THEATRE ACTRESS: LIZZIE WEBSTER AT THE BEACH

LIZZIE WEBSTER_0010

The top cabinet card features theatre actress Lizzie Webster posing at the beach. OK; its not the beach, but it is a fake beach, at the studio of celebrity photographer, Mora, in New York City, New York. Webster appeared on the American stage in the late 1870’s and early 1880’s. She appeared on tour in Edward Rice’s popular  show, “Evangeline”. The Brooklyn Daily Eagle (1878) described Miss Webster as a “shapely brunette”, and a “beautiful being”. However,  the article states that she did not possess a good voice. In 1893, Lizzie Webster died in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. To see other photographs by Mora, click on Cabinet Card Gallery’s category “Photographer: Mora”.

The second cabinet card features Miss Webster in costume, complete with a sword at her side. This image as well as the top image demonstrates that Lizzie Webster was not too modest to exhibit her legs. Both photographs are a bit risque because of this immodesty. The photographer of this image is unknown because the photograph has been trimmed and the reverse of the photo card has a large sticker covering much of the cards back. The sticker identifies the photograph as the property of Culver Pictures of New York City. The firm owned the rights to the image and would allow the media to use the image, if they paid for the privilege.

Published in: on January 23, 2013 at 12:01 am  Comments (6)  
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RISQUE PORTRAIT OF BURLESQUE ACTRESS KATE EVERLEIGH BY WARREN’S PORTRAITS IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

EVERLEIGH

This cabinet card captures the beauty of actress Kate Everleigh. The image is risque for the cabinet card era. Preliminary research reveals no personal details of the life of Miss Everleigh. However, there are many articles citing her theatrical appearances.  In fact, her portrait appears on the front page of  “The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News” in both 1885 and 1886 editions. She is also referenced in the book “A History of the New York Stage” (1903) for appearing in Reese and Farnie’s burlesque production of  “Oxygen” and Lydia Thompson’s Company’s production of “Bluebird”. Everleigh also appeared in the original London cast of  “Erminie” (1885). The magazine “The Theatre” (1885) cites her appearances in “Nemesis” and “Family Ties”. Miss Everleigh also performed in the United States. She is mentioned as a performer in a burlesque show in San Francisco called “The Mother, The Maiden, and The Musicianer” (1880). This is a high quality photograph and not surprisingly, comes from a well respected studio in Boston, Massachusetts. The studio is Warren’s Portraits and it was located at 465 Washington Street. The photographer was George K. Warren. Warren’s Studios photographed many celebrities and notable people in Boston. To view other photographs by Warren, click on the category “Photographer: Warren”.

Published in: on December 9, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF ACTRESS BLANCH WARD IN NEW YORK CITY (RISQUE)

This cabinet card features a costumed young woman named Blanch Ward. This photograph shows “a lot of leg” and is rather risque for its era. Blanch Ward is likely either an actress, dancer, or singer, or some combination of the three. Research revealed no information about Miss Ward and it is likely she was not a major theatrical performer. The photographer of this image is Alfred S. Campbell of New York City. He is known for being a photographer who had a specialty in photographing theater stars. To view other photographs by Campbell and to learn more about his life, click on the category “Photographer: Campbell”.

Published in: on December 7, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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CARLOTTA BRIANZA: CELEBRATED ITALIAN BALLERINA (PORTRAIT BY FALK)

This cabinet card portrait features pretty celebrated Italian ballerina, Carlotta Brianza (1867-c.1933). Note that the jewelry that is hanging from her necklace is shaped like a horse. It is also worth mention that this photograph is somewhat risque for the era. Brianza was born in Milan, Italy and was the prima ballerina at La Scala before going to Russia. She created a sensation in Luigi Manzotti’s ballet “Excelsior” as the Spirit of Light. She went to Russia in 1887 after completing a US tour. She was acclaimed for her work in “Sleeping Beauty” and “Esmerelda”. She returned to the west in 1891 when she became the prima ballerina for the Vienna Opera. She died in Paris under suspicious circumstances that suggest she committed suicide. This portrait was produced by celebrity photographer Benjamin J. Falk of New York City. To view other photographs by Falk, click on the category “Photographer: Falk”.

