GLAMOUR PORTRAIT OF A BRITISH BEAUTY (1910’s)

This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of a “British Beauty”. A caption on the reverse of the card reveals that the photo is “hand-painted”. The young lady in this photograph is wearing a wonderful hat. The postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (no.A247-5). The firm was located in London, England. SOLD

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LULU VALLI : BRITISH STAGE ACTRESS : CHILD STAR : SISTER OF VALLI VALLI : RPPC

This vintage real photo postcard features British actress, Lulu Valli (1887-1964). She was active in the 1890’s through the1900’s. She began acting as a child. Two of her sisters (Ida and Valli) were also actresses. She was married to hotelier, Edward Parsons. A photograph of Lulu Valli can be found in the collection of England’s National Portrait Gallery. This antique postcard was published by Percy Guttenberg of Manchester, England. The card is part of a series (No.19 R). Printing on the reverse of the postcard mentions “Theatre Royal Panto”. Panto is short for pantomime. This vintage postcard portrait is in good condition (see scans). 

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$22.00

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$32.00

MRS KENDAL : ENGLISH STAGE ACTRESS AND MANAGER : SHAKESPEARE PLAYER : RPPC

This vintage real photo postcard features English Victorian and Edwardian actress, Dame Madge Kendal (1848-1935).  Her photograph was taken by the Johnston and Hoffmann studio. The postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (no.197 B). The postcard is in excellent condition (see scans). She appears to be in a stage costume. Mrs Kendal was most well known for her Shakespeare and English comedy roles. Along with her husband, she became a major theater manager. Madge was the product of a theatrical family. Her father ran a chain of theaters. She made her stage debut in London at the age of four. As a teenager she played with major stars in Shakespeare in West End theaters. At 21, she joined the Haymarket theater. She met actor W H Kendal and married him while in the Haymarket company. The pair often played in the same productions and became known as “The Kendals”. After much success in English productions, the couple successfully ran the St James Theater between 1879 and 1888. In the late 1800’s and early 1890’s the couple went of a US tour that played in more than 40 cities. They returned to act in Britain for more that a decade before retiring in 1908. Madge was known for her success at playing comic roles.. She had more mixed reviews when performing in serious parts. She and her husband worked hard to make acing a more socially respectable profession and she became known as “the matron of the English theater”. She was also active in charitable causes. 

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #5300

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$19.00

 

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DOROTHY WARD : SWEET, PURE, INNOCENT, AND TALENTED ENGLISH STAGE ACTRESS

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These vintage real  photo postcards feature a sweet, pure, and innocent looking English actress named Dorothy Ward (1890-1987). Her specialty was pantomime and she often performed with her husband, Shaun Glenville. She made her stage debut in Birmingham in 1905 in the production of “Blue Beard”. She was an overnight success and went on to a successful career in theater. In fact, she was considered a mainstay of of British Music Hall and Variety for many decades. She was described by music historian, W. Macqueen-Pope, as a “handsome and striking woman, with auburn hair, wonderful carriage and fine figure…Tights become her, they are second nature to her and she understands pantomime and its topsy turviness”.

The photo portrait used for Postcard 1 was taken by Dobson Studios which was located in Liverpool, England. This postcard was published by Thomas Illingworth & Co. (T.I.C.). The company was a paper manufacturer founded about 1904. They produced the “Horse Shoe Brand” photographic paper in London England. In 1919 they were bought by British Photographic Supplies company, Ilford. An internet source states that the company produced postcards with horseshoe stamp boxes between 1919 and 1930.  (SOLD)

In Postcard 2, Miss Ward’s expression, and her act of biting the strand of pearls, appears more flirtatious than innocent. The photo portrait used for this postcard was taken by Dobson Studios which was located in Liverpool, England. This postcard was likely published by Rotary Photo. I hold this hypotheses because the printing on the reverse of the card matches the design of many Rotary Photo postcards.  (SOLD)

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).

