BEAUTIFUL GERMAN ACTRESS: HELI FINKENZELLER

This vintage real photo postcard features pretty German film actress Heli Finkenzeller (1911-1991). During her career she appeared in more than 80 films and television shows between 1935 and 1991. Among her films, she was known for Emil un die Detektive (1954), Teorie und Praxis (1962), and Unser Pauker (1965). She was married twice, to an actor (Will Dohm) and than to a film director (Alfred Bittins).  She is the mother of Gaby Dohm, an Austrian actress. During Finkenzeller’s youth she hoped to become an opera singer. She had an excellent voice but it was too weak for opera. Instead she became an actress. She was discovered for film by director Karl Ritter in 1935. She was popular in films for UFA. a German film company. Later in her career she became active as a stage actress. This postcard was produced by Verlag and is part of a series (no. A 3958/1). The photographer was Star Foto. The logo for Tobis Film appears on the front of the postcard. Tobis was a German film production and distribution company founded n the late 1920’s. The company was discontinued in 1942 when the Nazi controlled government combined it with three other studios (Terra Film, Bavaria Films, UFA) to form a single state controlled film company.

The duet below is from Boccacio (1936) and it features Heli Finkenzeller and Willy Fritsch. One source states that Finkenzeller got “help” with the singing from Rosl Seegers.

 

Published in: on June 10, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF A BASKETBALL PLAYER (ST. MARY’S, 1925)

This wonderful photographic portrait features a basketball player in his game day uniform. Note his high top sneakers and long athletic socks. His uniform reveals that he played for St. Mary’s. There were many schools called St. Mary’s so it is unclear where the school was located or whether it was a high school or a college. Writing on the basketball discloses that this photograph was taken in 1925. There is a name inscribed on the reverse of the photograph but it is hard to decipher. The photo measures about 5 5/8 x 3 3/4 and is on paper that has the consistency of postcard paper.  (SOLD)

Published in: on June 9, 2017 at 1:07 pm  Leave a Comment  
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PORTRAIT OF AN ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL IN FERDINAND, INDIANA

 

The little girl that is the subject of this vintage photographic portrait is absolutely adorable. She is wearing a cute patterned dress trimmed with lace. She also is wearing a couple of hair bows. The photographer of this image is Hubert Quante who had a studio in Ferdinand, Indiana. At least I think it is Hubert Quante. The embossment below the photograph is very difficult to decipher. My research found a man named “Hubert Quante” who lived in Ferdinand. Quante (1866-1927) can be found in a number of US censuses but his occupation is never listed as a photographer. It is likely that his foray into operating a photo studio was of short duration and never coincided with a year that the census was conducted. He may not have been a photographer for a long period of time, but he did a masterful job of taking and posing this photograph. Quante was German born and arrived in the United States in 1884. In 1897 he married Ida M. Quante. The town of Ferdinand was founded in 1840 and was named after the Emperor Ferdinand 1 of Austria. Most of the town’s early settlers were German speaking and they came to the US from central Europe.  SOLD

Published in: on June 6, 2017 at 2:58 pm  Leave a Comment  
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DRUMMER BOY: PORTRAIT OF JOHN NORRIS AT TWO YEARS OF AGE

This endearing vintage real photo postcard captures a barefoot little boy and his drum. He is looking quite proud and serious. The drum does not look like a toy. Perhaps it saw some action during the civil war. The reverse of the postcard has an inscription revealing that the child is named John M. Norris and that he is two years old. The inscription also states that this photograph was taken in 1914. The AZO stamp box offers a confirmation of the date. This stamp box was utilized between 1904 and 1918. This postcard was purchased near Austin, Texas.  SOLD

Published in: on June 5, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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PROFILE PORTRAIT OF A PRETTY YOUNG WOMAN IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

This cabinet card features a profile portrait of a a very pretty young woman. The photograph was taken by the F. G. Schumacher Gallery of Photographic Art in Los Angeles, California. The subject of this photograph appears to be in her teenage years. An article in the Los Angeles Herald (1886) is quite complimentary of Mr Schumacher. He is described as “one of the best photographic artists on the coast”. He is also referred to as “a graduate of the famous studio of Bradley & Rulofson” in San Francisco. The article also reports that he had taken portraits of many celebrities and had a particular talent in photographing children and infants. (To view photographs by Bradley & Rulofson, click on category Photographer: Bradley & Rulofson).  Frank G. Schumaker (1861-1930?) was born in California. The University of California (Berkley) archives asserts that he established a photography studio in 1882 on North Spring Street in Los Angeles. He is listed in Los Angeles business directories from at least 1888 through 1904. Wilson’s Photographic Magazine (1897) printed an article entitled “Photographic Studies by Schumacher. The article praised his work.  “SOLD”

Published in: on June 4, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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“IF LOOKS COULD KILL”: PORTRAIT OF A FAMILY AND THEIR DOG

I wish I knew what was going on in the photograph on this vintage real photo postcard. Mom, Dad and their child all are displaying very intense expressions. The man and woman are staring at each other. It is as if their eyes are throwing darts at each other. The child, wearing a nautical outfit, looks like he just saw a ghost. The child is standing on a wagon. The family dog is standing on it’s hind legs with one paw on the wagon. This postcard’s AZO stamp box indicates that it was produced sometime between 1904 and 1918. (SOLD)

Published in: on June 3, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Comments (4)  
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YOUNG CHILD WEARING FANCY ATTIRE IN PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE

This cabinet card features a portrait of a young child wearing fancy clothing. Note the large bow tie and the sash with tassels that serves as a belt. The photographer of this photograph is E. C. Nickerson. His studio was located in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He is no stranger to the Cabinet Card Gallery. You may view more of his photographs by clicking on the category “Photographer: Nickerson”. Among his photographs are portraits of firemen. Nickerson’s name is listed in a number of Portsmouth directories from 1888 through 1892.   (SOLD)