Published in: on October 3, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
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NELLIE HOWE: PRETTY ACTRESS IN RISQUE COSTUME

This cabinet card features pretty actress Nellie Howe in a risque stage costume. The photographer and the location of the studio that produced this image is unknown. Research revealed no  information about Miss Howe. This photograph is likely an early cabinet card, dating back to the 1870’s or 1880’s.

Published in: on September 23, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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CELEBRATED ACTRESS ADA REHAN AND HER LABORADOR RETRIEVER (PAGE INCLUDES ADDITIONAL PORTRAITS OF MISS REHAN)

PHOTOGRAPH 1  (SOLD)

PHOTOGRAPH 2

PHOTOGRAPH 3

Ada Rehan was a well known and respected American actress. The top cabinet card portrait of Ms Rehan and her dog was published by Napoleon Sarony, a famous celebrity photographer in New York City, New York. Ada Rehan was born in Ireland and came to the United States at six years of age. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She began acting as a child. From 1873 until 1875 she became more active in acting at Mrs. Drew’s Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She then joined John Albaugh’s company and appeared in Baltimore, Albany and numerous other cities. In 1879 she joined Augustin Daly’s company upon his opening of his New York theater. She worked with his company for twenty years and appeared throughout Europe. The IBDB reveals that Ada Rehan appeared in 12 Broadway productions.  Some of the Broadway and non Broadway plays she appeared in include a number of Shakespeare productions such as “As You Like It” and “Twelfth Night”. Rehan also acted in “The School for Scandal”, “Foresters”, “Cinderella at School”, and “Our English Friend”. She retired from the stage in 1906 and lived in New York City until her death. It is interesting to note that Ms Rehan’s dog is on a leash. The leash is made of metal links. She is holding the leash with both hands. This is the first leash that I have observed in the many cabinet card photographs of dogs that I have seen. The dog at the end of the leash in this image appears to be a laborador retriever.  (SOLD)

The second portrait of Miss Rehan was published by Newsboy of New York. The image was number 68 in a series of photographs. Newsboy distributed these images as premiums for their tobacco product sales.

The third image of Miss Rehan is a bust portrait by Louis Thors of San Francisco, California. Thors was born in Holland in 1845. He was of French descent and educated in France. He was fitted for service in the Merchant Marine and he served in that capacity for a number of years before coming to California in 1876. By 1880 he had established his photography business. One source states that his studio had more than twelve “apartments”. He won a Bronze Medal at the Paris Exposition in 1889. His wife, Gertrude M. Thors was also a photographer. Camera Craft: Photographic Association of California (1910)  printed Thors’s obituary. He was described as one of the highest esteemed photographers in San Francisco. He died of stomach cancer at age seventy-two. He worked in the photography business in San Francisco for over forty years. He left the city after the San Francisco fire and worked in St. Louis for two years before returning to California. The obituary reports that after his immigration to the United States, his skill as a painter earned him employment with photographers Bradley and Rulofsen (click on category “Photographer: Bradley and Rulofsen” to view some of  their photographs). In addition, the death notice asserted that besides his talents as a photographer, Thors had a charming personality and high moral character. To view other photographs by Thors, click on the category “Photographer: Thors”.

 

Published in: on July 23, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
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THEATER ACTRESS NETTY HUNTER IN RISQUE POSE (1895)

This cabinet card features a pretty young woman in a risque pose. She is identified on the reverse of the image as Netty Hunter. The previous owner of this portrait reported that Miss Hunter was a theater actress but a search found no evidence to support the notion that she had a stage career. In fact, no biographical information could be found about her. The photographer of this image was Jacob Schloss. Schloss photographed many theater celebrities from his studio in New York City. A notation on the lower left corner of the image shows that the copyright date of this photograph is 1895.  A fading stamp on the back of this cabinet card indicates that it was formerly part of a collection belonging to Charles L. Ritzman (943 Broadway, New York City) who collected among other things, photographs of theater actors and actresses.  In sum, although there is evidence that Netty Hunter was a theater actress; the evidence is not conclusive.