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

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$9.95

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$19.95

DEBORAH VOLAR : IN MERVEILLEUSES (THE MARVELLOUS WOMEN) AND IN ALADDIN : RPPC

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These vintage real photo postcards feature singer and actress, Deborah Volar. Navy and Army magazine (1905) has an article about the performer in which she is described as a young “prima dona” (she was 21). The article reports that Volar was appearing at the Apollo Theater, and that she had made her debut two years earlier in “The Country Girl” at the Daly Theater.

Postcard 1 shows Volar in costume for her role in “The Merveilleuses”. The title can be translated as “The Marvellous Women”. Historically, these women lived at the end of the 18th century and were known for their outrageous style of fashion and behavior. Their fashion style was neo-classical and naked legs and toes challenged the mores of the day. These women were expressing their freedom through fashion.  “The Merveilleuses” was a musical play that can be categorized as a love story. Twelve photographs of Deborah Volar can be found in Great Britain’s National Portrait Gallery. This vintage postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (No.1730G). The card was printed in England and is in fair condition (see scans).

Postcard 2 shows Volar in costume for her role in “Aladdin” at the Prince’s Theatre in Bristol, England. Twelve photographs of Deborah Volar can be found in Great Britain’s National Portrait Gallery. This postcard is dated 1909. This vintage postcard was published by W.H.S. & S. B. (W. H. Smith & Son) as part of the Grosvenor series (No.10). The firm was located in Bristol. The card was printed in England. SOLD

Buy this Real Photo Vintage Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #5037

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$15.75

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$25.00

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HILDA TREVELVAN : ENGLISH ACTRESS : J M BARRIE : PLAYED WENDY IN PETER PAN : RPPC

This vintage real photo postcard features English actress, Hilda Trevelyan (1877-1959). She was born in London. Her father was a farmer and her mother was French. She received her education at a convent and she made her debut on stage at the age of twelve. By the time she was sixteen years of age, she was touring in the musical comedy “A Gaiety Girl”. Early in her career she became associated with playwright J. M. Barrie. She appeared in many of his plays. She is most well known for creating the role of Wendy in Peter Pan. During her career, she played the part almost a thousand times. She also was successful as Oliver Twist in the play of the same name. The play was based on a Charles Dickens novel. In 1910, she married actor and writer, Sydney Blow. Trevelayan retired from the theater in 1939. Trevelayan also appeared in movies. IMDb gives her six movie credits between 1916 and 1939. This postcard was published by Birn Brothers. The firm was located in London, England. Miss Trevelyan’s portrait photo was taken by Hutchinson & Svendsen. This vintage postcard is in very good condition (see scans). 

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #5282

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$15.50

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$25.50

MADGE HODGKINSON : PRETTY STAGE ACTRESS : RAPHAEL TUCK : UNCOMMON RPCC 1914

This rare vintage real photo postcard features stage actress, Madge Hodgkinson. There is not much information about her readily available. She sat for one photograph that can be found in the collection of England’s National Portrait Gallery. The photograph was taken by female celebrity photographer, Rita Martin. An article in Royal Magazine (1908) includes another photo to Hodgkinson by Rita Martin. The caption describes her as “a pretty Gibson Girl” and that “Gibson Girls are always delightful”. It is written that Hodgkinson was one of many actresses recently marrying for wealth and/or title. The writer whimsically asks “At this rate, how long will the supply hold out”. Hodgkinson’s groom was Paul Grisewood, “a stock exchange man”. Further research is needed to illuminate details of the pretty actress’s life. This postcard was published by Raphael Tuck & Sons as part of the “Celebrities of the Stage” series (1002). The postcard has a Canadian stamp and a 1914 postmark from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.  SOLD

