CHARLOTTE THIEL, GERMAN FILM STAR WHO SPURNED THE ADVANCES OF JOSEPH GOEBBELS

Charlotte Thiele (1918-2004) was a German actress. She was quite pretty. Thiele was born in Berlin and attended acting school at the “Schauspielhaus Berlin”. Her acting debut occurred in 1938 in a film directed by Kurt Hoffmann, a well known German film director that directed 48 films between 1938 and 1971. In 1939, she appeared in “We Dance Around The World” and the feature film made her an instant star. During the 1930’s and 1940’s she was often cast in roles where she played the “cool blonde”. In 1941, she appeared in a controversial propaganda film. The movie was a controversial pro euthanasia vehicle. The plot was about a successful doctor who is compelled to make a “heart wrenching” decision when his pretty young wife is diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. This movie was aimed at making the public more supportive of Germany’s euthanasia program and was a portend of things to come.  She is also known for playing a Lady Astor, in the film, Titanic (1943). In 1944, Thiele appeared in her last movie. Her career was ruined by Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels because she had rejected his advances. She went as far as throwing the dedicated engraved powder box he have her, into the trash. Thiele’s first marriage was to a prominent surgeon who was an assistant to a famous German surgeon.Her second husband was a Croatian diplomat. The couple emigrated to Argentina in 1944. She returned to Germany in 1954 and failed in her attempt to resume acting. However, in 1956, she appeared in an episode of the American television series “Douglas Fairbanks Jr. Presents/ Rheingold Theater”. The IMDb reports that Thiele appeared in 7 films. She died in Berlin in 2004. This vintage real photo postcard was published by Film-Foto-Verlag and was part of a series (no. A3823/1). The photographer was Hammerer for Wien-Film. It was published in 1943. The postcard features Miss Thiele in her role in the Wien-Film “Am Vorabend”.  SOLD

Published in: on May 26, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL AND HER THREE PHOTOGENIC CATS : RPPC : 1914

This color tinted vintage real photo postcard features an adorable little girl and her three beautiful cats. The child is wearing a pretty hat. The cats are extremely photogenic. This postcard is dated 1914 and was published by Rotophot (RPH) as part of a series (No.4315/2). Rotophot eventually morphed into Ross Verlag.  SOLD

Published in: on May 25, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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ADORABLE LITTLE GIRL : WHITE CAT : HANI REINWALD : FAUVETTE : RPPC 1913

This color tinted vintage real photo postcard features a barefoot adorable little girl and her white cat that she is carrying in a cloth bag. She is also carrying a bouquet of flowers and has a basket on her back. The model seen in this postcard photo is most likely, Hani Reinwald, sister of popular postcard model, Grete Reinwald. Both girls became stage and film actresses. I own another postcard from the same series as this postcard. That postcard is postmarked 1913, indicating that this postcard also dates back to that year. This French postcard was published by Fauvette as part of a series (No.1319). SOLD

Published in: on May 24, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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OLD MILL WATERFRONT : EAST NEW YORK, BROOKLYN NY : VINTAGE POSTCARD c1910s

This vibrant, hand-tinted postcard captures a nostalgic waterfront scene titled, “Scene at the Old Mill, East New York, Brooklyn, New York.” A peaceful waterway stretches into the distance, flanked on both sides by wooden piers, weathered clapboard boathouses, and numerous small fishing boats and rowboats moored at the docks. Several American flags wave proudly from the buildings and masts, suggesting a patriotic atmosphere—perhaps near the Fourth of July. The canal is lively yet serene, with a few boats actively drifting in the calm water and others docked beside wooden walkways. The pastel tones of the sky, combined with the charming architectural details of the boathouses—painted in soft yellows, pinks, and blues—lend the postcard an idyllic charm, reminiscent of early 20th-century East New York before urbanization transformed the landscape. This postcard was published by the Commercial Art Post Card Co., New York, N.Y., a prolific publisher active in the early 20th century, known for scenic views and hand-colored lithographs. It is a divided back postcard with the stamp box indicating one cent for U.S. and Canada—suggesting a date range from the 1910s to early 1920s. (SOLD)

Published in: on May 23, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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OLDER COUPLE IN A STUDY IN PATERSON, NEW JERSEY

This cabinet card photograph captures an older couple posing in a study setting. This particular trompe loile is an unusual and a wonderful backdrop. Note the desk and fireplace. The portly man looks like he would have difficulty rising from his chair. He is wearing a pocket watch. Hopefully the vast unpaid research department of the cabinet card gallery (the visitors) can comment about the chain or cord hanging from the woman’s dress. What function does this unusual accessory serve? The photographer of this image is John M. Kemp in Paterson, New Jersey. His studio was at 256 Main Street. Kemp was a native of New York City and initially did his photographic work in California. He opened his Paterson studio in 1876. He held photographic patents for a photographic printing apparatus. He is listed by the Paterson Morning Call (1910) as one of the prominent citizens of Paterson, New Jersey to have died in 1910.  SOLD

Published in: on May 22, 2025 at 12:01 pm  Comments (3)  
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TWO RIDERS ON HORSEBACK : OLD TOOLS : RANCH HANDS : PROSPECTORS :RPPC (1907-1914)

