ETHEL IRVING : PRETTY STAGE AND FILM ACTRESS : BIOGRAPH : ROTARY PHOTO : RPPC

POSTCARD 1

POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)

The pretty actress seen on Postcard 1 is Miss Ethel Irving (1869-1963). Ethel Irving was a British actress who was active in the early 20th century. She appeared in several stage productions and five silent films during her career. Not much information is available about her life and career. She is not well known today and her legacy is limited to her film and stage appearances. She made her London stage debut in 1885 and her New York debut occurred in 1890. She remained in New York until 1895. She returned to London and made several stage appearances there. She then briefly became involved in theater management. She managed the Criterion theatre and then the Globe Theatre. She was the daughter of actor, Joseph Irving and the wife of actor, Gilbert Porteous. This postcard is in very good condition.

Postcard 2 is a striking, hand-tinted portrait of Miss Irving features her in three-quarter profile. She wears a deep rose cap and a soft yellow lace scarf/boa, her long wavy hair flowing over the shoulder. Delicate tinting to cheeks and lips adds warmth. Irving’s expression is calm and slightly knowing, with an easy half-smile and bright, direct eyes—very much the poised Edwardian stage persona. The photographer of this portrait was Lyddell Sawyer, a noted British portraitist. The postcard was published by Rotophot (RPH) and is numbered 7768. The company later became linked with Ross Verlag. The postcard was postmarked in 1904 in Manchester, England. The message on the postcard reads “Exchange Hotel, [Manchester] Nov 30th/04, Dear Edie, I think you will like the other side. If you have any letters for me, keep them till I return. I may be sent for tomorrow and then the letters would be here when I am in Sheffield. Your loving Pa”. (SOLD)

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #5296

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$16.50

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) #5296

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$26.50

POSTCARD 1

POSTCARD 2

Published in: on June 17, 2026 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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JOSEPHINE CASABONI : STAR BALLET DANCER : PHOTOGRAPHED BY LYD SAWYER

This vintage real photo postcard features Miss Josephine “Cassy” Casaboni, an esteemed principal ballet dancer. The photographer of this image is Lyd Sawyer. Edward Lyddel Sawyer (1856-1927) was a British photographer. At the age of sixteen, he was responsible for the work of a busy photography studio in Newcastle. His father was a portrait painter and photographer. In 1885, he opened a portrait studio with his two brothers. In 1895, he opened a portrait studio on Regent Street, in London. He was a founding member of “The Linked Ring”, a British photographic society that advocated viewing photography as a fine art, rather than exclusively as a science or commercial venture. Twelve of Sawyer’s photos can be found in Great Britain’s National Portrait Gallery. He is considered a talented photographer and an important figure in the history of photography. This postcard was published by Raphael Tuck & Sons. The card is part of the “Stage Favourites” series (no.5015). This photograph of Miss Casaboni captures the dancer in her role in “The Red Shoes”, which appeared at London’s Alhambra Theatre in 1899. This vintage postcard is in very good condition (see scans).

josephine1-1

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #3485

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$28.27

josephine1-2

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) 3485

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$37.27

Published in: on April 3, 2021 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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