This Newsboy cabinet card features a portrait of actress, Frances Everett. The photograph is number 329 of a series of images published by Newsboy to distribute as a premium with their tobacco products. The photograph was taken by B. J. Falk and has a copyright of 1891. The cabinet card has a stamp from the Theatral (Theatrical?) Photo. Company of New York City. Miss Everett holds a string instrument (mandolin?) and is dressed in a rather risque costume for her era. She is also wearing a great smile. Preliminary research found no biographical information about Miss Everett or the Theatral Photo Company.
FRANCES EVERETT: THEATER ACTRESS PORTRAIT (NEWSBOY SERIES: 1891)
ALICE VIVIAN: THEATER ACTRESS SHOWS A LOT OF LEG IN NEWSBOY PHOTOGRAPH
This cabinet card photograph features actress Alice Vivian and it is number 74 in a series of photographs distributed as premiums for the purchase of Newsboy tobacco products. This image is certainly risque for the era that it was produced. She is certainly displaying a lot of leg. Miss Vivian appears to be one of the pioneers of early burlesque. She is holding a stringed instrument which I believe to be a mandolin. A stamp on the reverse of this photograph indicates that it once belonged to Culver Pictures, which was located at 60 First Avenue in New York City. Culver loaned photographs to media companies to utilize in their publications. Culver charged the companies for one time usage of the images. Preliminary research uncovered no information about Alice Vivian. To view other photographs by Newsboy, click on the category “Photographer: Newsboy”.
AGNES EVANS: THEATRE ACTRESS DRESSED IN QUITE RISQUE FASHION
Agnes Evans poses for this cabinet card (top) photographed by Newsboy of New York. Agnes Evans was a theatre actress who performed in the Broadway production of the Pit (1904). The actress is wearing a very revealing risque dress. Further research by myself or assistance from visitors to this site will hopefully further illuminate her life and career. Newsboy was a brand of plug tobacco and Newsboy photographs were given away as a premium by tobacconists and drug stores who sold the tobacco. The images were produced by the National Tobacco Works of New York. They were likely produced and issued in the early 1890′s. The bottom image features Miss Evans in another Newsboy cabinet card (number 8 in a series). She is wearing a risque costume that includes fingerless gloves.
LULU GLASER: ROCKET ASCENT FROM UNDERSTUDY TO STAGE STAR
These cabinet cards features Lulu Glaser (1874-1958), a Pennsylvania born actress and singer. She came to Broadway with no previous professional experience when she was hired to play in the chorus of ”The Lion Tamer (1891)”. She was also given the role of understudy to the Prima Donna. After the star fell ill, Lulu Glaser took over the role and began a meteoric rise to stardom. For the next twenty plus years, Glaser played many roles in such productions as “The Merry Monarch” (1892), “Erminie” (1893), “The Little Corporal” (1898), and “Miss Dolly Dollars” (1895). She achieved her greatest success in “Dolly Varden” (1902). Lulu Glaser was a beautiful woman and this portrait confirms that assessment.
In the top photograph she is holding a fan and her expression could be described as coy. She is adorned with a great deal of jewelry including multiple rings, a hair pin and a pin on the midsection of her dress. The photographer of this image, as well as the next four images, is Morrison, of Chicago, Illinois. The photographs have a copyright date of 1894. Morrison was a well known celebrity photographer and his studio was housed in the Haymarket Theatre. To view other photographs by Morrison, click on this site’s category “Photographer: Morrison”.
The sixth photograph of Glaser is by celebrity photographer, Falk, of New York City, New York. This photograph is copyrighted 1893. The seventh photograph, also by Falk, captures Glaser in costume for an unknown titled play. She is holding a whip and not looking particularly friendly. The image looks like it would be appropriate accompanying an ad on one of the controversial sections of Craig’s List. The photograph is dated 1892. To see other photographs by Falk, click on the category “Photographer: Falk”.
Photograph number eight captures Lu Lu Glaser in the same costume she is wearing in photograph number five. The eighth photo was published by Newsboy as a premium used to accompany the sale of their tobacco products. The image is number 118 of a series of celebrity photographs. To view other Newsboy photographs, click on the cabinet card gallery category “Photographer: Newsboy”.