MISS MADGE TEMPLE : ACTRESS, VOCALIST, AND MUSIC HALL COMEDIENNE OF THE ENGLISH STAGE

The adorable stage actress featured in this vintage photo postcard is Madge Temple (1875/80-1943). She was an English actress, vocalist, and music hall comedienne. Temple’s first appearance in pantomime was at West London’s, Lyric Theatre, at Christmas in 1900. She then went on tour and in 1905, she began playing on the variety stage. She then successfully toured music hall theatres with such songs as “Come , Be My Rainbow”, “He’s a Very Old Friend of Mine”, and “I’m Looking for Mr. Wright”. In 1909 and 1910 she made a series of of recordings for Pathe. She was a popular performer on the British stage and became a star in Australia when she toured there in 1913-1914. Madge Temple was married to Herman Darewski (1883-1947),  a successful composer of many popular songs.  The pair had at least one child. The story of Neville Lawrence Darewski is told in a book entitled “SAS Italian Job: The Secret Mission to Storm a Forbidden Nazi Fortress”. He was known as “Major Temple”, adopting his mother’s last name as his nom de guerre. He was a member of a an elite “Special Duty” unit and was involved in secret missions during World War II. He was a member of Churchill’s “Ministry for Ungentlemanly Warfare”. In 1943 he was dropped behind enemy lines in Italy.  He commanded a unit of five hundred Italian partisans. The group did a great deal of damage to the Italian and German military in Italy. They attacked a airbase and destroyed eighty-nine Italian planes. Unfortunately, Major Temple did not survive the war. He was killed in a truck accident as he was trying to escape the German army which after much time and effort, had surrounded his unit. This postcard is postmarked 1907 in Kilburn which is likely the Kilburn that is a section of London. The photographer of this portrait of Madge Temple is Ian Douglas Campbell-Gray. He is associated with ten portraits in the United Kingdom’s National Portrait Gallery. The British Journal of Photography (1910) printed a photograph of a commercial truck that advertised Campbell Gray’s photo studio. His creative flair is evident because the back half of the truck looked exactly like a camera. This postcard has a message which discusses the photograph on it’s front. The writer apologizes about her inability to find a photo card of “G.R.?” and claims that such cards are scarce because the performer was not active when the postcard was written. Could she be referring to “Gaynor Rowland”? This specific Madge Temple photo postcard is uncommon. The postcard is in very good condition (see scans).  SOLD

MAXINE ELLIOTT : STAGE & FILM ACTRESS : BUSINESS WOMAN : CELEBRITY LOVERS : RPPC

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This vintage real photo postcard (Postcard 1) features a portrait of beautiful stage and film actress, and businesswoman, Maxine Elliott (1868-1940). Her photograph was taken by celebrity photographer Benjamin Falk at his New York City studio. Elliott was more than a stage actress. She managed her own theater and experimented with silent films in the 1910’s. Elliott was an extremely popular actress. Apparently she was popular with the men too. It is thought that she had affairs with famous people including King Edward VII and J. P. Morgan. It is also reported that she dated baseball hall of famer, John Montgomery Ward and heavyweight champion Gentleman James Corbett. During World War I she was very involved with the cause for Belgian relief. Elliott was born in Rockland, Maine. Her father was a sea captain. She had at least three siblings including her sister Gertrude Elliott, who also became a successful actress. When Maxine was 15, she was seduced and impregnated by a 25 year-old man. She may or may not have married the man but it is known that she lost the baby. In 1890 she made her first stage appearance. Her big break came in 1895 when she was hired by Augustin Daly to be the supporting actress for the highly acclaimed actress, Ada Rehan. In 1898, after divorcing husband number one, she married comedian Nat C. Goodwin. The two starred together in a number of productions including “Nathan Hale” and “The Cowboy and the Lady”. In 1903, Maxine appeared in the Broadway production of “Her Own Way” (1903). The play launched Maxine into stardom. In 1905, the play went to London where King Edward VII requested an introduction to the pretty actress. They met and then rumors started about the pair having an intimate relationship. In 1908, Goodwin obtained a divorce from Elliott. This is about the time she met 70 year-old J. P. Morgan. They became friends and rumors of their romantic involvement were never confirmed. Financial advice from Morgan helped her become a wealthy woman. The same year as her divorce, she opened her own theater, “The Maxine Elliott” in New York City. She was both the owner and the manager. In fact, she was the only woman in the US, at the time, managing her own theater. In regard to acting on Broadway, Elliott had an extensive resume. She appeared in 22 Broadway productions between 1894 and 1920. In 1913, she began acting in silent films. The IMDb reports that she was in five films including “From Dusk to Dawn” (1913), “Fighting Odds” (1917), and “The Eternal Magdalene” (1919). In 1913, Elliott went to England and started dating tennis star Anthony Wilding, fifteen years her junior. According to one source, the pair planned to marry, but he was killed in action in World War I. As a result, Elliott became obsessed with the war and moved to Belgium where she volunteered her money and time toward Belgian relief. It is reported that she also nursed wounded soldiers. Belgium recognized her by awarding her the Belgian Order of the Crown. Elliott retired from the stage in 1920. She stated that she “wished to grow middle-aged gracefully”. This postcard portrait features a young and beautiful Maxine Elliott. This image is a beautiful remnant of turn of the century theater history. This postcard was published by the Rotograph Company which was based in New York City. The postcard is part of a series (No.B888). SOLD

