CHESTER ARTHUR : TRADE CARD : DUKE OF DURHAM : THE BEST SMOKING TOBACCO

This item is a vintage cigarette card featuring a portrait of the 21st President of the United States, Chester Arthur. The card is advertising the W. Duke Sons & Company of Durham, North Carolina. More specifically, the card advertises one of their brands, Duke of Durham. The company states that this brand is “The Best Smoking Tobacco”. Cigarette cards are trading cards issued by tobacco manufacturers. They served the dual purpose of stiffening cigarette packages as well as providing effective advertising of cigarette brands. they were issued between 1875 and the 1940’s. They were distributed as premiums inside of packages of tobacco or cigarettes. These cards became popular with collectors of the era. They are still collected today because they document past popular cultures. They depict actresses, athletes, and other examples of historic popular culture. W. Duke Sons & Company was established by Washington Duke in 1878. He was succeeded by his son, James Duke (1856-1925). James was a visionary and became very successful in growing the company. In fact, he was too successful. He took over the nation’s five major cigarette manufacturers and controlled 80 percent of the domestic tobacco industry. In 1904, James reorganized his company, calling it, the American Tobacco Company. To repeat, James was too successful. His monopoly caught the attention of Federal Court and the company was found guilty of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act. The case went to the Supreme Court and the ruling was that American Tobacco had to jettison Liggett and Myers, P. Lorillard and the R J Reynolds Tobacco Company. James Duke was a multimillionaire and he donated much money to Trinity College. The school later became Duke University, They were issued between 1875 and the 1940’s. They were distributed as premiums inside of packages of tobacco or cigarettes. These cards became popular with collectors of the era. They are still collected today because they document past popular cultures. They depict actresses, athletes, and other examples of historic popular culture. This vintage cigarette trade card measures about 2 1/2″ x 3 5/8″.  SOLD

Published in: on June 10, 2021 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG ARCHER AND HIS SERIOUS BOW AND ARROW (NATIVE AMERICAN?)

This vintage real photo postcard is a beauty. It features a young man holding a large bow and arrow. The size of the bow indicates to me that he knows how to handle it. The bow is not a toy. One has to wonder if this young man is Native American? The feather accessory hanging on this bow is most likely to be found on the bow of a Native American archer. The man’s complexion may also be a clue to his ethnicity. This vintage postcard is in very good condition (see scans).

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Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #3557

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$26.49

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Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) 3557

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$35.49

Published in: on June 9, 2021 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF A PRETTY AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN : HAT DECORATED WITH DEAD BIRD

This vintage real photo postcard features a pretty young African American woman with a wonderful smile. She is well dressed. She has a fur stole over her shoulder. The buttons on her blouse are unusual. They are large and square. Note the woman’s hat. It is decorated with a dead bird with pretty feathers. Hats adorned with deceased birds were not an unusual fashion statement during the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. That was a time when whole birds were considered desirable decorations on lady hats. This was to the detriment of many bird species that were nearly wiped out by hunters looking to make a quick buck from the millinery industry. This photo postcard was published by EKC sometime between 1930 and 1950. (SOLD)

Published in: on June 8, 2021 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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MISS GAYNOR ROWLANDS : ENGLISH STAGE ACTRESS; SINGER, AND DANCER

This vintage real photo postcard features English actress, singer, and dancer, Gaynor Rowlands (1883-1906). She carried the nickname of “The Nightingale of Wales”. She started her career in Empire Theatres’s Ballet. Upon graduation, she joined the company chorus line of George Edwarde’s Gaiety Theatre. She toured India in 1901/02. She quickly became a star and she became the most photographed of the “Gaiety Girls”. She was a popular subject of photo postcards and theatre magazine articles. Rowland’s life was cut short when she died of heart failure at the age of twenty-three after surgery for appendicitis. Eight portraits of Gaynor are in England’s National Portrait Gallery. The IMDb reports that she has one film in her filmography. lt was released in 1905. This vintage portrait postcard was published by Philco as part of a series (No. 3211 D). The photographer of this postcard photograph is Garet Charles. He operated a photo studio in London. His wife’s fame as a photographer, overshadowed his own. His wife was celebrity photographer, Lallie Charles. This photograph of Miss Rowlands is a bit risque for it’s time. The front of her dress is overly revealing. (S0LD)

Published in: on June 7, 2021 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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MODEL IN LINGERIE LOOKING IN MIRROR : RISQUE PHOTOGRAPH : LIKELY UNSIGNED JEAN AGELOU

This vintage photograph is likely the work of esteemed French photographer Jean Agelou (1878-1921). He was a photographer of the 1910’s and 1920’s and was well known for his erotic and nude photographs. This risque photo features an attractive young woman wearing lingerie. She is looking at her reflection in a mirror. The oval shaped mirror’s edges are covered with roses. The image is from the c 1910’s. This vintage photo measures about 3 1/2″ x 5 1/2″. (SOLD)

Published in: on June 6, 2021 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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A MICHIGAN COWBOY : ANNE ARBOR : GHOSTS : CABINET CARD

