THE YOUNGEST FASHIONISTA IN FRESNO, CALIFORNIA

The young girl seen in this cabinet card portrait is quite the fashionista. She is dressed to the max. She likely is a member of a wealthy family. Note her leather gloves and her complex bandage-like hair bow. The photographer of this lovely image is Edgerton Reyerson Higgins  (1845-1911) of Fresno, California. Higgins was born in Canada. His mother was Canadian and his father was from Connecticut. He attended high school and Business College in San Francisco, California. He helped out at the photographic gallery of his brother, Thomas J. Higgins while attending school. Higgins worked as a photographer in a number of California towns, including Sacromento, Snelling, Stockton, Merced, Hanford, and Fresno. He worked for at least two well known photographic studios, one of which is represented in the Cabinet Card Gallery collection; Bradley and Rulofson. The second famous  photography studio was Thomas Houseworth & Company. Click on the category Photographer: Bradley & Rulofson” to view their photographs. While working in Snelling, Higgins was quoted as saying he took “pretty pictures, even of ugly people”. This cabinet card is from Fresno and it appears that he worked there at two different times. He was there temporarily in 1879. This cabinet card was published during his second stint, which began in 1887. Higgins did much to help his community. In 1889 he was one of the principal founders of the Fresno Volunteer Fire Department, and from about 1889 until the early 1890’s, he served as chief of the department. In 1898 he renamed his gallery the “Rembrandt Studio” and a year later, entered a partnership with a photographer named Howland. The California Historical Society has a small collection of Higgins’s photographs. This cabinet card portrait has a name penciled on it’s reverse. I was unable to decipher the name. (SOLD)

Published in: on November 7, 2020 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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MARION WINCHESTER : BROADWAY STAR, SPECIALTY DANCER, AND “SUGAR QUEEN”

Marion Winchester (1882- ?) is the subject of this real photo postcard portrait. She was born in California. She began her professional career in 1899. She was trained at the Alviene Stage Dancing and Vaudeville School of Acting, at the Grand Opera House in New York. Winchester’s London premiere occurred in 1903 when she performed at the Oxford Music Hall where she was billed as the “World’s Champion Cake Walker”. She left London to appear in Paris where she received accolades for her dancing ability. In 1921, she applied for an emergency passport at the American Embassy in Paris. Her paperwork indicated that she resided in Paris where she studied music. She later married Italian pianist and composer, Count Aldo Solito de Solis (1905-1973). The pair divorced in 1940 and De Solis then married actress Gale Page. A photograph of Miss Winchester can be found in England’s National Portrait Gallery. Marion Winchester has appeared on Broadway four times between 1900 and 1902 and once again in 1934. She was mainly active within her career between 1899 and 1908. She was known for being a specialty dancer. An article in “London Week by Week” (1904) tells an interesting anecdote about Winchester. The article refers to the actress as the “Sugar Queen” and explains the origin of this nickname. It is reported that one day she was in the corridor of a fancy hotel and she was sucking on a piece of candy. She happened on the path of the “Emperor of the Sahara”, Jacques Lebaudy. The eccentric sugar magnate said to her, “Give up sugar-stick, and buy sugar stock”. It is said that she took the tip, and made a great deal of money, keeping her well stocked with furs, beautiful dresses, and diamonds. This portrait postcard was photographed by Lucien Walery. He was a celebrated Paris photographer known for his portraits of artists and cabaret dancers from the city’s music halls. He is very well known for his portraits of Mata Hari and Josephine Baker. Walery did a lot of work in the genre of nude/erotic photography. He photographed the beautiful women of Paris between the early 1900’s and the 1920’s. Walery does an excellent job of capturing Miss Winchester’s loveliness. Note her beautiful long hair. This postcard is part of a series (no. 2200). (SOLD)

Published in: on November 6, 2020 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PRIZED COW AND FIVE ADULTS POSE IN FRONT OF SMALL FARM HOUSE

The star of the cast of six characters seen in this vintage real photo postcard, is a cow. This is not an ordinary cow. Although this is not a photograph of Elsie the Cow, or Mrs. O’Leary’s Cow; the cow seen in this image is a prize winning cow. Standing behind the cow are three well dressed men and two women. Judging by an abundance of smiles, all five people seem pretty happy. Behind the row of people is a small house, possibly a farm house. Speculating about the story behind this picture, I formulate the following hypothesis. I believe that our bovine friend has just won a prize for being superior to other cows, one way or another. The gentleman seen by the champion cow’s head, appears to be wearing a flower and an award ribbon by his lapel. When I looked at a close-up view of this cow, I noticed that it had horns. I began to think that this cow is actually a bull. However, some quick research revealed that female cows are born with horns. I was udderly surprised to learn this fact. This postcard was published by Cyko. The stamp box indicates that it dates to the time period between 1904 and 1920. This postcard is in very good condition (see scans).

