POSTCARD 1 (SOLD)
POSTCARD 2
POSTCARD 2
Postcard 1 is a vintage real photo card featuring stunning French actress, Martine Carol (1920-1967). She was France’s major sex symbol of the early 1950’s. “Sex Symbol” is an awful term, but it certainly was spoken without much controversy when this postcard was published. Her popularity was short term. She was succeeded by another beautiful French actress, Brigitte Bardot. Little is known about Carol’s childhood. A random encounter with French film and stage actor, Andre Luguet, led her to seek a career in the theatre. She made her stage debut in 1940. Her first film role was in Wolf Farm (1943) and although she was a photogenic beauty and was at ease in front of the camera; her acting ability was limited. Throughout the 1940’s Martine acted in supporting roles and became a popular pin-up. She also appeared in stage roles. Martine was often considered the French version of American actress, Marilyn Monroe. After an affair with married actor Georges Marechal ended poorly, Martine attempted suicide by overdosing on alcohol and drugs, and jumping into the Seine River. The taxi cab driver that took her to the river, rescued her. The unhappy business of her suicide attempt resulted in renewed fan interest in the actress. In 1950, she had her first major film success in “Caroline Cherie”. At least part of her success was attributed to her semi-nude scenes and displays of “seductive sexuality”. She continued to appear in several films that IMDb refers to as “costumed teasers”. Her last popular role was starring in “Lola Montes” (1955). Later roles failed to peak moviegoers interests and Martine became depressed. A severe accident, and substance abuse in the 1960’s, sabotaged her career. At age 46, Martine died of cardiac arrest in the bathroom of a Monaco hotel. News accounts suggested that she died of a drug overdose but the story was never confirmed. Martine was married and divorced three times and left her fourth husband a widower. Her longest marriage was just short of five years duration. An interesting side note is that she was once kidnapped by French gangster, Pierre Loutrel (AKA Crazy Pete). The kidnapping was brief, and the kidnapper sent her roses the next day as a gesture of apology. Martine Carol’s filmography, according to IMDb, includes 50 film credits between 1941 and 1967. The photographer of this portrait photo (Postcard 1) 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. This postcard was published by the Globe Edition (Paris) and is part of a series (no. 132). To see a video of Miss Carol, look at the clip below which shows her in “Nana” (1955). (SOLD)
Postcard 2 is a vintage real photo card. Martine Carol is throwing a seductive gaze over her left shoulder. She is dressed in clothing that is meant to spark notice. Martine needed to perpetuate the image that made her a “sex symbol”. The postcard has an indecipherable photographer’s stamp on its reverse and is in good condition (see scan). This particular postcard portrait of Martine Carol is uncommon. (SOLD)
POSTCARD 2
This photograph features a uniformed soldier standing in a farmer’s field and posing behind his bicycle. This photo was found in a shop in the Texas Hill Country. It was part of a group of Foxco images from the mid 1940’s. This photograph was developed by Foxco of San Antonio. The company has an interesting history. The Fox Photo Studio was opened by Arthur C. Fox in 1906 in San Antonio, Texas. Fox sold the studio for seven hundred dollars to Carl D. Newton in 1909. Newton was a clever entrepreneur. One of his gimmicks was to offer a free camera to anyone buying three rolls of film and prepaying developing and printing fees. His successor to the business was Carl D Newton II. By the mid 1930’s Fox advertised itself as the world’s largest Kodak finishers. Their processing plant was in operation around the clock. The company expanded and opened facilities in Dallas, Houston, Louisiana and Oklahoma. The company grew and grew and ultimately reached 12,000 dealers nationwide. In 1986, the company was sold to Kodak. Carl D Newton III kept the retail division of the business, calling it Fox Photo. Later, the business changed hands a number of times until it faded into history. The photo measures about 3 1/4″ x 2 1/4″. (SOLD)
This vintage real photo postcard features theater actress Miss Lydia Flopp (1877-1963). “Flopp” is an unfortunate name for a stage performer. However, it did not get in the way of her success on the stage. Lydia was one of the five “Rudge Sisters”. The women were British actresses and dancers. Some of them were quite successful. The sisters performed as Letty Lind, Millie Hylton, Adelaide Astor, Fanny Dango, and the aforementioned Lydia Flopp. The sisters were primarily dancers but over time developed their singing ability. They performed in pantomime, variety, music hall, and Victorian burlesque realms of theater. Their venues included the Gaiety and Daly theaters in London. Letty Lind was a popular skirt dancer and star of musical comedies. Hylton worked in music halls and theatre and had much success appearing in varieties as a male impersonator. Miss Astor was a West End actress and Fanny Dango worked in London and then launched a successful career performing in Australia. Lydia Flopp’s specialty was pantomime. She was a sitter for two photo portraits in the collection of the National Portrait Gallery. The photographer of Miss Flopp’s portrait is Alexander Bassano (1829-1913). Bassano) was a leading royal and high society photographer in Victorian London. This postcard was published in England by the Davidson Brothers. Davidson Brothers was located in both London and New York City. The firm operated between 1901 and 1911. This postcard is published by Rotary Photo as part of the Rotary Photographic Series (no.1594 B). This vintage postcard portrait has excellent clarity and is in excellent condition (see scans). (SOLD)
Almost all kittens are cute, but this pair of siamese kittens are among the cutest I have ever seen. I know very little about this photo postcard. The former owner of this postcard lived in Siberia, a large Russian Province in Northern Asia. The postcard was published by a Russian company that interestingly, uses a Pegasus-like figure in it’s logo. The postcard is in very good condition The postcard measures about 4″ x 5 5/8″ and is in very good condition (see scans).
This vintage real photo postcard features a lovely young European couple. The gentleman does not qualify for the label of fashionista. Wearing a striped tie over a plaid sweater is certainly a fashion faux pax by today’s standards. The young woman looks pretty in her print dress.This portrait postcard is dated 1937 and is in good condition (see scans).
This vintage real photo postcard features five beautiful women wearing bathing suits and high stockings. This image was shot at an unidentified studio. The postcard is risque for it’s era. Four of the women have wonderful smiles. The bathing beauty at the end of the line appears to be keeping her smile in reserve. This vintage postcard is in very good condition.
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Postcard collectors sometimes encounter photo postcards that heighten curiosity but defy explanation. This vintage real photo postcard is a perfect example of such a card. The image is comprised of five pretty young women wearing unusual hats. Perhaps I should say “bizarre” rather than “unusual”. I believe their hats are made of paper, although they are designed to look like feathers. Two of the hats have a design that includes a cr
This vintage real photo postcard provides a portrait of a very pretty woman. She has a wonderful smile and beautiful eyes. The photographer/publisher of this postcard is Alfred Noyer. The celebrated photographer supervised a large photo studio in Paris. The Noyer Studio operated from 1910 until the 1940’s. Many of the postcards he produced of women were nudes or risque images. Some of his postcards list his name while others are simply marked “AN”. Noyer did a number of series of postcards concerning the prettiest women of France. He did a set of postcards that presented pretty women from each province of France. He also did a series of cards that presented women representing different precious stones. This postcard is part of a series (no. 20) in which the prettiest women of France represent a color of the rainbow. The young woman subject of this postcard is repping the color red. This vintage postcard is in very good condition and has excellent clarity.
This vintage snapshot features a little girl at the beach with her baby brother or sister. The little girl is wearing a sailor type dress and a sun hat. She is wearing a nice smile as she looks straight ahead at the photographer. The infant is sleeping on a folded blanket or mat, and is using the original version of sun block, an umbrella. The photograph measures about 4 1/8″ x 3 1/8″. (SOLD)
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