MAYPOLE : LARGE GROUP OF CHILDREN DANCING AROUND THE MAYPOLE : VINTAGE RPPC

This vintage real photo postcard features a large group of children celebrating May Day. They are standing in a circle and most of the children are holding a ribbon attached to a Maypole. What is a Maypole and what is the point of this tradition? A maypole is a tall pole, usually made of wood, that is erected as part of a traditional May Day celebration. The pole is usually decorated with flowers, ribbons, and other decorations, and people dance around it, weaving the ribbons into intricate patterns. The maypole is a symbol of spring and renewal, and the tradition of dancing around the maypole dates back hundreds of years in Europe. In some cultures, the maypole was also seen as a symbol of fertility, and was associated with various rituals and customs related to the coming of spring. SOLD

Published in: on May 6, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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EMMA ALBANI : CANADIAN-BRITISH OPERATIC STAR

This vintage real photo postcard features Dame Emma Albani (1847-1930). She was a Canadian-British operatic soprano during the 19th century and the early 20th century. She became an international star focusing on the operas of Mozart, Rossini, Bellini, and Wagner. She performed in many venues across Europe and North America. (SOLD)

Published in: on May 3, 2023 at 9:23 pm  Leave a Comment  
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LAURA RUSSELL : PRETTY PERFORMER : METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART : UNCOMMON RPPC

This uncommon vintage real photo postcard features actress, Laura Russell.  Very little biographical information about Miss Russell could be found during my preliminary research. I was able to find her image on three different tobacco cards. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has at least two of them in their collection. This is an undivided back postcard. It was likely published between 1901 and 1908. The card was published by Neue Photographische Gesellschaft AG,(Berlin) as part of a series (No.A 14). This portrait postcard is in very good condition (see scans). 

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Buy this Vintage Original Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #5043

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$26.00

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Buy this Vintage Original Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) #5043

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$35.00

Published in: on May 2, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THIS : A LITTLE GIRL AND HER DOLL LIE IN BED : RPPC

This gorgeous vintage undivided real photo postcard captures a smiling little girl lying in bed and lovingly looking at her doll beside her. Sweet dreams are made of this. This vintage postcard is in good condition (see scans).

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Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #5049

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$28.79

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Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) 5049

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$39.00

Published in: on April 27, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  

MISS FYFE ALEXANDER : BRITISH ACTRESS : THE BLUNDERS OF A BASHFUL MAN : 1906

“The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News (1903) has a short article about Miss Fyfe Alexander. The magazines theater critic writes about her after seeing her perform in J M Barrie’s comedy “Little Mary”. The writer describes Alexander as “a pretty and charming young actress” and “she has the good qualities that go towards the making of a good actress, and is likely to take a prominent place in her profession”. She was not yet twenty years old at the time of this review. The article also reveals that Alexander was from a theatrical family and that she made her stage debut in 1901. The message on this postcard is interesting. The writer states that “Oh! How the tears did come” when she read a book entitled “The Blunders of a Bashful Man” (1881). This postcard was published by Rapid Photo and Miss Alexander’s photo was taken by female photographer, Lizzie Caswall Smith. The card was postmarked in 1906.  (SOLD)

Published in: on April 25, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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OCTAVIA KENMORE :BRITISH THEATER ACTRESS: SHAKESPEARE : BROADWAY : CLAUDE HARRIS

This vintage real photo postcard features British actress, Miss Octavia Kenmore. Kenmore was an actress who performed in many productions of Shakespeare’s and Ibsen’s plays. She also was a Broadway actress. She was in eight Broadway shows from 1921 through 1947. Her appearances included a role in Hedda Gabler. Kenmore received many fine reviews in her long theatrical career. In a review of her London debut performance, one critic was not totally impressed. He states that she had a pleasing voice, intelligent and pretty features, and a good presence. He continues with the comment that she should have had more experience before taking on the difficult role in W. S. Gilbert’s fairy comedy, “The Palace of Truth” (1888). The critic’s final assessment of Miss Kenmore was biting. He declared that “Her performance was emphatically one of promise, not of fulfillment.” This vintage portrait postcard is unique in that the reverse of the postcard has a message from Kenmore. She has also signed the postcard. Her signature has not been authenticated. The photograph of Miss Kenmore seen on this card, was taken by Claude Harris (1883-1961). He has 61 photographs in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. His studio was located in London. He fought in the Boer War and World War I.  He produced and directed a film “The Sanctuary” (1916). He photographed many celebrated theater celebrities. Harris was considered a master of lighting.