Buy this original Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #3270

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Published in: on November 5, 2020 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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A PROUD MOTHER POSES WITH HER INFANT NESTLED SNUGLY IN A PERAMBULATOR

This vintage real photo postcard features a pretty mother posing with her infant child lying comfortably in a vintage perambulator (baby carriage). The carriage is large and looks very secure. Imagine a parent trying to fit one of these “monsters” into the back of their automobile. I think it’s a safe bet that this perambulator did not fold smaller for easy transport. Mom looks very proud and very happy as she stands behind her baby. She is bundled up for winter weather. Note her leather gloves and fur scarf. The baby appears to be bundled up warmly for the venture outdoors. The child has a “nook” in his/her mouth. This photo is from a studio; it is not mass produced. This photo postcard is in very good condition (see scans).

Buy this original Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #3267

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Published in: on November 4, 2020 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PRETTY UNIFORMED RUSSIAN SCHOOL GIRL (LARGE PORTRAIT 1970’s)

This vintage photograph features a pretty Russian school girl wearing her uniform. She has a terrific smile and beautiful eyes. The photo appears to be from the 1970’s. This lovely portrait is on cardboard-like paper. It measures about 7″ x 9 1/2″ and is in very good condition. (SOLD)

Published in: on November 3, 2020 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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FERN ANDRA : SILENT FILM ACTRESS POSES WITH HER BORZOI

This vintage real photo postcard features American silent film actress, Fern Andra (1893-1974). Andra was one of Germany’s most popular actresses in German silent film. She also worked as a film director, script writer, and producer. The pretty smiling Miss Andra poses with a Borzoi dog. She was born in Watseka, Illinois. Her father died when she was five years-old and her mother remarried. Fern’s step-dad was a vaudeville actor, circus performer and tight-rope walker. By age four, Fern was part of a tight-rope act. She later trained in dance and singing. In 1899, at age six, she made her first film, a version of “Uncle Tom’s Cabin”. She continued to perform with the circus and toured the United States, Canado, and Europe. She was a member of a famous troupe of wire artists. In Berlin, she took acting lessons from Max Reinhardt, prominent film and theater director. She appeared in several of his plays and films. In 1913, she acted in her first German film. In 1915, she was in her first Austrian film. Some believe Andra was an Allied spy in World War I. To deal with these rumors, she married a Prussian Baron. At some point, she stated that she actually was spying for the allies. This was her first marriage. He was killed in the war. Her second marriage was to a professional boxer. Her appearance in the film “Genuine” (1920) caused a great stir. In this horror film, she wore a costume that was simply, her painted body. She continued to make films in Europe but by the mid 1920’s, her popularity waned in Germany. In 1922, she was widely reported as being killed in a plane crash. In fact, she, and her companion, director Geog Bluen, survived the crash but according to one article, died the next day. However, the pilot, a former World War I fighter pilot and brother of the “Red Baron”, was killed. By 1928, Andra was working in the United Kingdom and the United States. She also expanded her acting to radio and television. Andra was married four times. She was widowed two times and divorced two times. Her fourth marriage, to a General, lasted about 35 years. She had no children. The IMDb gives Andra 51 acting credits between 1913 and 1930. She is also credited as a writer, producer, and director. An interesting side note is that when she was working as a producer, she interacted with a young German playwright named Josef Goebbels. Interestingly, she did propaganda broadcasts into Germany for the allies during World War II. Fern Andra died at age 80, in South Carolina. The stamp box of this postcard has an interesting story. “NBC” (Neue Bromsilber Convention) was a price cartel established in 1909 that continued until the 1930’s. The purpose of the cartel was to ensure that the minimum price charged for postcards was kept at a sufficiently profitable level. A number of postcard publishing companies joined the cartel in an effort to stave off the effect of competition on the pricing of postcards. This postcard is part of a series (no.131/1). The logo for the motion picture company, “Film Sterne” ,can be seen in the lower left hand corner of the image. SOLD