BLANCH WALSH: STAGE ACTRESS IN PROVOCATIVE POSE (PUBLISHED BY NEWSBOY)
This cabinet card photograph of actress, Blanch Walsh, was published by Newsboy and was given as a premium to buyers of the company’s tobacco products. The photograph was number 12 of a series of celebrity photographic portraits. This particular photograph is particularly provocative and risque. Miss Walsh is exhibiting a great deal of exposed skin. Her pose and expression add to the subliminal sexuality. Miss Walsh is costumed as if to portray a gypsy. Note her jewelry. She is wearing a chain around her neck and multiple bracelets on her left arm. To view other theatrical images by Newsboy, click on category “Photographer: Newsboy”. Blanch Walsh (1873-1915) was a highly regarded American stage actress. She also appeared in one film, “Resurrection” (1912). She was born in New York City and educated in the public schools. Her father was T. P. Fatty Walsh, a Tammany politician and prison warden (The Tombs). Her stage debut was in 1888. She worked in the Charles Frohman Company as well as the William Gillette Company. She looked like a younger version of stage star Fanny Davenport. When Miss Davenport was ill for some time before dying in 1898, Blanch Walsh was given a number of her emotional roles. To view photographs of Miss Davenport, write Fanny Davenport in cabinet card gallery’s search box. Walsh’s most sensational role was as Maslova in Tolstoy’s “Resurrection” (1903). She also received much acclaim for her performance in “The Woman in the Case” (1905). The New York Times printed an article about Walsh upon her post surgical death. She was viewed as a major actress who likely would have risen to greater heights in the theater world if her life had not been cut short by her unfortunate early demise.
MISS HOWELL: PRETTY AND CURVACEOUS STAGE ACTRESS
Miss Howell is the subject of this Newsboy cabinet card. Presumably, the busty and thin waisted Miss Howell was a stage star. This photograph is number 64 of a series of theater cabinet cards. It is unknown why someone erased the Newsboy logo from the front of the photograph. Newsboy cabinet cards were distributed as premiums accompanying tobacco products. Miss Howell is quite attractive. She is wearing long gloves and a fancy hat. An attempt to find further information about Miss Howell was unsuccessful. There was an opera singer named “Miss Howell” but it could not be confirmed that she was the appropriate age to be the woman in this photograph. Newspaper accounts reveal that Miss Dicie Howell was an American soprano who performed in many American and International cities during the 1920′s. This cabinet card was published significantly before 1900. To view other Newsboy cabinet cards, click on the category “Photographer: Newsboy”.
JULIA MARLOWE: ESTEEMED AMERICAN STAGE ACTRESS
Julia Marlowe (1865-1950) was born in England and as a young child moved to the United States with her family. In her early teens she began her theatrical career with a juvenile opera company. She began playing Shakespeare in her home town of Cincinnati, Ohio. She made her Broadway debut in 1895 and by the end of her career, had appeared in more than 70 Broadway productions. Her first husband was actor, Robert Tabor. Their marriage lasted six years. In 1904 she appeared in “When Knighthood was in Flower”. Great success in this play brought her financial independence. Earlier, in 1903, she appeared in ‘The Cavalier” and “Ingomar”. The New York Sun wrote about her performance in “Ingomar”; “There is not a woman player in America or in England that is – attractively considered- fit to unlace her shoe”. In 1904 she began a partnership with actor E. H. Sothern. They toured the United States performing various plays of Shakespeare. They were managed by Charles Frohman and later, the Shubert brothers. They were considered to be among the major Shakespearian actors of the day. In 1906, Marlowe played in “Jeanne d’Arc” and also as Salome in “John the Baptist”. Later, Sothern and Marlowe played in London but were not terrific box office successes there. In 1911 Marlowe and Sothern married each other. In 1920 and 1921, they made eleven phonograph recordings for the Victor Company. The top Cabinet Card was produced by Newsboy as a premium for their tobacco products. The photographer was Falk and the image is from 1892.
The second portrait of Julia Marlowe has a notation on the reverse of the card stating “Julia Marlowe Tabor”. Therefore, this photograph was likely taken during the time of her marriage to Tabor (1894-1900). The photographic studio that produced this portrait is Klein & Guttenstein of 164 Wisconsin Street, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Klein and Guttenstein were leading photographers of their time. Wilson’s Photographic Magazine (1902) reveals that the two men were very active in the Photographers Association of Wisconsin and other photography organizations. The photographers were considered part of a network of photographers skilled at producing publicity images of theatrical and vaudeville stars to be used in national magazines and other publications. The New York Public Library has a collection of portraits of actress Blanche Bates; produced by Klein & Guttenstein. The University of Pennsylvania Library has one of Klein & Guttenstein’s portraits of Julia Marlowe.
