OLIVE MORRELL : ENGLISH ACTRESS : GAIETY GIRL : PLAYING CARDS : POPULAR MODEL

This vintage real photo postcard features English actress and Gaiety Girl, Olive Morrell (1877-1937). In this portrait postcard, she is holding playing cards. Morrell is most associated with her roles in Edwardian musical comedies. Olive was raised in Highgate, near London. An introduction by her singing teacher, led her to theatrical producer George Edwardes. The introduction opened a path for her to perform at London’s Gaiety Theater. Olive was a gaiety girl. Gaiety Girls was the name given to the chorus girls acting in the musical comedies at the theater. The “girls” were beautiful and they danced and modelled bathing suits and the latest fashions onstage. The gaiety girls were considered more respectable than the women performing at London’s burlesque houses. Morrell was a very popular real photo postcard model. Reviewers of her stage performances often commented about her beauty. In 1908, Olive was married to an Australian politician, Willie Kelly. The publisher of this postcard was a London firm (B. B.). Olive’s photo portrait was taken by R. W. Thomas. The postcard dates back to about 1906. This vintage postcard is in very good condition (see scans).

olive morell_0001

Buy this original Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #5329

To purchase this item, click on the Pay with PayPal button below

$12.48

olive morell_0001

Buy this original Vintage Real Photo Postcard (includes international shipping outside the US) #5329

To purchase this item, click on the Pay with PayPal button below

$24.48

Published in: on March 23, 2025 at 8:23 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , ,

DELIA MASON & CUTE DOG :STAGE ACTRESS & SINGER : BROADWAY : ROTOPHOT : RPPC 1905

This vintage real photo postcard features pretty stage actress and singer, Delia Mason (1880-1980). She is posed with a dog that appears to be a Jack Russell Terrier. There is little biographical information about her readily available online. She was a native of Coventry, England. There are seven portraits of Mason that can be found in Britain’s National Portrait Gallery. Her first professional appearance was in “Three Little Maids” (1902) at the Apollo Theatre in London. 
She was “discovered” by English theatre manager and producer, George Edwardes. A reviewer at her first performance, described her as “a tall and extremely good-looking with laughing blue eyes”. The reviewer also stated that she was an expert swimmer and oarsman, as well as an “ardent motorist”. Mason appeared in two Broadway productions; “Three Little Maids” (1903) and “My Lady’s Maid” (1906). She was married to Walter Wysard, a merchant and director of a number of companies. The couples son, Tony Wysard became a well known cartoonist and illustrator. This postcard was published by Rotophot as part of a series (No.0292). The company was based in Berlin, Germany. This postcard was postmarked in 1905. Mason was likely around 25 years of age when her photograph was taken for this card. Her photo was taken by the Hutchinson & Svendsen studio in Berlin, Germany.  SOLD

Published in: on February 15, 2025 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , , , ,

ETHEL CADMAN : BRITISH COMIC OPERA STAR : RPPC

This vintage real photo postcard features British actress, Ethel Cadman. She appears to be in costume. Theater Magazine (1910) did a profile of her when she came to the United States to perform in the Broadway production of “The Arcadians”. Critics who saw her perform in the play, considered her as one of the sweetest singers that England had ever sent to America. At the time, she was just 24 years old. Her musical ability and her grace created instant popularity in New York. The article notes that when Cadman left for America, her mother was extremely ill with influenza. Her mother encouraged Cadman to leave and predicted great success was awaiting her on this tour. The plan was for her mother to follow her to the US when she regained her health. When Cadman arrived in New York, she learned that her mother had died. The article states that Cadman inherited her “lark like” voice and musical talent from her mother who was a choir singer. At age eleven, she sang from “The Messiah” at a country church. She received her musical training from the Guild Hall Music school. Her professional debut was with the Mudie Manners Opera Company. She spent seven months in the chorus but then was elevated to become a prima dona. She performed in a number of operas until she met theatrical producer, George Edwardes, who introduced her to comic operas. This postcard was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (No.4368E). The photographer who took Cadman’s portrait was Langfier. This postcard is unused and in good condition (see scans).  SOLD

Published in: on June 16, 2023 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , ,

ADRIENNE AUGARDE : POPULAR ACTRESS IN BRITAIN & US : RPPC : (1906)

This vintage real photo postcard features English actress and singer, Adrienne Augarde (1882-1913). She was born in London. Her father was a violinist and her mother was a Belgian singer. Augarde had several other members of her extended family who were successful theatrical or music performers. Her popularity transcended beyond Great Britain to include the United States. In fact, she appeared in four Broadway plays between 1905 and 1912. These plays included “The Dollar Princess” (1909) which ran for 250 performances. She was most known for her roles in Edwardian musical comedy.  Augarde started her career at age sixteen. She did pantomine and appeared in small roles in musical comedy and opera. Her popularity began with her playing leading roles in the musicals of George Edwardes. She then starred in a number of long running productions in both London and New York (1903-1912). While on a Vaudeville tour in the US, she became ill and died after an unsuccessful appendectomy. She was thirty years of age at the time of her death. She died in Chicago. Her ashes were put in an urn designed to look like a make-up box. Her cremains were sent to her mother in England. This card was published by Rotary Photo as part of a series (No.4158B). The photograph was taken by the Foulsham & Banfield studio. The postcard has a 1906 postmark. (SOLD)

