This vintage real photo postcard features a portrait of two young African American men posed standing on a brick wall. The dapper men are well dressed, wearing a suit and tie. Note the men’s hats. It is presumed that these men are African American because this postcard was found in the US. However, it is possible that the men are actually from somewhere other than America. It would certainly be interesting to know why these men seem to be in the middle of nowhere standing on a wall. There are bricks behind them which may indicates that the men are at a construction site or perhaps, at the location of a destroyed building. The AZO stamp box on this card indicates that the postcard dates back to between 1918 and 1930. (SOLD)
This vintage real photo postcard features African American actress and singer, Dorothy Dandridge (1922-1965). She was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Her mother was an entertainer and her father was a cabinet maker and Baptist minister. Before Dorothy was born, her parents separated. Ruby’s mom built a song and dance act for Dorothy and her sister. Her mom’s lover managed the act and it is written that the children were given abusive discipline. They toured continuously for five years and they barely attended school. When the depression hit, Ruby moved her girls to Hollywood, California. Before long, the sisters teamed up with school mate Etta Jones to do a dance act called “The Dandridge Sisters”. The act did well for several years and played in venues such as the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater. Dorothy’s first screen appearance occurred when she was 13 in an episode of “Our Gang”. This was followed by a number of other screen roles including an appearance in “A Day at the Races” (1937) with the Marx Brothers. Her firs credited film role was in 1940. Her film roles were limited because she rejected many stereotypical black roles. In the 1940’s she appeared in both film and on the stage. She also performed as a singer in films with Count Basie and Louis Armstrong. Her first starring role was in “Bright Road” (1952) where she played opposite Harry Belafonte. In 1954, she starred in “Carmen Jones”. She received great reviews and the movie made her one of Hollywood’s first African American sex symbols and she was featured on a number of national magazine covers. In addition, she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actress. In 1957, she appeared in the film “Island in the Sun” in which she was involved in an interracial love affair with a white man. The script had to be revised a number of times because of the Motion Picture Production Code. The movie was controversial but received positive reviews and was successful. The IMDb credits Dandridge with 39 films between 1935 and 1962. She was politically active and was involved with the National Urban League and the NAACP. Dandridge was married and divorced twice and had a four year affair with director, Otto Preminger. Toward the end of her career, she discovered that her financial advisors had stolen much of her money and she owed over 100,00 dollars in back taxes. Her finances were in shambles and she had to move into a small apartment. In 1965, she had a phone conversation with a friend in which she made cryptic remarks intimating that her time left on earth might be short lived. The next day she was found dead in her apartment. There were two investigation into the cause of her death. One concluded she died of an accidental overdose of an anti-depressant. The other investigation determined she died of an embolism. This postcard features Dorothy Dandridge in the film “Tamango” (1959). The film tells the story of a rebellion on a Dutch slave ship. The actor standing behind Dandridge is Alex Cressan, who played the leader of the rebellion. Cressan only appeared in this one film. When he was cast in the film, he was a medical student in Martinique. Cressanreceived good reviews for his acting in this film. How he lived his life after this film is unknown. This real photo postcard was published by Progress Starfoto. (SOLD)
This vintage press photograph features a battle scene from the Vietnam war. The battle took place in Bong Son, South Vietnam. An American soldier from the first division of armored cavalry protects his wounded companions. He has a look deep concern and he is holding a pistol in his hand. Bong Son is located in Binh Dinh’s northern lowlands near the Lai Giang River. It is about 18 km west of the South China Sea Coast. Bong Son was the site of severe fighting during the Vietnam war. A major battle was fought there in 1966. The main subject in this photograph is an African American soldier. This photograph was taken by “Cifra Grafica Madrid”, a Spanish graphic information agency. Black soldiers were overrepresented among US soldiers in Vietnam. They accounted for 23% of US combat troops but only 11% of the US population. (SOLD)
This vintage photograph features five African American US soldiers wearing their dress uniforms. They are World War II era soldiers. Note the aviator sun glasses worn by the soldier at the furthest left side of the image. This photograph is almost certainly one-of-a-kind. The photograph measures about 5 x 7 inches. (SOLD)
This vintage postcard features a portrait of an attractive African American woman. She stands behind a wall topped by a vase of flowers. She is wearing a shiny fabric dress and earrings. She looks regal. Her portrait was taken by Renslers studio, located in Cincinnati, Ohio. According to one historical Cincinnati blog, Rensler’s was one of the few photo studios in Cincinnati that accepted African American clients. The studio operated for 83 years and shut down in 1989. The AZO stamp box on this card indicates that the postcard dates back to between 1918 and 1930. SOLD
This vintage photograph features two African American men posting at an unidentified studio. Note the backdrop behind them. The men are well-dressed and both are wearing hats. The photograph measures about 3 x 5 inches. (SOLD)
This vintage real photo postcard features a lovely African American young woman sitting on a window sill. The window is open. Note the lace covered pillow by her side. This is a studio photo. The name of the studio is embossed on the bottom right hand corned of the card. It is difficult to decipher but I believe the studio was located somewhere in Ohio. The AZO stamp box on this card indicates that it was published sometime between 1904 and 1918. (SOLD)
This vintage photograph features a portrait of a cute African American young girl. The child has braided hair with ribbons at the end of her braids. She is attentive to the photographer and appears to be showing a half smile. This vintage photo measures 2 x 3 inches. (SOLD)
This vintage real photo postcard features an adorable African American little girl standing on a chair. The card is a miniature postcard (5 x 3.25 inches). (SOLD)
This carte de visite photograph features a young Afridan American man. He is well dressed in his three piece suit and bowtie. This cdv photo was taken by Louis Nagel. He operated a studio in Hoboken, New Jersey. At some point in his career he partnered in a photo studio named “Nagel & Fritz”. Nagel worked as a photographer from at least 1869 through 1887. (SOLD)
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 