This vintage real photo postcard is truly special. Master photographer, Henri Manuel, photographed this adorable little girl. The child’s expression exudes happiness and love of life. This portrait captures the innocence of childhood. In 1900, Henri Manuel (1874-1947) opened a portrait studio in Paris with his brother Gaston. He quickly became renowned for his portraits of politicians, artists, and athletes. His images were used by news agencies . His studio became the largest studio in Paris and it attracted many young photographers who sharpened their skills there. In 1925 the brothers expended their business to include fashion photography. They worked for such designers as Chanel, Patou, and Lanvin. The studio shut down during World War II and many of their photographic plates were destroyed. Manuel was the official photographer for the French government from 1914 through 1944. To view other photographs by Manuel, click on the category “Photographer: Manuel”. The publisher of this postcard is unidentified. The postcard is part of a series (no. 551). SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features two tough looking men. These guys mean business. Are they cops? Are they criminals? The stamp box indicates that this postcard dates back to sometime between 1904 and 1918. This vintage postcard portrait is in very good condition. 
This vintage real photo postcard features actress Caroline May Blaney. Biographical information about Miss Blaney is elusive. However, some information was uncovered. Miss Blaney acted in Western shows. At the time, “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show” was quite popular. The show toured the US, Canada, and Europe. The success of this show spawned a number of other wild west shows. Miss Blaney performed in such shows. She is known for her performances with Young Buffalo, an American actor and entertainer. A photograph of the pair can be seen below. A review in the Brighton and Hove Society (1911) describes one of these performance. The show took place in the United Kingdom, at the Alhambra Theatre. The review mentions Caroline May Blaney. She received billing just below Young Buffalo. The show was called “King of the Wild West”. The reviewer wrote that Blaney deserved praise for her rendition of “My Pony Boy”. The writer adds that she received “hearty applause”. A sad and interesting aside reported in the article is that in order to bring the Native Americans actors to England, a five thousand dollar bond had to be deposited with the United States to “procure” the right to take them on the foreign tour. The Native Americans were from the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. The portrait of Miss Blaney appearing on this postcard shows her in costume as “Wild Nell” in the “King of the Wild West Show”. “The New York Dramatic Mirror” (1910) published an article which included news about Miss Blaney. It reported that she was managed by her brother, Charles E. Blaney (1866-1944). He was a well known theatrical producer, director, and writer. The article tell the story of Blaney’s learning that her mother was in a serious car accident. She received the telegram in between the second and third acts of a play in which she was a performing. The show must go on, so Blaney wore street clothes during the third act enabling her to immediately dash to the local train station (Buffalo, New York) to catch a train to her mother’s home (Columbus, Ohio). The portrait was photographed by Foulsham & Banfield. Foulsham & Banfield were well known celebrity photographers. Frank Foulsham and A. C. Banfield operated a studio in the 1900’s through the 1920’s. (SOLD)
This vintage real photo postcard features a lovely young woman smiling for the camera at the Eckler photo studio in Hot Springs, Arkansas. Eckler’s name is embossed on the right side of the bottom border of the postcard. The city of Hot Springs is located in the Ouachita Mountains and has several natural hot springs in the area. Beginning in the 1830’s, Hot Springs became a resort offering many spas. Hot Springs was the place to go for relaxation, fun, and good health. It is likely that the woman in this photograph is a visitor to the spa town. If so, she would come to the photographer for a photograph to serve as souvenir of her trip. The woman is wearing a dress that suggests that, in my opinion, informality and relaxation. Her hat is quite unusual and interesting. It looks like a slab of bacon. It seems appropriate to wear such a hat in the Razorback state. Ernest Eckler was one of Hot Springs’s most renowned photographers. He operated a studio there for 49 years (1897-1946). He was from Missouri but moved to Hot Springs in the late 1890’s. He moved to Hot Springs because he was a tuberculosis patient seeking medical benefits from the springs. Eckler was a college graduate but while in Hot Springs he discovered the field of photography and learned enough to take a job with the Missouri Pacific Railroad as a photographer. He took mostly scenic shots to be used for advertising purposes. In 1897, he purchased a studio in Hot Springs. As a studio photographer he focussed on photographing individuals and families. He was a prolific wedding photographer. This postcard has an AZO stamp box that dates between 1924 and 1949. 
This vintage real photo postcard features a seated young Italian beauty holding a large bouquet of flowers. She is wearing a hairband and a half smile. The postcard is color tinted. An inscription can be found on the reverse of the postcard. The Italian writing can be loosely translated as “I offer my sincere love and memories”. The woman’s name is also written on the back of the postcard. Her name is “Aigene Anziletti”. The postcard paper was produced by AZO sometime between 1924 and 1949. 
This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of a young boy dressed in winter clothing and holding a cane. Note his cute warm cap. He is posed in front of a wooden bench. He is a cutie and the image has great clarity. 
This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of the Bell family. Charlie and Belle and their infant Eloise pose for the unidentified photographer. Have you noticed that mom’s name is Belle Bell? The message on the reverse of the postcards reveals that Eloise weighted 14 3/4 lbs at the time this photograph was taken. The AZO stamp box indicates that this postcard was produced sometime between 1904 and 1918. This postcard is in very good condition (see scans).
The lovely actress seen in this vintage real photo postcard is named Gerda Maurus (1903-1968). She is posed next to a beautiful Airedale terrier. This unusual profile photograph was taken by celebrity photographer Alex Binder. His studio was located in Berlin, Germany. Maurus was active in film and television between 1928 and 1968. She was an Austrian actress of Croatian descent. Maurus was the daughter of an engineer/inventor. She grew up in Vienna and received training as a singer and dancer. She hit the stage at age fifteen. The IMDb biography of Maurus describes her as ” a strikingly beautiful blonde with high cheekbones an expressive blue eyes”. She began her career on the stages of Vienna. She was “discovered” by director Fritz Lang and he cast her in the female lead in the silent film “Spione” (1928). Lang was smitten by maurus and his marriage was destroyed. She then appeared in a number of German films during the Weimar and Nazi eras. Maurus married director Robert A. Stemmie in 1937. He directed her in “Daphne and the Diplomat” (1937). Like many actresses of her time, her acting career was hurt by the introduction of “talkies”. Further complicating matters was her nebulous association with Nazi propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. This relationship had negative impact on her career after World War II. Due to lack of film offers, Maurus retreated to the German stage. The IMDb filmography of Gerda Maurus lists 33 credits. Here is a side note about Airedales. The first World War increased the popularity of Airedales because they became famous for their bravery on the battlefield. In the US, Presidents Theodore Roosevelt, Calvin Coolidge, and Warren Harding all owned Airedales. In the 1920’s, Airedales became the most popular dog in the US. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag and is part of a series (no. A1320/1). (SOLD)
This vintage real photo postcard features a pretty nude woman She is delicately reaching for a conch shell. This tastefully done image was published by well known photographer Alfred Noyer as part of a series (No. 4136). The celebrated photographer supervised a large photo studio in Paris. The Noyer Studio operated from 1910 until the 1940’s. Many of his early postcards were reproductions of artworks. He also produced illustrated patriotic postcards during World War I. With the onset of the 1920’s he began producing postcards of children and women. Many of the postcards he produced of women were nudes or risque images. Some of his postcards list his name while others are simply marked “AN”. This photo postcard is in very good condition (see scans). 
