This vintage postcard features an adorable little girl playing the cymbals. She is wearing a flower wreath in her hair and a wonderful smile. The postcard was published by NPG (“Neue Photographische Gesellschaft”) and is part of a series (no. O 1448). The postcard has a Belgian stamp that was postmarked in 1909. The postcard is addressed to someone living in Anvers (Antwerp), which is a Flemish city in Belgium.
This vintage real photo postcard features a large family consisting of a mother, father, and five children. The two boys seen on the flanks, are very cute. The boy all the way on the left appears to be quite proud of his appearance in this image. He is wearing a suit and tie. The suit pants are actually shorts. His socks have a nice unusual pattern. His smiling brother, seen all the way to the right, is wearing a very realistic sailor outfit. The two older sisters are in a affectionate looking pose. One girl is resting her arm on the shoulder of her sister in a demonstration of affection. This real photo portrait is a nice image of parents and their brood. It is a bit unusual and nicer than the usual postcard family portrait due to the clan’s close-up pose. This postcard has an AZO stamp box that indicates the photograph was taken sometime between 1924 and 1949.
This vintage real photo postcard features German actress Elisabeth Pinajeff (1900-1995). In the 1920’s and 1930’s she starred in French and German films. Her first sound film was in 1929. The actress was born in Russia. Her father was an architect and her mother was a countess. In the 1910’s Pinajeff studied drama in the Ukraine. When she was 19 years old she married an engineer and his career required the couple to move to Germany. In 1929, Pinajeff met Austrian photographer, Alex Binder. Binder will be a familiar name to those that follow the cabinet card gallery. Many of his beautiful postcard portraits of theater stars can be found in the gallery (you can see his photos by placing his name, “Binder”, in the search box). Binder had the largest photo studio in Europe during the 1920’s. Pinajeff modeled for Binder and later, married him. The couple lived in Paris. There is some debate about the years that they were together.The IMDb reports that Pinajeff appeared in 35 films between 1922 and 1938. After appearing in a bit part in a 1938 film about Rasputin, she retired from acting and focused on her painting. In 1950, Pinajeff became a friend of Andre Le Troquer, a “very connected” lawyer and politician. The couple surrounded themselves with political, artistic, and intellectual leaders. In 1959, she was involved in a scandal known as the “Ballets Roses Scandal”. She was one of more than twenty people enmeshed in the scandal. She was accused of organizing erotic ballets with underaged girls for an “elite” audience. Some prospective show biz mother’s had consented to their daughters participation in this ballet with hopes that it would help launch their performance career. Although Pinajeff was not convicted. Miss Pinajeff had artistic talent. She painted a number of famous personalities including the British Queen. She successfully exhibited a number of her paintings. This postcard is somewhat risque in that the photograph shows Miss Pinajeff’s bare back. The actress was a very pretty woman and had an engaging smile. This postcard was published by Russ Verlag and is part of a series (no. 2060/1). The photographer was the aforementioned Alex Binder and the photo was taken in Berlin.
This vintage real photo postcard features a cute dog sniffing the cork on a bottle of whiskey. Below the photo is the caption “His Master’s Vice”. The dog on this comical postcard appears to be Jack Russell or a Chihuahua. Of course, the dog certainly may be a mixed breed. The postcard was postmarked in Seattle in the year 1946. The recipient of this postcard was Colleen Bolze, a sixteen year old girl in Chanute, Kansas. Printed on the right bottom of the card is the name “C & D”. This may represent the publisher but initial research was unable to confirm that C & D was a postcard publishing company. SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard is one of the more risque Ross Verlag postcards in the Cabinet Card Gallery. The postcard is of German origin and is part of a series (no. 1581/1). It was published between 1927 and 1928. Preliminary research found little information about Inez Van Bree. A defunct University of Toronto website labels Miss Bree as a silent movie siren/star. The photographer of this portrait appears to be Ernst Schneider and the photograph was taken in Berlin, Germany. 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. SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features a couple in a rowboat. This romantic rowboat cruise is likely taking place in the photographer’s studio. Interestingly, the young lady is looking at the photographer while the the rowboat captain is staring at his pretty first mate. The “Cyko” stamp box on this postcard indicates that it was published sometime between 1904 and 1920.