The third portrait of Julia Marlowe in the cabinet card gallery collection is photographed by Sarony, the famed celebrity photographer located in New York City. This cabinet card is signed by the actress and dated 1890. Additonal photographs by Sarony can be viewed by clicking on the category “Photographers: Sarony”.
The fourth portrait of Miss Marlow features her in role in the production of “Countess Veleska”. The play was adapted for a German work, “The Tall Prussian”, by Rudolph Stratz. The play opened in New York in 1898 at the Knickerbocker Theatre. The review in the New York Times (1898) stated that the “drama was made wholly interesting by the personal charm and sincerity of Miss Marlowe”. In a sarcastic tone, the reviewer comments about Marlowe’s co star, Bassett Roe. The reviewer states that Roe has only two qualities of the man he was playing, “height and good looks”. The reviewer continues his scathing description of Roe; “The only time he actually warmed up was when he accidentally set his hair on fire. Even then he would have let it burn if Miss Marlowe had not gone to his rescue.” The photographic studio that produced the “Countess Veleska” cabinet card was Pach Brothers of New York City. Pach Brothers were photographers known for their photographs of celebrities of their era. To see additional photographs by the Pach Brothers, click on this site’s category of “Photographers: Pach Brothers”.
The fifth portrait of Julia Marlowe appears to be a photograph of the actress in costume for an unknown stage production. The image was photographed by Ye Rose Studio of Providence, Rhode Island. The reverse of the card indicated that the studio was opened in 1886. The studio was located in the Conrad building in downtown Providence. The building still exists. Other photographs by the Ye Rose Studio can be viewed by clicking on the category “Photographer: Ye Rose”.
Portrait number six is an excellent example of the beauty of Julia Marlowe. This image, from 1888, captures Ms. Marlowe at the young age of twenty-three. The photographer of this portrait was B. J. Falk, a celebrity photographer located in New York City, New York. To view other photographs by Falk, click on the category “Photographer: Falk”.
The seventh portrait is another example of a B. J. Falk image. The photograph features a costumed Julia Marlowe in the production of “Cymbeline“. Cymbeline is a play by William Shakespeare that was based on legends about the early Celtic British King, Cunobelinus. The play deals with themes that include innocence and jealousy. Ms. Marlowe plays Imogen, the King’s daughter. Her expression in the photograph shows fear and concern as she looks at someone or something in the distance. Her left hand shades her eyes while her right hand clutches her belted dagger. A stamp on the reverse of this cabinet card reveals that it was formerly owned by Culver Pictures of New York City, New York. Culver Pictures has been collecting photographs and illustrations from the 19th and first half of the 20th century, since 1926. These pictures are used in books, films, and other forms of media. At the time that this cabinet card was stamped by the company, Culver Pictures was located in New York City.
Portrait number eight is a close-up photograph of Miss Marlowe. The photographer of this cabinet card is the studio of Rose & Sands whose gallery was located in Providence, Rhode Island. Note that photograph number five also came from the Rose studio, but at that time, the gallery was called, the Ye Rose studio. The Wilson’s Photographic Magazine (1899) reports that Rose and Sands were the proprietors of Ye Rose. A humorous headline in a photography magazine stated “Providence Provides for All, And Rose Provides for Providence”. Print on the reverse of this cabinet card reveals that the Rose & Sands studio was opened in 1886 and that it specialized in “High Class Portraits from Cabinet to Life Size”. Also of interest, like photograph number seven, there is a stamp on the reverse of the photograph with the name “Culver Pictures Inc”.
Photograph number nine features the beautiful Miss Marlowe displaying a mischievous smile. Note her engaging large eyes. She is wearing a somewhat revealing dress (for the cabinet card era) and has a wonderful hat atop her head. This cabinet card photograph was published in 1888 by Benjamin Falk of New York City. The image is marked with the number sixty-nine.
Portrait number ten is a closeup of Julia Marlowe with her head covered, but with her pretty face very visible. She is likely in costume for this photograph. The photograph is taken by B. J. Falk of New York City and has a copyright date of 1888.