Postcard 2 features a photograph taken by female celebrity photographer, Lizzie Caswall Smith. Lizzie Caswall Smith (1870-1958) was a British photographer who operated in the early 1900’s. She specialized in photographing members of society and celebrities. Many of her photographs were used for postcards. She was involved in the Women’s Suffrage movement and photographed many of the leading suffragettes. She also photographed many actors including Billie Burke and Maude Fealy. She operated the Gainsborough Studio from 1907 through 1920 (309 Oxford Street) and moved to a new location (90 Great Russell Street) where she remained until she retired in 1930 at the age of 60 years-old. Her most famous photograph is a portrait of Florence Nightingale taken in 1910. It was auctioned in 1908 and sold for 5500 pounds which is an equivalent today of nearly 8,000 dollars. The National Portrait Gallery has 84 portraits associated with Lizzie Caswall Smith. This postcard was published by the Rotograph Company which was based in New York City. The postcard is part of a series (No.B636). SOLD

Postcard 3 features a nice portrait of Maxine Elliott. This image, taken by William Morrison (Chicago, Illinois) is a beautiful remnant of turn of the century theater history. This postcard was published by the Rotograph Company, which was based in New York City. The postcard is part of a series (No.B636).  (SOLD)

Postcard 4 features Miss Elliott’s portrait by Ernest Walter Histed (1862-1947). Histed was born in England but achieved his success as a photographer in Chicago, and later, in Pittsburgh. He then returned to England and opened a photography studio there. His subjects there included Clara Butt (Opera Star) Pope Pius X, and the Empress of Germany. Histed returned to the US and opened a studio on Fifth Avenue in New York City. He later moved to Palm Beach, Florida and continued his profession until 1934. The Museum of the City of New York has a large collection of his work. The National Portrait Gallery (England) has 32 of his photographs in their collection. This postcard was published by London’s J. Beagles & Co. as part of a series (No. G386).The company was started by John Beagles (1844-1909). The company produced a variety of postcards including an extensive catalog of celebrity (stage and screen) portrait postcards. After Beagle’s death, the business continued as J. Beagles & Co. until it closed in 1939.  (SOLD)

Postcard 5 comes from the studio of celebrity photographer, William McKenzie Morrison of Chicago, Illinois. Morrison’s studio was in the Haymarket  theater building. This postcard was published by the Rotograph Company which was based in New York City. The postcard is part of a series (No.B658).  (SOLD)

Postcard 6 features a pretty portrait of Miss Elliott taken by R. W. Thomas.  It is likely that he is the same man that authored “The Modern Practice of Photography” (1927).This postcard was published by London’s Davidson Bros. as part of a series (No.1200). The message from the sender of this card introduced me to a new word. The writer asks “Isn’t this a beauteous maiden?”. I looked up the word “beauteous” to see if it existed. I learned that the word exists and means “beautiful”. I also learned that “Beauteous” is a word that is customarily used in literature and not conversation. (SOLD)

Postcard 7 Elliott photrographed in costume for her role as Gipsy in “Under the Greenwood Tree”. Her photograph was taken by famed celebrity female photographer, Lizzie Caswall Smith. This image is a beautiful remnant of turn of the century theater history. This postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (No.187E).  (SOLD)

Postcard 8 was published by London’s Ralph Dunn & Co. as part of a series (No. A342). (SOLD)

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