This vintage real photo postcard features Canadian born American singer and actress, Deanna Durbin (1921-2013). She is beautifully dressed. Her hat is a nice touch. Deanna Durbin looks quite pretty in this photo portrait. The postcard notes her affiliation with Universal Films. The postcard was published by Echte Foto, a Dutch company. Miss Durbin was an active performer between 1936 and 1948. She appeared in musical films and had the technical skill and vocal range of a legitimate soprano. She sang multiple styles of music including popular standards and operatic arias. Durbin’s first film appearance was with Judy Garland in MGM’s “Every Sunday” (1936). A YouTube clip of the two young actresses performing a duet from this film can be seen below. Shortly after her debut movie, she was given a contract by Universal Studios. She had great success with the studio playing “the ideal teenage daughter” is such films as “Three Smart Girls” (1936). She was only 14 years old when she appeared in “Three Smart Girls” and became an established star. Afterward, she had a string of successful musical films. In 1936, Deanna was offered an audition for the Metropolitan Opera but she rejected the offer because she believed she needed more operatic training. From 1936 through 1938, Durbin did a radio collaboration with Eddie Cantor. In 1938, Durbin was awarded an Academy Juvenile Award. Her co-winner was actor Micky Rooney.Durbin tired of her girl-next-door roles and by 1945, had appeared in a couple of films in more sophisticated roles. Unfortunately, she was not well received in these more mature roles. In 1946, Durbin was the second highest paid woman in the United States, second to Bette Davis. Durbin became the highest paid female in America in the year 1948. By 1949, she retired from acting and singing and never returned to public life. In fact, she never again agreed to be interviewed by the press, with just one exception. Durbin hated the adulation she received in her career and yearned for a “life of nobody”. She wanted to be anonymous. During her acting career, Durbin appeared in 23 films and even more sound recordings. Durbin had three marriages. Her husbands were assistant director Vaughn Paul (1941), writer-producer-actor Felix Jackson (1945) , and film producer-director Charles Henri David (1950). (SOLD)
Judy Garland & Deanna Durbin – Americana (Every Sunday, 1936)
This vintage real postcard is unique and adorable. A little boy is at the helm of a miniature sailing ship, not far from shore. Beach goers and large boats can be seen in the background. The toy ship commanded by this child is amazingly realistic down to the tiniest details. A logo below the photo states “Anana Kypopm” (the photographer?) and is dated 1964. The photographer’s logo displays a light house and a sailboat which indicates that the photo studio shooting this photograph was likely located in a beach resort town. The photo measures about 5 1/2″ x 3 1/2″.
This vintage photo postcard captures a most adorable wide-eyed little girl sitting on a wooden chair and holding an accordion. The girl’s expression is precious. She seems happy to be posing for this photograph. She is sitting in front of a collection of her toys including a nutcracker man, a dog on wheels, and a doll. The accordion has the logo of the Cucciolo company. This company operated in Italy and this postcard is likely of Italian origin and produced in the 1930’s. Printing on the reverse of the postcard indicates that the postcard was published on Agfa postcard paper. Founded in 1867, “Actien-Gesellschaft fur Anilin-Farrikation” (AGFA) produced chemical liquids for photography. In 1913, the company becgan to produce postcard papers. The company’s primary factory was located in Berlin, Germany. (SOLD)
This vintage real photo postcard features a family posing for their portrait and a photographer’s studio. The backdrop in this photograph is quite detailed. All four family members are well dressed. The two daughters are wearing similar but not identical dresses. The father in this family seems quite severe. He is also fashionable and well coiffed. Note his handlebar mustache. The writing on the reverse of this postcard is in German and from the best I can tell, the writer is simply sending greetings to someone.