRETTY JEWISH ACTRESS, DANCER AND SCREENWRITER

This vintage real photo postcard features German film actress, dancer, and screenwriter Maria Solveg (1907-1993). She was also known as “Maria Matray”. Solveg was a star of the late Weimar film era. She married her mentor, director and choreographer, Ernst Matray. When Hitler rose to power, Solveg, who was Jewish, fled the country. She came to the United States in 1936 and launched a career as a choreographer and writer. She worked in Hollywood as a choreographer or assistant director during the 1940’s. Her well known movies included “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” (1939), “Pride and Prejudice” (1940), and “Dr Jekyl and Mr Hyde” (1941). In the 1950’s she wrote scripts for television. She became a German citizen again in 1960. The IMDb gives Solveg 52 credits for writing and 22 acting credits. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag as part of a series (no.2078/1).  (SOLD)

Published in: on December 14, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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OSSI OSWALDA: BEAUTIFUL GERMAN SILENT FILM STAR

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                                                    ossi                           POSTCARD 2

                                                                  This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 5502_0001.jpgPOSTCARD 3   (SOLD)

Picture 1 of 3POSTCARD 4  (SOLD)

The beautiful actress seen in the top vintage real photo postcard is named Ossi Oswalda (1897-1947). She was born in Germany and appeared predominately in silent films. She was a leading lady, popular comedienne,  dancer, and singer. Due to her popularity, she  was known as “the German Mary Pickford”. Ossi began her career as a ballerina and she danced in a chorus line for a theater in Berlin. She made her film debute in “Night of Horrors” (1916) and was noticed by actor/screenwriter Hanns Kraly, who introduced her to director Ernst Lubitsch. Oswalda’s early career began with appearances in several Lubitsch films. In 1921, she and her husband started a film production company that produced four films over four years, all starring Miss Oswalda. After 1925, she was under contract to UFA, a German film company. After the transition to “talkies”, Oswalda joined the ranks of actresses and actors, who’s career took a nose dive. She only acted in two sound films. Her final screen appearance was in “The Star of Valencia”. She then began acting on the stage. She appeared in operettas in Germany and Vienna. When the National Socialists took power in Germany, she emigrated to Prague with her “Jewish life partner”, Julius Aubenberg. In 1943, she wrote a story for a Czechoslovakian film. In summarizing Ossi’s career, the IMDb credits her with 51 film appearances,  producing 5 films, and 1 screen writing credit. It is reported that she frequently played child-like spoiled women. She appeared in drag in at least one film. Oswalda’s first marriage (1919-1925) was to a Hungarian baron. After her divorce, the actress began a highly publicized romantic relationship with Crown Prince Willhelm (1882-1951). Simultaneously, the actress Lily Damita, was having an affair with the Prince’s son. The royal family put a kibosh to both “inappropriate” relationships. In 1947, she died in Prague at age 48, bankrupt and suffering from multiple health problems. This German real photo postcard is published by Ross Verlag soemetime between 1919 and 1924. The photograph of Miss Oswalda was taken by Becker & Maass of Berlin. Note her pretty hat and fan. Hopefully, she wasn’t allergic to feathers. Oswalda was young when this photograph was taken. She was beautiful and no older than 27 years of age.            

Postcard 2 features Miss Oswalda in a very skimpy costume. Her feathered hat is quite showy . She has a wonderful smile and pretty eyes. This risque postcard was part of  a series (no. 1050/2) and published by Ross Verlag of Berlin, Germany. The logo of UFA, a German film company, appears on the lower right hand corner of the postcard. The reverse of the postcard reveals that that the photographer is Strobl J. Nandor of Budapest, Hungary. This postcard is in very good condition (see scans).

  Postcard 3 is a German real photo postcard that was published by Ross Verlag. Miss Oswalda’s photo was taken by celebrity photographer Alex Binder.   (SOLD)

Postcard 4 captures Miss Oswalda looking amused. She is flashing a wonderful smile. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag of Berlin, Germany (no.474/2).   (SOLD)

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Published in: on November 25, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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PORTRAIT OF FAMOUS GERMAN CARTOONIST SITTING AT HIS WORK DESK : LORIOT

This portrait photograph is a 1983 press photo featuring celebrated German cartoonist, Loriot (1923-2011), sitting at his work desk. He was also known as Vicco von Bulow. Born in Prussia to an aristocratic family, his artistic talent was evident during his early school years. During World War II he was a military officer on the eastern front. In addition to being a talented cartoonist; he was a comedian, humorist, film director, actor, and writer. He is most associated with his cartoons, but he also had a television series and two movies. He loved classical music and opera and once humorously conducted the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Loriot won many awards during his career for his creative talent. SOLD

Published in: on August 27, 2023 at 10:45 pm  Leave a Comment  
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