Published in: on November 2, 2020 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF THE CUTEST SCHOOLGIRL IN THE USSR

This vintage photograph features an adorable Russian schoolgirl. She is wearing braids, a hairbow, and a beautiful smile. Note the five pointed star pin that she is wearing on the front of her dress. It is known as a “Little Octobrist” badge. This Soviet term made it’s apperance around 1923-1924. Originally, the term referred to children born in 1917, the year of the October revolution. As time passed, the term was utilized as the name of a youth organization for children between seven and nine years old. When children reached the age of nine, the Little Octobrists would join an organization named, “The Young Pioneers”. Groups of five Octobrists would be called “little stars” and they would be led by a Pioneer from the “Young Pioneers”. All of the octobrists would wear a ruby-colored five-pointed star badge. The badge had a portrait of Vladimir Lenin as a child. In the adult world, the Octobrist party was a liberal, reformist, constitutionalist political party in Imperial Russisa. It was moderately right wing and anti-revolutionary. I have been unable to determine when the Octobrist movement ended. This photograph appears to be from the 1970’s and I do not know if the youth movement was still active at that point in time. This photograph measures about 3 1/2″ x 6″ and is in very good condition (see scans). Note the crease in the top right hand corner of the border.

russian1

Buy this original Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #3260

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Published in: on November 1, 2020 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  

PORTRAIT OF A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN BY RAPHAEL TUCK (ARTISTES AMERICANES, 1903)

This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of a finely dressed pretty young woman. This beautiful postcard was published in 1903 by Raphael Tuck (Paris) as part of a six card series (Serie 138) entitled “Artistes Americaines”. I have seen three other postcards from the series, and this one, in my opinion, is the nicest. Note the Tuck logo at the bottom left hand corner of the image. This photograph was taken by New York City celebrity photographer Jacob Schloss. SOLD

Published in: on October 31, 2020 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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YOUNG VICTORIAN WOMAN AND TASSELS IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK

The photographer of this cabinet card is A. L. Lehnkering located at 87 East Main Street in Rochester, New York. She is wearing a gorgeous dress with rows of ruffles at the bottom. Note her tiny waist, likely courtesy of a corset. She is also wearing jewelry including a band around her wrist and a ring. She looks pensive. She is leaning on a chair with tassels. August L. Lehnkering seems to have occupied a few different addresses on East Main Street. In addition to number 87 (listed on the reverse of this image). he also operated out of 87 and 89 East Main Street, as well as 208 East Main Street. He was working out of 87 East Main in 1879, according to the Rochester Business Directory. He is mentioned in the American Journal of Photography (1891) for being awarded a photographic patent, and also in two photography journals published in 1906 for contributing to a charitable fund. This cabinet card portrait has a gold border.  (SOLD)

Published in: on October 29, 2020 at 12:01 pm  Comments (2)  
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BEAUTIFUL YOUNG JEWISH WOMAN WITH PRETTY EYES (JUDAICA)

I need to temper my words in my description of this lovely vintage real photo postcard. The previous owner of this postcard had many Judaica postcards in their collection. They described this postcard as featuring a pretty young Jewish woman wearing a dress with a low neckline. Although there is no Hebrew writing on the reverse of this postcard, as well as no identification of a Jewish name of the subject, I held the likely assumption that the card came from an album or collection belonging to a Jewish family. It seemed like a relatively safe assumption until I noticed the logo on the bottom left hand corner of the front of the postcard. The logo includes a six-pointed Star of David. Preliminary research could not identify a postcard publisher that uses this logo. I can’t help but wonder if the Star of David logo is the reason why the previous owner identified the young woman subject of this postcard as being of the Jewish faith. Personally, I would not accept the logo as evidence of the religion of this woman. Did I mention that she has beautiful eyes? This postcard dates back to the very early 1900’s (c 1910’s). The postcard is in very good condition (see scans). SOLD

Published in: on October 28, 2020 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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