BETTY BRONSON: BEAUTIFUL ACTRESS BEST KNOWN FOR PLAYING PETER PAN IN THE 1924 SILENT FILM

POSTCARD 1

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POSTCARD 2   (SOLD)

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Postcard 3  (SOLD)

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This vintage real photo postcard features American actress Betty Bronson (1906-1971).She began her career in silent films and later appeared in sound films and television. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag and is part of a series (1095/1). At the time when this postcard was released, Miss Bronson was working for Paramount Film. She appears to be quite young when she sat for this portrait. She moved to California as a teenager determined to start an film acting career. She landed a bit part at age 16 and a year later she was interviewed by the author of  Peter Pan (J M Barrie) and chosen to play the lead role in the film version which was released in 1924. Gaining this part was quite an accomplishment considering more seasoned actresses including Gloria Swanson and Mary Pickford sought the role. She became became lifelong friends with two members of the Peter Pan cast (Mary Brian and Esther Ralson). Miss Bronson had major roles in the silent films Ben Hur (1925) and a Kiss for Cinderella (1925). Betty Bronson made a successful transition into talkies. She co-starred with Al Jolson in the sound film, The Singing Fool (1928). In 1933 she took about a four year break from actingto marry a wealthy North Carolinian named Ludwig Lauerhass. While she was filming Peter Pan, Douglas Fairbanks Jr. developed a crush on her. The IMDb reports that Bronson had 41 film and television appearances during her career (1922-1971). Included in her television career were roles in Run For Your Life and My Three Sons. Overall, it is reported that Betty Bronson never lived up to her original promise. She was expected to be a major competitor to Mary Pickford but it is thought that her roles after Peter Pan were not effective vehicles to showcase her talent and to help her rise to superstardom. The YouTube clip below shows Miss Bronson in her role as Peter Pan.                                                                                                             The second postcard offers another portrait of Betty Bronson. The postcard was published by Ross Verlag and has the logo of Paramount Pictures. This postcard shows her in a movie role but the movie title is unidentified.

    The third postcard is a portrait of Miss Bronson that was published by Iris Verlag as part of a series (#504). Iris Verlag was the most important Austrian publisher of film star postcards. It operated from Vienna during the 1920’s and 1930’s. The film star looks quite beautiful and is wearing a fancy dress, long white gloves, and a tiara. Imbedded in the photo of the actress is a logo for “Fanamet Films”.  Fanamet was an Austrian film distribution company.  (SOLD)

     Postcard 4 features a portrait of Betty Bronson published by Picturegoer as part of Series 88 (no.207b). The company was based in London. Picturegoer was a British fan magazine focussing on contemporary films and the actors and actresses who performed in them. Picturegoer also published postcards. In fact, they produced over 6500 different real photo postcards of 2000 actors and actresses.

                 POSTCARD 1

bronson3 2 Postcard 2

bronson 3 2 POSTCARD 3

Published in: on February 17, 2018 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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THE HAPPIEST BOY IN PORTLAND, MAINE

The little boy featured in this carte de visite may be the happiest child in Portland, Maine. He has the most wonderful smile and even his eyes sparkle with joy. He is wearing a sailor suit, which was a popular style during the cdv and cabinet card era. This photograph was taken at the J. H. Lamson gallery in Portland, Maine. The Cabinet Card Gallery has other photographs by Mr. Lamson and they can be seen by clicking on the category “Photographer: Lamson”. Joseph Harrison Lamson (1840-1901) operated a studio in Portland, Maine. His father was a maker of daguerrotypes and his mother was an artist. He began his career in photography in Bangor, Maine and then worked in Cuba, the West Indies, and South America. He made a fortune and then bought a studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He then moved to Maine and and began his photographic studio in Portland. He photographed the poets Longfellow and Whittier. When he died, his two sons took over the studio.

Published in: on February 16, 2018 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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THREE ADORABLE LITTLE GIRLS ON A ROPE LADDER

This precious postcard portrait features three adorable little girls posing on a rope ladder. The photographer of this photograph is H Traut of Munich, Germany. This postcard was mailed in Sweden in 1906.   (SOLD)

Published in: on February 15, 2018 at 1:51 pm  Comments (3)  
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GENTLEMAN WITH MUTTON CHOPS POSING WITH HIS WIFE IN LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS (CIVIL WAR VETERAN PHOTOGRAPHER)

This cabinet card features a well dressed couple posing for their portrait at the Hayden studio in Lowell, Massachusetts. The gentleman has wonderful mutton chops with a connecting mustache. The photographer of this photograph is Marshall M. Hayden (1847-1928). He operated a studio in Lowell between 1867 and 1900, according to one Massachusetts historical site. However, my preliminary research found that he actually is listed as a photographer in the 1880 through 1920 US census. Interestingly, he was also listed in the 1926 Lowell business directory as a photographer (he was 79 years old). Earlier in his career he worked as a bread deliveryman (1870 US Census). Hayden was a veteran of the Civil War. He served in Company H of the 6th Massachusetts Infantry. He served nine months in 1862 and 1863. He was a private and a musician.   (SOLD)

Published in: on February 13, 2018 at 11:11 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF YOUNG AND BEAUTIFUL FRENCH COUNTESS MERCEDES ANDREE ERNESTINE