Published in: on April 24, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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LOIS WILSON : AMERICAN FILM, STAGE, AND TELEVISION ACTRESS : SOAP STAR : RPPC

This vintage real photo postcard features American silent and sound film actress, Lois Wilson (1894-1988). She also directed two films and performed on the stage. She appeared on Broadway three times between 1937 and 1968. Her 1968 appearance was in “I Never Sang For My Father”. She was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania but she and her family moved to Alabama when she was quite young. She graduated from Alabama Normal College and became a school teacher before venturing out to pursue a film career. In 1915, after winning the equivalant of the Miss Alabama beauty contest, she headed for Hollywood. She was quickly hired by Victor Film Company for a number of small roles. In 1916, she worked in a minor film role for female director Lois Weber. Weber took an interest in Wilson and began preparing her for future stardom. Wilson appeared in a number of films for various studios until she was signed by Paramount in 1919. She remained with the company until 1927. She was a WAMPAS Baby Star of 1922. WAMPAS Baby Stars were projected to become future major Hollywood stars. The IMDb credits Wilson with 159 screen appearances between 1915 and 1963. Her most noted roles were in “The Covered Wagon” (1923) and “The Great Gatsby (1926). She played opposite major leading men including Rudolph Valentino, John Gilbert and Ronald Reagon. She made a successful transition to sound movies. However, she became disappointed with many of the roles she played in the 1930’s, and retired in 1941. Wilson also performed on television and played roles in soap operas such as “The Guiding Light”, “The Secret Storm”, and the “Edge of Night”. Lois Wilson never married. This vintage postcard was published by Cinemagazine (Paris) as part of a series (No.237). SOLD

Published in: on April 22, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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YOUNG EGYPTIAN WOMAN : SHEER HEAD COVERING : EGYPTOLOGY : ETHNOGRAPHY : RPPC

This vintage postcard features a pretty young Egyptian woman dressed in traditional costume. She is wearing a head and face covering hijab (veil).  The postcard was published by the celebrated ethnographic photography firm, Lehnert & Landrock. The company was located in Cairo Egypt. Rudolf Franz Lehnert (1878-1948) & Ernst Heinrich Landrock (1878-1966) were the principals of the firm.. Lehnert was of German origin, while Landrock was from Bohemia. The pair met in Switzerland and decided to go into business together. Lehnert was the photographer and Landrock was the administrator. Landrock organized trips, managed the photo studio and photo production, and marketed the photographs and prints. They were photographers in Tunis and in Egypt, They also opened studios in Munich (Germany) and Leipzig (Germany).  They produced many photographs from Egypt and Tunisia. Their first studio was in Tunis. They photographed monuments and sites in those countries, but were most known for their erotic images of Arab women, often posing in harem themes. Sometimes the photographers seemed more concerned about producing erotic photographs rather than documenting everyday life in these Middle Eastern countries. Lehnert and Landrock were well acclaimed for their work and the duo have images in a number of museums, including Philadelphia’s Penn Museum an the Musee de l’elysee in Lausanne, Switzerland.  SOLD

Published in: on April 21, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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LILLIAN RUSSELL: CELEBRATED AMERICAN ACTRESS AND SINGER

Lillian Russell (1860-1922) is pictured in this vintage lithographic postcard by famed New York celebrity photographer, B. J. Falk. Lillian Russell is captured in costume. Russell was a very famous American actress and singer who was known for her beauty, style, voice and stage presence. Her theater career began with roles in comic operas including the work of Gilbert and Sullivan. She married composer Edward Solomon in 1884 and two years later, he was arrested for bigamy.  She performed in New York and elsewhere in starring roles in comic opera and musical theatre. In 1904 she switched to dramatic roles due to voice problems. She later also appeared in vaudeville. She retired from the stage in 1919. She later wrote newspaper columns, advocated for women suffrage, and was a popular lecturer.  She married four times and her longest marriage was to Diamond Jim Brady who supported her extravagant lifestyle for four decades. It is interesting to note that the New York Times (4/2/1886) reported that during the performance of “Pepita”, an opera by her husband, Edward Solomon; there were obvious signs of marital discord observed on stage. The newspaper blamed issues revolving around Russell’s interfering mother, as well as, issues pertaining to Russell’s sudden prosperity. The newspaper article correctly predicted that there would soon be a divorce. This postcard portrait was published by Bamforth & Company, headquartered in both England and New York.  SOLD

Published in: on April 19, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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TWO PRETTY YOUNG EUROPEAN WOMEN : BASKET OF FLOWERS : RPPC (1909)

This vintage postcard features two pretty young European women in traditional clothing. One of the women is holding a large basket of flowers. Both women are flashing beautiful smiles.This postcard was published by NPG (“Neue Photographische Gesellschaft”  as part of a series (No.751/5). The card is an “oranotypie”. An oranotype is a trade name for a type of glossy real photo postcard published by NPG. This postcard portrait has a 1909 postmark.  SOLD

Published in: on April 18, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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