This vintage real photo postcard features two men on horseback. They are carrying tools. The tools appear to be shovels or spades. One rider has coiled rope hanging from his saddle. Is it a lasso. Are these men cowboys? Prospectors? Ranch hands? This postcard has a Velox stamp box indicating it dates back to sometime between 1907 and 1914. SOLD

Published in: on May 21, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (1)  
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ID’D FRONTIER COWBOYS: FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER : OAKLEY, IDAHO : CABINET CARD c 1890

This arresting cabinet card, taken in Oakley, Idaho by the photographer Mrs. R. I. Mills, captures a vivid and timeless portrait of five rugged Western men from the late 19th or very early 20th century. The image radiates strength, camaraderie, and a quiet intensity that invites speculation about the identities and lives of its subjects. The five men are posed against a painted studio backdrop that includes drapery and a classical vase stand, subtly contrasting with the grit and rough-hewn realism of the men themselves. Two sit in the foreground, legs crossed with a relaxed authority, while three stand behind them. All are dressed in frontier attire: wide-brimmed hats, wool coats, high boots, and neckerchiefs. Their layered clothing suggests the chill of the high desert West. The expressions vary slightly—some show stoic resolve, others a more neutral bearing—but none of the men are smiling. Their faces are rugged, with prominent cheekbones, strong jaws, and thick mustaches. The man at center back smokes a cigar, and one gets the sense that these are men of action—likely cowboys, ranchers, or possibly even lawmen or miners. The man seated at the right front—wearing a wide-brimmed hat, dark scarf, and white canvas trousers with riveted side seams—commands particular attention. His intense gaze and imposing posture suggest he may have been a leader among them. The others wear expressions of cool composure, unified by the weathered look of men who knew hard labor or possibly the frontier justice of the American West. Written in blue ink on the reverse of the card is an identification key, apparently penned by someone familiar with at least some of the sitters: James D. Glenn, Frank Taylor, Mr. Johnson. An inscription reveals that the men are all friends of James Glenn. It is likely that this photograph belonged to Mr. Glenn. This photograph was taken by a female photographer. Mrs. R. I. Mills was an early female photographer working in the American West—an unusual and significant occupation for a woman at the time. Her studio was located in Oakley, Idaho, a small Mormon-founded settlement in Cassia County. Historical records show that Mrs. Rachel I. Mills operated a photography studio in Oakley in the late 19th century. She was part of a small but growing number of frontier women who ran their own commercial photography studios. Though little has been published about her biography, her studio was active around the 1880s–1890s, a time when Oakley was transitioning from a pioneer settlement into a more established town with irrigation agriculture and Mormon communal development. Founded in the early 1880s by Mormon settlers, Oakley was a rural, religiously conservative community that grew around farming and ranching. It sat on the edge of the high desert and became a local hub for commerce in southern Idaho. During the time this photograph was likely taken—circa 1890—Oakley would have been a small but lively town, with residents involved in cattle ranching, grain farming, and trade.  (SOLD)

Published in: on May 20, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (3)  
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PORTRAIT OF FOUR ADORABLE CHILDREN : SIBLINGS : FASHION : RPPC

This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of four young siblings. The children are adorable. Note that three of the four children in the image are wearing sailor suits. This photo was taken at a time that the “nautical look” was in vogue.  SOLD

Published in: on May 19, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
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ADORABLE YOUNG GIRL IN LACE DRESS : FASHIONABLE : STUDIO PORTRAIT : CABINET CARD

This antique cabinet card photograph features a young girl dressed in an elegant Victorian-era outfit, posing in a photographer’s studio. She wears a dark-colored dress adorned with intricate white lace trim along the hem and sleeves. A delicate crocheted lace shawl is draped over her shoulders, fastened with a small pendant necklace. Her curly hair is neatly styled, framing her youthful face, which holds a solemn and slightly curious expression as she gazes directly at the camera. She stands poised with one hand gently resting on an artificial rock prop. The painted backdrop depicts a soft-focus nature scene, adding to the classic charm of the image. She wears lace-up leather boots, further emphasizing the era’s fashion. The photographer, location, and identity of this charming young girl are unknown, but this carefully composed portrait serves as a beautiful relic of the past.  SOLD

Published in: on May 18, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  

PRETTY WOMAN AND A BUN IN COLUMBUS, OHIO

This cabinet card portrait features a profile view of a very pretty woman. She is wearing a broach on her collar and her hairstyle includes a bun. The photographer is George C. Urlin (1854-1942)  of Urlin’s Mammoth Art Gallery. The studio was located at 216 & 218 South High Street, in Columbus, Ohio.  The studio was founded in 1873. This cabinet card photograph was taken in 1884 or shortly thereafter. The photographer, George Urlin was born in Canada and was active in Columbus from 1873 through 1887. He later partnered with William Beckley in Columbus, J. Becker in Cleveland, and John Pheiffer in Columbus.  Urlin won 10 silver medals and 16 “Best” awards from Ohio State Fairs. Other photographs by George Urlin can be seen by clicking on the category “Photographer: Urlin”.   SOLD

Published in: on May 17, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Comments (2)  
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