Published in: on July 17, 2012 at 12:01 am  Comments (1)  
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THE POWER OF BEAUTY SEEN IN PORTRAIT OF GERMAN ACTRESS

A pretty young woman is the subject of this cabinet card. She is posed in a provocative manner, relative to the time of this photograph. She is likely a German actress/model. The previous owner of this cabinet card translated the German text below the image as stating “I know my power over men’s hearts”. Printing on the reverse of the photograph identifies the photographer as S. B. Farren and Son. The image is identified as number 233 of a series. Farren may be the photographer of this cabinet card but it is also possible that he purchased it from the original photographer and sold it to collectors from his studio.  SOLD

Published in: on June 8, 2012 at 10:25 pm  Comments (1)  
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ELISE DE VERE: PORTRAIT OF A BEAUTIFUL SOUBRETTE BY REUTLINGER

Elise De Vere was indeed a very pretty woman and her pose in this image can be described as risque. She poses in this cabinet card photograph for famed celebrity photographer, Charles Reutlinger. Reutlinger’s studio was located at 21 Boulevard in Paris, France. The photograph was published in 1899.  Small print located at the bottom of the reverse of the card states R. Dechavannes. He may be in fact the actual photographer of the portrait. Perhaps the photograph was published by Reutlinger but not actually photographed by him. The facts concerning the role of Reutlinger and Dechavannes are not clear. To view other photographs by Dechavannes, click on the category “Photographer: Dechavannes”. To view other photographs by Reutlinger, click on the category “Photographer: Reutlinger”. Elise De Vere was an English actress/singer who performed in music halls and operas around 1900. The previous year she had won second place in a beauty contest at the Paris Olympia Theatre. She was described at the contest as a “Chanteuse Excentrique”  (Eccentric Singer). Around 1900 she was a stage diva in Europe and America. In 1903-1904 she performed in the Flo Ziegfeld Broadway opera “Red Feather” which played at the Lyrical Theatre and then the Grand Opera Theatre. In announcing De Vere’s arrival in America to play in “Red Feather”,  The New York Times (1903) writes that although she was a Parisienne, she spoke excellent English (shouldn’t have been a surprise, she was English). The article added that De Vere had recently learned to sing in German. In a later article, the New York Times (1903) labelled De Vere as a “Soubrette” in the “Red Feather”. A soubrette is a stock character in opera or theatre. A soubrette is frequently a comedic character who is often portrayed as vain, girlish, mischievous, gossipy and light hearted.  SOLD

Published in: on April 30, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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JENNIE JOYCE: TROUBLED STAGE STAR PHOTOGRAPHED BY FALK FOR NEWSBOY

This photograph, by celebrity photographer B. J. Falk, features stage star Jennie Joyce. She was photographed for the Newsboy tobacco company and the image was used as a premium to reward purchasers for buying Newsboy products. The image has a copyright date of 1891 and is number 307 in the Newsboy series. This photograph is risque for its era. Miss Joyce is showing much of her nearly bare legs and is exhibiting a sexually provocative pose. The New York Times (1892) published an article reporting that Jennie Joyce was sued by her husband for divorce. John E. Stanley’s request for a divorce was uncontested. The newspaper described Jennie Joyce as a variety actress and singer. An 1899 article in the same newspaper reported a story about problems in the marriage of Joyce and sportsman Phil Daly Jr..  Daly had told Joyce that he would be out all night but according to plan, returned home at two in the morning only to find his wife with another man (Phillip Wood). Daly fired a number of shots at Wood but missed. Daly’s parting shot was to file for divorce and end his five year marriage. The bad publicity caused by Joyce’s marital problems cause her to speculate in another 1899 Times article that she planned to leave the United States to perform pantomime in London until the fallout from her divorce had diminished. An additional conflict was in the news when the New York Times (1901) printed a story about Joyce successfully suing theatre manager, Alexander Hashim for unpaid salary. Jennie Joyce was clearly  a gossip magnet for the press and she provided  them with a lot of material.   SOLD

Published in: on April 6, 2012 at 12:01 am  Leave a Comment  
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