So who were these pretty young fashion models of their day, these timeless beauties, coyly smiling out at us? Well, sad to say, that from amongst all the many cards that I have – apart from the cards of named actresses and stage celebrities – few if any offer the identity of the sitter. Nameless child models were also all the rage and huge numbers of Shirley-Temple-like children were featured.
Sadly, a hundred years on, Father Time has taken his toll and all the models featured in my collection have inevitably made their way to the great photographic studio in the sky, so their names will remain forever lost to us. But for sure, while their names are unknown today, this was their moment in time; their little bit of fame maybe and a way for a pretty girl to spice up her life and make a little extra money. Many of the models appear time and time again in various different get ups and hats and they must have been well recognised in their day as the equivalent of the catwalk ‘lovelies’ that we see strutting their stuff today or featured in the ‘glossies. But the irony of the whole situation is that whilst these young ladies featured on the postcards looked happy, smiling and elegant, behind this fashion facade lurked the ‘killing fields’ and the decimation and brutalisation of millions of birds. Like all fashion models, many of them must have worked on various different assignments with postcards being just one aspect of their work. Appearances on sets of playing cards were not unknown and indeed, I did once spot that one of these nameless models in her fancy hat had somehow managed to appear on the label on top of an Edwardian box of Christmas crackers – fame indeed.
Anonymity, as already mentioned, did not strictly apply to all the models however – especially in showbiz circles. Usually mass produced in black and white format, there were many postcards which promoted numerous actresses of the period across Europe – published by the likes of Bassano, Reutlinger (operating in Paris from 1850 – 1937), Beagles and Davidson Bros. Well known stage, dance and music hall personalities such as Zena and Phyllis Dare, Gabrielle and Ruby Ray, Marie Lohr, Iris Hoey, Kitty Mason, Billie Burke, Mabel Love and those two beauties Gladys Cooper and the delicious Lily Elsie amongst the many, may all be seen smiling at us from under their enormous and outrageous hats. At 2d for black and white and 3d for coloured, the choice was yours. Risqué cards too, especially continental, were readily available and it was not unknown for the Reutlinger company to source its best photographic models from such places as the Folies Bergère, the Comedie Français and the Opéra Bouffe. These ‘Actress’ cards – invariably carrying the name of the celebrity – were published in great quantities and eagerly sort after by their armies of fans. I did once read somewhere that Gladys Cooper had many linen baskets crammed full of postcards from her numerous admirers, and it was also reported that there was a period earlier in her career when she and others, (many of whom signed lucrative contracts with the card publishers) were earning significantly more money from being photographed for postcards (frequently sporting large feathered hats) than she was bringing in from acting. The millinery trade must have loved her.