Published in: on May 3, 2022 at 12:00 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , , , ,

BRITISH STAGE ACTRESS: MOLLIE LOWELL

Mollie Lowell, a stage actress, is featured in this vintage real photo postcard. According to the Internet Broadway Data Base (IBDB), she appeared in one Broadway play. The play was a musical comedy and entitled “Our Miss Gibbs” (1910). Sketch (1899) reports that Lowell was born in Newcastle-on-tyne and was of Irish descent. She joined the Carl Rosa Opera Company and played small parts. Next, she was signed by George Edwardes and she appeared in “The Geisha” (1896) and “A Greek Slave” (1898). She then had great success in the production of “Her Royal Highness”. Play Pictorial (1906) cites her appearance in “The Beauty of Bath”. This photo postcard, published by Rotary Photo, was part of the Rotary Photographic Series (no.1964B) and was printed in England. The photographer of Miss Lowell’s portrait is listed as Play Pictorial magazine, indicating that the photo likely appeared in that publication.

Buy this original Real Photo Postcard (includes shipping within the US) #2421

To purchase this item, click on the Pay with PayPal button below

$13.49

 

 

Buy this original Real Photo Postcard (includes International shipping outside the US) #2421

To purchase this item, click on the Pay with PayPal button below

$21.49

Published in: on May 15, 2018 at 5:29 pm  Comments (1)  
Tags: , , , ,

MISS VIOLET ESSEX: A FORGOTTEN OPERA STAR

 The pretty subject of this vintage real photo postcard is actress and opera singer, Violet Essex (1893-1941). The English born Miss Essex appears in a web site entitled “Forgotten Opera Singers” which is written by Ashot Arakelyan. Essex sang during World War I when there was a demand for “lighter music”. Essex, a soprano, fulfilled that need. She recorded under her own name as well as under “Vera Desmond”. Miss Essex was known for her performances in Gilbert and Sullivan’s operas. She starred in the comic opera “Chu Chin Chow” during its five and a half year run in London. She was married to Charles Tucker, an English theatrical producer. She died just six months after moving with her family to Beverly Hills, California. This postcard portrait shows Miss Essex as Emmeline in the Edwardian musical comedy “The Sunshine Girl”. The show was first produced by George Edwardes at London’s Gaiety Theatre. The musical opened in 1912 and ran for 336 performances. The show introduced the tango to British audiences. Violet  Essex was in the original cast. The play also had a Broadway run in 1913 at the Knickerbocker Theatre. The photographer who took this photograph of Miss Essex is Alexander Bassano (1829-1913). He was a leading royal and high society London photographer and more of his images can be seen by clicking on Cabinet Card Gallery’s category “Photographer: Bassano”. This postcard was produced around 1912 and is part of a series (41243 8). To hear a recorded performance (Dear Heart) by Violet Essex, click on the link below. 

 

 

 

Published in: on April 14, 2017 at 6:50 pm  Comments (1)  
Tags: , , ,

TWO PORTRAITS OF BEAUTIFUL BRITISH ACTRESS/SINGER: WINIFRED BARNES (PHOTOS BY RITA MARTIN)

winifred-barnesPOSTCARD 1

barnesPOSTCARD 2   (SOLD)

These vintage real photo postcards feature British actress Winifred Barnes. She is absolutely beautiful and photographer, Rita Martin did a fine job of capturing both her beauty and personality in these photographs. It is not surprising that Rita Martin produced such fine photo postcards. Miss Martin was well known for her expertise in taking portraits of theater stars and other celebrities. Other images by Rita Martin can be seen by clicking on the Cabinet Card Gallery’s category “Photographer: Rita Martin”. Barnes made her theatrical debut in a minor role in “Our Miss Gibbs” at the Gaiety Theater in 1909. Great Britain’s National Portrait Gallery has ten portraits of Winifred Barnes including one by Rita Martin. Her obituary appears in the New York Times (1935). The article describes her as a former chorus girl who became a star. She was one of George Edwardes’s leading actresses. Edwardes (1855-1915) was an English theatre manager and producer who received much credit for his contribution to British musical theatre. Many of Barnes’s major roles occurred during the first World War. She scored a huge success in the production of “Betty” (1915) at Daly’s Theatre. After her 1924 marriage to barrister, Roy Faulkner, she became a successful poultry farmer. She also became widely known for her cooking expertise. Both of these photo postcards were produced by Rotary Photo of London. The two postcards are part of a series (A. 1123-1) and (11867 A).

winifred-barnes-1                                                                 Top Postcard

barnes 1

                                                              Bottom Postcard   (SOLD)

Published in: on April 11, 2017 at 7:50 pm  Leave a Comment  
Tags: , , ,