This vintage real photo postcard features a snake charmer doing his charm in Benares, India. Ophidiophobics should think twice before adding this postcard to their collection. This photograph is a snake phobics nightmare. The photo was taken in Benares, which in India is known as Varanasi. The city is on the banks of the Ganges river. Benares is a major religious hub in India. In fact, it is the holiest of India’s seven sacred cities. What is the point of snake charming. It is the practice of hypnotizing snakes by playing and waving around an instrument called a “pungi”. A popular species of snake used in this practice are cobras. The snake charmer handles the snakes and performs dangerous acts with them. They also do other types of street performances (ie juggling or sleight of hand). India is considered the center of snake charming but the practice is also common is Pakistan, Thailand , Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and other Asian and North African countries. The popularity of snake charming is on the decline. Snake charmers tend to be transient. They visit towns during festivals and market days. The charmers are not suicidal. They sit outside of biting range and try to work with snakes when the snakes are sluggish. In addition, some of the snakes have their fangs and/or their venom glands removed. Some unfortunate snakes have their mouth sewn shut. The snakes do not hear the charmers music. Instead, they are interested in attacking the pungi, which they view as a predator. This postcard appears to be from the 1940’s. (SOLD)
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POSTCARD 1 (CLOSE-UP)
POSTCARD 2 (SOLD)
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POSTARD 2 (SOLD)
A nicely dressed man poses next to a stool in this vintage real photo postcard. His hat is “strategically dipped” and his the large chain of his pocket watch is very prominent on the lapel of his coat. The gentleman’s photograph was taken by the Peeraer-Janssen studio which was located in Oostmalle, Belgium. The photographer’s stamp is on the reverse of the card. This postcard portrait is in good condition.
This vintage real postcard features three very adorable little girls. They are wearing bows, lace, and pigtails. The children’s names are Jeanne, Marguerite, and Lucy Fontague. They are wearing identical dresses. The photo portrait was taken by E. Malavas. The photograph was shot sometime around Christmas, 1915. This vintage postcard is in very good condition.
THIS PHOTO IS NOT FOR SALE
This real photo postcard features actress Miss Rosalie Jacobi. Little information could be found about her and this particular postcard is very uncommon. Miss Jacobi appeared in the 1900 production of “Herod” which was produced at “Her Majesty’s Theatre” in London, England. Actors in the play included Maude Jeffries and Beerbohm Tree. The Sketch (1900) has an article about the play “Bonnie Dundee”, which appeared at the Adelphi Theatre. The review praises Rosalie Jacobi and labels her as a “child actress”. The article also states that she gave a “remarkably talented performance”. The photograph on the face of this postcard is from 1906 (see the postmark) and it is likely that the photo was taken when Jacobi was in her teenage years. The postcard was published by Rapid Photo of London as part of a series (no.3036). The photographer was Carr & Hopperton. This vintage postcard is in good condition (see scans).
This cabinet card photograph appears to be a wedding portrait. Both bride and groom are attractive. The young woman in the photo seems to be very young. She looks like a teenager while the groom seems to be several years older. This photo was taken in 1897 by the Masters and Skolds studio located in Princeton, Illinois. The photographers were partners between 1896 and 1903. The 1900 census identifies Charles T Skolds (1862-?) as one of the partners. The name “Nora” is inscribed on the reverse of the photograph. It is likely that Nora is the name of the bride. This cabinet card is in excellent condition.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 