This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of an allied prisoner of war imprisoned at a German POW camp. The soldier in this photograph was being held at Stalag 1-A. The camp was located near the village of Stablack in East Prussia. Stalag 1-A was the furthest east German POW camp. The camp was built in 1939 by Polish prisoners of war. In 1940, Belgian and French prisoners were added to the camp and in 1941, the camp began to incarcerate Russian POWs. There were also British and Italian prisoners in the camp. It is important to note that tens of thousands of Stalag prisoners were sent to “kommandos” (subcamps) spread throughout East Prussia. In January of 1945, with Russian troops approaching, the camp was abandoned and all of the prisoners were evacuated to the west. Note the photograph below which shows the entrance to Stalag 1-A. The prisoner seen in this photograph is wearing a military jacket, stripped of all insignias. I am unable to determine his rank, branch of service, or the identity of the nation he fought for. Note the prisoner’s pants. They are too long and too baggy Despite the ill-fitting uniform, he appears relatively healthy. He is holding a cigarette, which may represent “good treatment” by their German captors. One wonders why this photograph was permitted to be taken. Photographs, such as this one, were allowed because they served as a tool for positive public relations. A relatively content and healthy looking prisoner “advertised” that the Germans treated allied POWs well. Note the ink stamp on the reverse of the card. It identifies the camp as Stalag 1-A and that the card was “Gepruft” (checked or censored). This photo postcard is from sometime between 1940 and 1945. SOLD
Yvonne Sautrot is the subject of this 1896 cabinet card portrait by Reutlinger, a well known celebrity photography studio. Miss Sautrot assumes a most seductive pose in this risque image. To view other photographs by this celebrated studio, click on the category “Photographer: Reutlinger”. The reverse of this photograph lists the address of the studio as “Paris 21 Boulevard Monmarte, Paris. A stamp on the back of the image states “Hazebrouco, Incenieur – Opticien Paris”. Miss Sautrot assumes a most seductive pose in this image. Munsy Magazine (1896) published a portrait of Yvonne Sautrot and announced that she was playing in an adaptation of a popular English Melodrama called “The Fatal Card”. The French production went under the name of “La Dame de Carreau” (“The Queen of Hearts”). The writer of the article was preoccupied with Miss Sautrot’s beauty. He described her “charming features” and stated that “her beauty might well fit her to take” the place of actress Amy Busby who acted in the earlier version of the play. The writer also complimented Sautrot’s “special talent for posing effectively” in front of the camera. The Reutlinger Photography Studio was opened by Charles Reutlinger in Paris in 1850. Reutlinger was of German descent. The studio took portraits of many of the world’s beautiful, rich and famous people of the era. In 1880, Charles’ brother, Emile (1825-1907) took over operation of the studio. He was joined by his son Leopold (1863-1937) in 1883. Leopold took over the studio in 1890 and operated the business until 1930 when he lost an eye in an accident involving a champagne cork. (SOLD)
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This boy, or girl, is adorable. He/she looks at the camera with interest coupled with uncertainty. The child is holding something in his/her right hand. Is it a cookie? Is it a toy? The child’s outfit is cute. Overalls and a straw hat; perfect attire for playing outside. An inscription on the reverse of the photo reveals that this youngster is 16 months old. The inscription is written in French. This photograph measures about 3 3/8 ” x 2 1/2″ and is in very good condition (see scans).
The pretty actress seen in this vintage real photo postcard is Antonella Lualdi (1931- ). Although she is an Italian actress and singer, she appeared in both Italian and French films in the 1950’s and 1960’s. One of the more noted films was “The Red and the Black” (1954). Lualdi was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Her father was Italian and her mother was Greek. Growing up, she became fluent in Arabic, French, and Italian. Her career was propelled by winning a “new talent” competition held by the cinema magazine, “Hollywood”. She was introduced by the name of “Signorina X” and readers were asked to choose her stage name. Lualdi’s filmography published by IMDb reports that she has 107 TV and film credits ranging from 1949 through 2010. In 1955, she married Italian actor Franco Interlenghi. They had starred together in several films. The couple had two daughters, both of whom became actresses. This postcard was published in 1950 by the Globe (Paris). The card is part of a series (no. 326). The photographer of this portrait photo is Sam Levin (1904-1992). He was born in the Ukraine but emigrated to France when he was two years of age. He is famous for his stage photographs and his portraits of movie stars. His studio was in Paris. Levin was a film photographer for 75 films. He was arrested by the Nazis during World War II and was sent to a camp. His crime was, being Jewish. The fact that he was sent to a detention camp rather than a death camp, indicates there was a high ranking Nazi official acting as his guardian angel. He photographed nearly all the major French and European movie stars of the 1950’s and 1960’s. He is particularly celebrated for his photos of Brigitte Bardot. Levin did over 180 magazine covers in the United States. A number of Levin’s photo postcards can be found in the Cabinet Card Gallery. This vintage postcard is in excellent condition (see scans). 
This cabinet card photograph features a friendly looking elderly man. His countenance and expression exudes a certain softness. Not only does this gentleman look like a nice guy; he also has a fantastic beard which features no moustache or connecting sideburns. The photographer of this image is Charles Burr Marsh (1861-?). He was born in Michigan, and married in Ohio in 1887 to June White (1867-1933). He had studios in Fayette, Wauseon, and Galion, Ohio. In 1908 he became a charter member of the Professional Photographers Society of Ohio. He served as an officer of the organization. A 1915 issue of Erie Railroad Magazine indicates that Marsh also worked as a newspaper photographer. As of the date of this writing, the Cabinet Card Gallery has 3 other Burr Marsh images in it’s collection. SOLD
This vintage real photo postcard features the Robbins General Store in Middleville, New Jersey. The store also served as the town’s post office and as an Esso gas station. Note the two gas pumps in front of the building. A sign indicates that the price of gas was 25 cents a gallon for regular, and 28 cents per gallon for premium. There is an Esso credit card advertising sign on a pole next to the pumps. Some of the store’s merchandise can be seen on the front porch. The items for sale include lawnmowers, garbage cans, and a wagon. The store is housed in a two story wooden structure. I wonder how the second floor was utilized. A man is posed on the porch. He is likely the proprietor of the store (Mr. Robbins?). Victor M. Robbins became the postmaster of Middleville in 1914. Victor had acquired the store in 1903. The store’s building is thought to have been built before 1837. Victor was the postmaster until 1955. Victor was succeeded by his son, Donald A. Robbins who operated the store and post office until 1987. The father and son duo ran the post office for a cumulative 73 years. The Robbins store later housed the “Robin’s General Store and Country Kitchen” which existed in Middleville until at least 2016. This postcard was published in the 1950’s by the Artvue Post Card Company. The firm was located on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The company was formed in 1948 and produced black & white postcards in the 1950’s despite the popularity of color postcards during that time. The company’s “claim to fame” was that it published postcards picturing plaques of the players that were enshrined in Baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. They produced the cards from about 1951 through 1963. SOLD
This vintage postcard is unusual (uncommon). It features two female dancers, I believe they are performing a type of ballet. The dancer that is holding up the other dancer has very muscular legs. Is she a he? An inscription on the reverse of the card appears to say “Jennoff”. I was hoping that the name “Jennoff” would lead me to more information about this postcard. It failed to do so. The story behind this Italian vintage postcard, intrigues me. (SOLD)
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