This carte de visite features a nicely dressed pretty young woman. She has very engaging and piercing eyes. The reverse of this portrait has an inscription which I believe is in French. I am hoping that a Cabinet Card visitor can translate the inscription to English. A vintage photograph enthusiast on Facebook translated the inscription as follows. “It is written to the Mercedes Sangard Countesse of Choumouroux at Chateau Choumouroux near Yssingeaux”. I believe that this photograph is a portrait of Mercédès Andrée Ernestine (born January 31, 1900 in Craponne sur Arzon and died December 25, 1919). She was a member of the House of Sagnard, one of the oldest noble families in France. The photographer of this image is Francois Cheri-Rousseau (1826-1908). He began his career in Cusset, France. He also worked in Marseilles and Paris. Most of his career, he operated a studio in Saint-Etienne. He had two sons who both became photographers and eventually took over their father’s business. Cheri Rousseau began his photography career in about 1860. He was considered a talented photographer and won may awards for his work. In 1876 he filed a patent for a process for painting on photographs with bold ink. Rousseau also published postcards.                                                                                                                                                                                                          SOLD

Published in: on February 10, 2018 at 12:00 pm  Comments (3)  
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PORTRAIT OF A HANDSOME GENTLEMAN WITH A WAXED MUSTACHE

A handsome and well dressed gentleman poses for his cabinet card portrait at the International Photo Company’s studio. The man has very short hair and a waxed mustache. He is wearing a boutonniere on his lapel. The proprietors of the photo studio were G. W. Merrill and R. M. Howe. The location of the studio has yet to be identified.

Published in: on February 8, 2018 at 4:38 pm  Leave a Comment  
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LOVELY COUPLE IN WINTER CLOTHING AND NICE HATS

A lovely couple poses for their portrait at an unknown studio. This well dressed and attractive couple are flashing wonderful smiles. The woman is dressed for winter. She is wearing boots and a long coat with a fur collar. The “AZO” stamp box indicates that this real photo postcard portrait was taken sometime between 1918 and 1930.  (SOLD)

Published in: on February 7, 2018 at 11:27 am  Comments (2)  

PORTRAIT OF “MISS DIX” IN ROCHESTER, NEW YORK (CIVIL WAR VETERAN PHOTOGRAPHER)

A young woman poses for her photograph at the Gregg Studio in Rochester, New York. She is wearing flowers pinned to her dress, as well as earrings and a nice smile. An inscription on the reverse of this cabinet card photograph reveals that the subject is named “Miss Dix”. The photographer of this image is Sherman Gregg (1838-1891). He is listed as a photographer in the 1865 New York State Census. The year before, (1864), he entered and left the Union Army. During the Civil War he served as a First Lieutenant in the 3rd Regiment, of the New York Cavalry. He is cited in the Photographic Times and American Photographer (1884). Gregg was listed in Rochester Directories as a photographer until 1890. He died in 1891 and is buried in Rochester’s Mt. Hope Cemetery.

SOLD

Published in: on February 6, 2018 at 10:33 pm  Leave a Comment  
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HORSE PULLED TROLLEY AT CAPO’S NORTH BEACH IN ST. AUGUSTINE, FLORIDA

This vintage real photo postcard features a horse drawn trolley in St. Augustine, Florida. Printing on the front of the card elaborates with “Rapid Transit at Capo’s North Beach”. Most of us would not think of a single horse pulled trolley as “Rapid Transit”, but compared to walking, the trolley was rapid transit. It wasn’t difficult to find a seat on the trolley when this photograph was taken. It’s only occupants were two passengers and the African American driver. Research revealed the story behind this particular trolley. In 1904, Paul and Ellen Capo built a boat landing on the east shore of the Tolomato (North) River, and used this horse drawn trolley to carry passengers over the dunes, to the beach. Beachgoers could swim in the Atlantic Ocean. The visitors to Capo’s North Beach arrived there via a ferry from downtown St. Augustine. The name of the ferry boat was “Pauline II”. The photographer of this photo postcard was P. A. Wolfe, of St. Augustine. Mr Wolfe was a very talented photographer. Many of his photographs can be seen at the website “Florida Memory” which is operated by the State Library and Archives of Florida. In 1921, he took a series of photographs of President Warren Harding’s visit to St. Augustine. P. A. Wolfe was born in England in 1886. The 1920 US Census reveals that he was married to Ina Wolfe and was working as a photographer in St. Augustine. The “AZO” stamp box on the reverse of this postcard indicates that it was published sometime between 1904 and 1918.   (SOLD)

Published in: on February 5, 2018 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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BELGIAN STAGE AND FILM ACTRESS: JANE MARNAC

This vintage real photo postcard features pretty Belgian stage and film actress, Jane Marnac (1892-1976). She appeared in dozens of parts on stage and sang in numerous operettas. She is well known for appearing in “Au temps des valses ” (1930), a play by Noel Coward that played at the Apollo Theater. She is also remembered for her role in “The Darling of Paris” (1931). Wikipedia provides a list of twenty of her play appearances (1912-1938) and notes that it is an incomplete list.  Wikipedia also lists six films (1911-1931) in which Marnac made appearances.  In regard to her personal life, she was born in Brussels, Belgium. She married an English officer in 1927. This postcard was published by K.F. (Kunzli Freres) of Paris, France and is part of a series (no. 2315). The company was one of the largest pioneer postcard publishing houses. The company was established in 1874. It had offices in Zurich and Paris. Beginning 1898, it became known for publishing postcard maps throughout Europe. The photographer who took Miss Marnac’s portrait seen on this postcard, was Leopold Reutlinger.

Published in: on February 4, 2018 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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