This cabinet card photograph features a Michigan cowboy. If he is not a cowboy, he certainly is wearing a cowboy-like hat. This fellow has long hair. It is unusually long hair for the cabinet card era. The photographer of this portrait is Obadiah A. Kelley. He was a photographer in Ann Arbor, Michigan from at least 1862 and 1898. He was located at the 6 Huron Street address from 1886 until 1893. He was born in Vermont. He married Mary Elizabeth Frost in 1842. The couple had three sons. One son enlisted as a private in the First United States Sharp Shooters (Company F) and died of disease at City Point, Virginia in 1864. He served only slightly more than a month before meeting his end. Obadiah’s wife died in 1879. In 1880, he married Amelia Walker. An 1889 article in a local Ann Arbor newspaper, “The Argus” reports Obadiah’s brush with the spiritual world. A resident clairvoyant believed that the spirits were active in her community. To test her conviction, she hired Obadiah to accompany her and a friend to “one of the most romantic parts of the boulevard” and take their photograph. The newspaper reports a strange occurrence upon Obadiah removing the negative from the camera. He was shocked to see twelve figures in the photo, rather than the two figures he expected. The writer posits that Obadiah could never be convinced to take any more pictures on the boulevard again if there were any clairvoyants around. Note the chip in the top left hand corner of this cabinet card. Overall, this photograph is in good condition (see scans). (SOLD)

Published in: on June 5, 2021 at 12:00 pm  Comments (5)  
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CATHERINE FERGUSON AS MAD MARGARET IN “RUDDIGORE” : D’OYLY CARTE OPERA COMPANY

This vintage real photo postcard features actress and singer, Miss Catherine Ferguson ( 1895-1972). At first glance, this image appears to be a photograph of a pretty woman on a bad hair day. However, this is actually a photograph of Miss Ferguson playing the role of “Mad Margaret” in “Ruddigore”. The comic opera was also known as “The Witches Curse”. The production was presented by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company and the music and libretto was written by Gilbert and Sullivan. It was first performed in 1887 for a run of 288 performances and was revived in 1920. During World War 1, interest in Gilbert and Sullivan was waning. The company’s main soubrette, Nellie Briarcliffe, left the company. In 1918, the company signed Miss Ferguson to replace Briarcliffe. Ferguson’s stage debut occurred in 1915, in “The Girl in the Taxi”. Ferguson took advantage of the opportunity at D’Oyly and she received much recognition and praise for her performances. In fact, it was thought that she had won the role of principal soubrette on a permanent basis rather than on an interim one. However, in 1919, Briarcliffe returned to the company and resumed her position as major soubrette while Ferguson was relegated to minor roles. Briarcliffe only stayed for one season, and upon her departure, Ferguson returned to being principal soubrette. She left the company in 1923 because of hearing loss. This photo postcard was published by Parkslee Pictures as part of a series (No. 36). The Cabinet Card Gallery has another real photo postcard of an actress playing “Mad Margaret”. You can view it by placing the name, “Aileen Davies” in the search box. SOLD 

Published in: on June 4, 2021 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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GABRIELLE DEMOUGEOT : BEAUTIFUL OPERA SINGER : REUTLINGER : PARIS : (1909)

This vintage real photo postcard features opera singer, Gabrielle Demougeot. This is a color tinted portrait of the pretty opera singer. There is little biographical information readily available about Miss Demougeot. I was able to find a snippet review of one of her performances. The writer describes her as “a pretty coquette with the voice of a high soprano, of a somewhat sour tone, who was charming and …”. Unfortunately, the snippet stopped mid sentence. This postcard is a studio portrait from the renowned French photographer, Leopold-Emile Reutlinger. His studio was located in Paris, France. The postcard was postmarked in 1909. The front (image side) is in excellent condition while the reverse has a scrape near the center bottom of the card (see scans). 

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #3552

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$21.45

Buy this Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) 3552

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$30.45

Published in: on June 3, 2021 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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SCHINE’S KENTON THEATRE : KENTON, OHIO : GARBO TALKS

This vintage postcard features Schine’s Kenton Theatre, located in Kenton, Ohio. The Kenton Theatre was built in 1929 and joined the Schine’s theatre chain. The theatre was built in a Spanish Colonial style. It had murals painted on the auditorium and lobby walls. In 1993, the theatre was purchased by M. E. Theatres and the building was remodeled. The renovation included the construction of a new marquee modelled after the original (1930’s style). This postcard depiction of the Kenton Theatre shows the marquis advertising a film starring Greta Garbo. The sign states “Garbo Talks”. This reflects that transition from silent films to “talkies” which occurred between 1926 and 1930. Greta Garbo (1905-1990) was a Swedish American actress who was active in films between 1920 and 1941. She played many tragic characters in her career and is considered by many to be one of the greatest female stars of classic Hollywood movies. This postcard was published by the Wagner Post Card and Novelty Company. The firm was located in Delphos, Ohio. SOLD

Published in: on June 1, 2021 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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ACTRESS MAUREEN O’SULLIVAN HOLDING A PING PONG PADDLE NEXT TO A PING PONG TABLE

This vintage real photo postcard features actress Maureen O’Sullivan (1911-1998). She is holding a ping pong paddle and standing next to a ping pong table. The Irish-American actress is best known for playing Jane in the Tarzan series of films. This postcard was published by Dutch publisher Jos-Pe. Arnhem. The card is part of a series (No. 432), and at the time this photograph was taken, O’Sullivan was under contract with Metro Goldwyn. The postcard is posted and has a Netherlands stamp. SOLD

Published in: on May 30, 2021 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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