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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NILES AND GRACE AND THEIR PET PUG IN LOWVILLE, NEW YORK (1889)

This cabinet card portrait of two children and their pet pug, illustrates the power of the internet in identifying subjects in antique photographs. The reverse of this photograph has some identity clues in an inscription that states “Niles 3 years  Grace 6 years  Jan 3rd 1889”.  Since the photographer of this image (W. G. Mandeville) worked out of Lowville, New York, it was assumed that  the children in the photograph lived in, or around, Lowville (located in the western foothills of the Adirondack Mountains). A search of the 1900 U.S. census (Lowville) was done for siblings named Niles and Grace. A listing for Niles and Grace Bateman was found and their ages were a match for the age information on the reverse of the cabinet card. Once establishing their identity, additional biographical data was obtained. At the time of the 1900 census, Grace was seventeen years old and Niles was thirteen. Their father was Carroll Bateman and he was a proprietor of a hotel. Their mother was named Jennie Ruggles Bateman. The 1910 U. S. census found Niles working as a clerk in his father’s hotel. The 1920 U.S. census reveals that Niles had become an “Automobile Agent” and was married to a woman named Vera. The 1930 census discloses some major changes in the life of Niles Bateman. He had two children (Walter and Barbara) and had become an “Automobile Dealer”. The photographer of this image, William Garrett Mandeville (1865-1944), is one of the subjects of Robert Ogden’s book, “Exposing the Wilderness: Early Twentieth Century Adirondack Postcards” (1999). Ogden considers Mandeville one of the best photographers of the genre of scenic postcards. Mandeville was born in New York, dropped out of school at sixteen years of age, and in 1883 went to work for photographer, Ogden Hotchkiss. Hotchkiss had a studio in Norwich, New York. In 1886 Mandeville joined George W. Carter in operating a photography studio but he left the partnership that same year to run his own gallery.  He married his wife, Bertha in 1886 and had a daughter (Dorothy). In the 1930 U. S. census, Mandeville, at 65 years of age, was still listed as a photographer. In regard to condition, note the tiny pinhole under “Lowville” at bottom of card. Note bent top right corner of card. Overall Good Condition (See Scans).

Buy this Vintage Original Cabinet Card (includes shipping within the US) #5190

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Published in: on April 23, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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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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SPORTY YOUNG MAN : CHILLIN IN NORWAY, MAINE : FASHION : CABINET CARD PORTRAIT

This cabinet card features a portrait of a young man sitting on a wooden high back chair. He is dressed in a sporty manner. The combination of his striped pants and his checkered jacket won’t win any fashion awards. The gentleman’s casual sitting position and his facial expression gives an impression of self assuredness. This cabinet card photo was taken at the Swan studio in Norway, Maine. John Wesley Swan (1857-?) appears in the 1884 Portland, Maine city directory as a photographer. The 1900 US census reveals that Swan was Canadian born and lived in Norway with his wife (Annie) and their two daughters. Swan married his wife in 1883. According to Anthony’s Photographic Bulletin (1900), Swan’s studio was destroyed by fire and he lost a large number of valuable negatives of scenery in the area of Norway. The journal also states that the “loss was large and the insurance is said to be small”. Swan was the official photographer of the Grand Trunk Railway system. He won a gold medal at the Paris Exposition according to Photo-Era magazine (1900). At one point in his career in Norway, Swan had a partner in his business (Swan & Cobb). John Wesley Swan was involved in a bizarre incident that made the annals of the history of Norway. The book,  “A History of Norway, Maine: From the Earliest Settlement to the Close of the Year 1922”, tells a  mysterious story about Mr. Swan. While on a trip to Boston in 1893, Swan disappeared for a period of about six months. The writer states that Swan “claimed to have been sand-bagged and robbed in Boston and when he partially recovered consciousness found himself in New Orleans”. His memory had “left him” and he wandered around until his memory returned while he was in Texas. Swan returned to Norway and explained his disappearance to his friends and family, and community. According to the writer, many doubted the validity of his explanation. SOLD

Published in: on April 20, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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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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YOUNG BEAUTY : PRETTY IN PINK : DIVIDED BACK RPPC : HAND COLORED : (1907-1915)

This hand colored vintage real photo postcard features a young and pretty postcard model. She is posed in a titillating manner. She is holding a bouquet of flowers.  The card was published by EAS. The postcard was postmarked in Belgium and has a Belgian stamp. SOLD

Published in: on April 16, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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COLLEEN MOORE : AMERICAN SILENT FILM ACTRESS : DUTCH BOY BOBBED HAIRCUT : RPPC

This postcard features a portrait of American film actress, Colleen Moore (1899-1988).  She began her career in the silent film era. She was a fashionista and one of the highest paid stars of her time. She is also noted for popularizing the “dutchboy bobbed haircut”. Like many silent film stars, she was unable to adapt to “talkies” and decided to retire after just making a few  sound films. Upon retirement, Moore focused on investing, and was quite talented in that realm. She became a partner at Merrill Lynch and wrote a book about how to invest in the stock market. One of her hobbies involved dollhouses. In the early 1950’s, she helped design and curate “The Colleen Moore Dollhouse” which is still exhibited at the Museum of Science and Industry, in Chicago, Illinois. The dollhouse is 9 square feet and worth millions of dollars and has been seen by millions of museum goers. Moore was born in Michigan and her family relocated to Atlanta around 1908.They then moved on to Pennsylvania and finally, Tampa, Florida. At fifteen years of age, Moore had a screen test with director D. W. Griffith. Griffith owed a debt to Moore’s uncle, a successful newspaper man in Chicago. Moore must have done well on the screen test since she soon found herself playing heroines in Westerns. She signed a contract with Triangle-Fine Arts and for the first few years she appeared in minor supporting roles. When the Triangle Company folded she signed with Selig Polyscope. She appeared in “A Hoosier Romance” and “Little Orphant Annie”. They were popular films and Moore achieved some celebrity. When Selig closed their doors, Moore went to work on films from various companies. Her star kept rising. In 1922, Moore was named a WAMPAS Baby Star (honor for actresses on the threshold of fame). The IMDb credits Moore with 65 film appearances between 1918 and 1934. At the height of her career, she was earning over twelve thousand dollars a week. This vintage portrait postcard features Colleen Moore with her trademark dutch boy bobbed haircut. The card was published by Ross Verlag. Note the logo for First National Pictures in the lower right hand corner of the image. The card has a 1926 postmark. Moore was about 27 years old when the photograph was taken.  SOLD

Published in: on April 15, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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SUE CAROL : AMERICAN FILM STAR AND TALENT AGENT : RPPC

This vintage real photo postcard features American actress and talent agent, Sue Carol (1906-1982). She began her career in silent films during the 1920’s. She made the transition to talkies and appeared in a number of movies throughout the 1930’s. She appeared in more than 60 films during her career. Her notable movies included “No No Nanette”, “The Phantom in the House”, and “The Donovan Affair”. She also appeared in several westerns and musicals in the 1930’s. She later became a talent agent representing several successful Hollywood stars including Robert Wagner and Roger Moore.  She was married to actor Alan Ladd for more than two decades. This portrait postcard is in fair condition (see scans).

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #5033

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$10.80

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) 5033

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$19.80

Published in: on April 14, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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