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)
LYDIA FLOPP : BRITISH ACTRESS AND ONE OF THE FIVE “RUDGE SISTERS”

PORTRAIT OF MRS HORACE NEVILL: ENGLISH STAGE ACTRESS
This cabinet card photograph features Mrs Horace Nevill, British stage star. She also performed under the name of Annie Rose. She made her debut in the Gaiety theater in 1879. Her first major success was at the Royalty Theater in the production of “The Merry Duchess” (1883). Some of the plays she appeared in include “The Lady of Lyons” (1888) with Mr. Forbes Robertson, “The School for Scandal (1889), and “Dick Venables” (1890). The reverse of the cabinet card indicates that the Photographer of this image, the London Stereoscopic Company served as “Photographers to the Royal Family”. This honor appears to have been given out rather freely as I have encountered many studios advertising that they were “photographers to the Queen” or “photographers to the Royal family”. The reverse of this image did have a rather unique bit of advertising. The studio advertised that they offered free lessons and special studios and dark rooms reserved for the use of amateurs. To view other photographs by the London Stereoscopic studio, click on the category “London Stereoscopic Studio”.