Published in: on June 2, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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PORTRAIT OF A PRETTY AND SWEET TEENAGE GIRL IN AUBURN, NEW YORK

This cabinet card portrait features a sweet and attractive looking young woman posing for her portrait at the Ernsberger Fine Art Gallery in Auburn, New York. She appears to be in her teenage years and is well dressed and holding a fur muff. Note her stylish hat. An inscription on the reverse of the photograph indicates that it was taken in May, 1880. William H. Ernsberger was a popular Auburn photographer judging by the large number of photographs by him in the collection of early Auburn images held by the Cayuga Museum. He was born in nearby Trumansberg in 1844 and moved to Auburn in 1865. He operated a photo studio in Auburn for more than sixty years. He was known to have photographed abolitionist Harriet Tubman (1822-1913) in 1908. At one point, his son Fred joined him in business. Ernsberger died in 1941. His obituary appeared in the Dunkirk Evening Observer. The article states that he was “reputedly” the oldest active photographer in the nation. He was 97 years old at the time of his death.

Published in: on May 30, 2017 at 12:39 pm  Comments (2)  
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PORTRAIT OF DR LULU HUNT PETERS (1923 PRESS PHOTO OF THE PIONEER DIET DOCTOR)

This press photo features Lulu Hunt Peters (1873-1930), an American doctor and diet expert. She began by writing a featured newspaper column entitled “Diet and Health”. Her column appeared in more than 400 newspapers around the United States. She then wrote a book entitled “Diet & Health: With Key to the Calories” (1918). Dr Peters was the first person to popularize counting calories as a method of weight loss. She educated her readers about the concept of calories and urged them to think of food in terms of calories.  In other words, women should say “I ate 100 calories of bread” and not say “I ate a slice of bread”. Peters also taught her readers how to calculate their ideal weight. Peters maintained a strict diet of 1200 calories a day. Her book was the first weight-loss book to become a best seller. It was among the top ten selling non fiction books from 1922 through 1926. In 1918 the book sold two million copies, and spread the word that “thin is in”. Amazingly, Peters nine year-old nephew was the books illustrator. Peters was born in Maine and moved to California. She received her MD in 1909 from the University of California (Berkeley). Dr. Peters was very aware of obesity having grown up with a weight problem when at one point, she reached 220 pounds. Interestingly, during World War I, Peters considered her diet solution to be a form of patriotism. She viewed dieting as absolute self control and suggested that women organize “Watch Your Weight Anti-Kaiser Classes” to reach their goal weights. In addition, Peters believed that dieting would make war rationing easier and leave left over rations for children. Dr. Peters also supported the suffragist movement. She believed women needed to take better care of their health, exercise, and become more self-sufficient. It is clear that there were some problems associated with Dr Peters weight loss philosophy. Coupled with the fashion industry of that era, the communicated message was that all women should strive to be thin. Dieting was equated with being beautiful and having self esteem. Peters also believed that people who lacked self control over their weight were exhibiting poor morals. She contended that to be thin, women must be strong enough to resist temptation which she described using concepts such as sin, punishment, and redemption. After publishing her book, Peters went to Bosnia where she worked with the Red Cross. Dr Peters book remains in circulation today. In many ways she deserves credit for being a pioneer in the weight loss industry. On the other hand, she also advocated a philosophy that creates shame for those that are overweight, and worse yet, spawns eating disorders.

 

Published in: on May 27, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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ESTHER RALSTON: TALENTED FILM AND EARLY TELEVISION ACTRESS

This vintage real photo postcard features beautiful actress Esther Ralston (1902-1994). She was born in Bar Harbor, Maine and was active in acting between 1915 an 1962. Her career started while she was still a child. She appeared in a family vaudeville act called “The Ralston Family with Baby Esther, America’s Youngest Juliet”. By the time she was 18, she was appearing in silent films including “Huckleberry Finn” (1920) and “Peter Pan” (1924). In the late 1920’s she appeared in many films for Paramount Pictures. She was successful enough to earn as much as eight thousand dollars per week Although she received good reviews for dramatic roles, Ralston primarily appeared in comedies, often in the role of spirited society girls. Esther’s image was initially “wholesome and fun-loving”. Florenz Ziegfeld Jr repackaged her as “The American Venus” after she appeared in the role of a beauty queen in the film, “American Venus” (1926). Miss Ralston made a successful transition to sound pictures but by the mid 1930’s she was usually appearing in supporting roles. Her final starring role was in “To the Last Man (1933) and her final film was “Tin Pan Alley (1940). That same year she retired from film and focused on stage and radio through the 1940’s. With the advent of television, Ralston spent time appearing in this new medium. Esther Ralston was married three times and divorced three times. All of her husbands worked in the entertainment industry. The imdb lists Ralston as having 108 credits as an actress. She certainly made an impact in the entertainment world and this is reflected by the fact that she has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Esther Ralston’s obituary can be found at the web site of  “The Independent”. The obituary states that she was a “captivating blond beauty with an engaging sense of humor”. The article tells the story of Ralston’s reaction to co-starring with Clara Bow and Gary Cooper in “Children of Divorce” (1927) while Bow and Cooper were having an affair. In regard to Clara Bow, Ralston stated “I didn’t really dislike her, but she was pretty loose and I’d been brought up differently”. This photo postcard was pubished by Ross Verlag, a postcard publishing company based in Berlin, Germany. The postcard was produced for Paramount Pictures and is part of a series (No. 3393/1).

Published in: on May 26, 2017 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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