This uncommon vintage postcard announces that Jewish girls in Riverhead, Long Island, New York are good catches. I am hoping that this card is not viewed as anti-semitic and instead is seen as Jewish humor. The artist created a scene with a Riverhead banner and a pretty young woman walking by. This postcard was published by G. D & D. (New York & London). The card is part of a series (No.5007). The series included identical cards representing other towns and cities. I have found that these cards were postmarked circa 1913. SOLD
This vintage photograph features an attractive Jewish family in 1930’s Russia. The previous owner of this photo reports that this is the Robert Edelstein family. The parents in this image are well dressed and their son is wearing a sailor style outfit. The photograph measures about 3 1/4″ x 2 1/2″ and is in fair condition.
This vintage photograph features a pretty young woman in a risque pose and wearing risque clothing. She is wearing a hat, gloves, and is holding a purse. She seems to be going somewhere but she forgot to finish getting dressed. The previous owner of this photograph thought the photographer of the image may have been the Biederer studio. I have no supporting evidence confirming his hypotheses. The Biederer brothers were major figures in photography so their story is worth telling. The studio was operated by Jacpues Biederer (1887-1942) and his brother Charles Biederer (1892-1942) during the Art deco era. Their studio was in Paris, France. Their photographs of the 1920’s and 1930’s included artistic nudes and sexual fetish studies. Their topics included erotic corporal punishment, costumed role play and images of bondage. Their postcards were signed as “JB” “B” ,”Ostra”, or a question mark in a triangle. When Germany occupied France during World War ll, the Nazis sent the brothers to a concentration camp (Auschwitz-Birkenau). Their crime was their Judaism. Their punishment was death. This vintage photo measures about 3 3/8″ x 5 3/8″ and is in very good condition.
This cabinet card features a portrait of an attractive young lady. She is posed with her back toward the camera, a pose which offers a profile view. The photographer of this image is Samuel Sharpsteen of Grand Rapids, Michigan and the photograph was taken in 1890. The previous owner of this cabinet card stated that Sharpsteen was of the Jewish faith, but that is not factually correct. There is a tendency for owners of cabinet cards to see a name that “sounds Jewish” and assume that the bearer of that name, must be Jewish. This kind of logic results in many incorrect identifications of Jewish photographers. It so happens, that Mr. Sharpsteen was of the Methodist faith. Samuel Sharpsteen was born in 1850 near Battle Creek, Michigan. His parents were native New Yorkers who were among the early settlers of Michigan. He was educated in Battle Creek’s public schools and at age 20 left home to apprentice in photography. He then went of Owosso, Michigan, where he and his older brother opened a gallery. After six months, his brother left the partnership; and Sharpsteen stayed in Owosso until 1882. He also married his wife there. His wife’s name was Nattie Tuttle, and she was from Cleveland, Ohio. His next location was Ionia, Michigan, where he stayed 8 years. An 18 month stint in Detroit was followed by his move to Grand Rapids. His gallery was in Grand Rapids from 1888 until , at least, 1903. His studio moved around a lot. Research located nine different Grand Rapids locations over the years that he was there. In addition, he had a partner in 1890 and their studio was known as Sharpsteen & Andrews. The Bulletin of Photography (1916) announced Sharpsteen’s death. He died in Grand Rapids at age 71. This cabinet card photograph is in very good condition (see scans).
This vintage real photo postcard features Hungarian actress Gitta Alpar (1903-1991). She starred in operas and operettas. This photograph is risque relative to the time it was taken. Miss Alpar is wearing a tight bathing suit. Note that the swim suit has a nice design on it’s front. She is posing in front of a large rattan chair. Gitta was born in Budapest, Hungary. She was the daughter of a Jewish cantor. From an early age, she studied singing and piano at the Academy of Music. In 1923, she made her debut at the Budapest State Opera House. She had a long career and she performed at the great opera houses of Vienna, Berlin, an many other international venues. Alpar’s first films were made in Germany. In 1931 she married an actor, Gustav Frohlich. Their marriage ended in 1935 because Alpar was Jewish and the marriage was against the law in Nazi Germany. A related fact is that both of her brothers, a pianist, and a violinist, were concentration camp survivors. Alpar appeared on Hitler’s anti semitic “hit list”. She left Germany in 1933, and then did some globe hopping. She first went to Austria, followed by Hungry, England, and the United States. She continued her singing and film career in the US. The IMDb credits Alpar with nine acting credits from 1932 through 1941. Alpar’s accent ruined her chance to be a successful Hollywood actress. After the war, she primarily worked as a singing teacher. For a sample of Miss Alpar’s singing voice and acting, click on the YouTube segment below. This postcard was published by Ross Verlag and is part of a series (no.6683/2). Alpar’s photo was taken by FFG (Froehlich-Flm GmbH). (SOLD)
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 