CELEBRATED ACTRESS ADA REHAN AND HER LABORADOR RETRIEVER (PAGE INCLUDES ADDITIONAL PORTRAITS OF MISS REHAN)
Ada Rehan was a well known and respected American actress. The top cabinet card portrait of Ms Rehan and her dog was published by Napoleon Sarony, a famous celebrity photographer in New York City, New York. Ada Rehan was born in Ireland and came to the United States at six years of age. She grew up in Brooklyn, New York. She began acting as a child. From 1873 until 1875 she became more active in acting at Mrs. Drew’s Theatre in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She then joined John Albaugh’s company and appeared in Baltimore, Albany and numerous other cities. In 1879 she joined Augustin Daly’s company upon his opening of his New York theater. She worked with his company for twenty years and appeared throughout Europe. The IBDB reveals that Ada Rehan appeared in 12 Broadway productions. Some of the Broadway and non Broadway plays she appeared in include a number of Shakespeare productions such as “As You Like It” and “Twelfth Night”. Rehan also acted in “The School for Scandal”, “Foresters”, “Cinderella at School”, and “Our English Friend”. She retired from the stage in 1906 and lived in New York City until her death. It is interesting to note that Ms Rehan’s dog is on a leash. The leash is made of metal links. She is holding the leash with both hands. This is the first leash that I have observed in the many cabinet card photographs of dogs that I have seen. The dog at the end of the leash in this image appears to be a laborador retriever.
The second portrait of Miss Rehan was published by Newsboy of New York. The image was number 68 in a series of photographs. Newsboy distributed these images as premiums for their tobacco product sales.
The third image of Miss Rehan is a bust portrait by Louis Thors of San Francisco, California. Thors was born in Holland in 1845. He was of French descent and educated in France. He was fitted for service in the Merchant Marine and he served in that capacity for a number of years before coming to California in 1876. By 1880 he had established his photography business. One source states that his studio had more than twelve “apartments”. He won a Bronze Medal at the Paris Exposition in 1889. His wife, Gertrude M. Thors was also a photographer. Camera Craft: Photographic Association of California (1910) printed Thors’s obituary. He was described as one of the highest esteemed photographers in San Francisco. He died of stomach cancer at age seventy-two. He worked in the photography business in San Francisco for over forty years. He left the city after the San Francisco fire and worked in St. Louis for two years before returning to California. The obituary reports that after his immigration to the United States, his skill as a painter earned him employment with photographers Bradley and Rulofsen (click on category “Photographer: Bradley and Rulofsen” to view some of their photographs). In addition, the death notice asserted that besides his talents as a photographer, Thors had a charming personality and high moral character.
LORRAINE DREUX: PRETTY STAGE ACTRESS DIES YOUNG AND TRAGICALLY
This cabinet card is a portrait of theatre actress, Lorraine Dreux. The image is part of the Newsboy Series (#385) and was published in New York City. The Newsboy series was used for advertising purposes by the Newsboy Tobacco Company. Celebrity photographs were given away as premiums upon the sale of tobacco products.To view other Newsboy photographs, click on the category “Newsboy”. Ms. Dreux looks like she ran through the woods in order to arrive at the photography studio in a timely fashion. She has twigs and leaves on her head and even is wearing a necklace of branches around her shoulders. It seems she is modeling “the natural” look. Her eyes are looking upward, as if to say, “Am I really wearing sticks and leaves?”. Who was Lorraine Dreux? The Illustrated America (1893) describes her as “young and pretty, with soft dark eyes, a tremulous little mouth, and a dazzling complexion”. She was born in Marquette, Michigan, of well to do parents. Her father did a great deal of business in the East and she spent much time on the banks of the Hudson River in New York. She was educated at home by a governess supervised by Dreux’s beautiful mother. She decided that she wanted to be an actress while in her early teens. Her parents reluctantly gave her permission and her first experience acting occurred while she was in London, England, with her mother. She was engaged by Mr Charles Wyndham to play comedy parts in London stage shows. She next joined the London Globe Theatre Stock Company playing sentimental roles. She then joined an English traveling theatre company. She soon returned to America and appeared in a number of plays, including “Ninety Days” with William Gillette. The article closes with the prediction that Dreux would be a successful actress in America because she possessed both beauty and talent. The New York Times (1894) reported on Dreaux’s appearance in “Lem Kettle” at the Bijou theatre. She also appeared in “Rush City” (1894) which was staged in Brooklyn (New York), and also in “Nance Oldfield” (1896) in New York. The latter show starred Rose Coghlan and her portrait can be seen in the Cabinet Card Gallery by placing her name in the “search box”. Dreux appeared in one Broadway production, “The Spectator” (1896). The New York Dramatic Mirror (1908) reported the tragic death of Lorraine Dreux. She was described as a well known and capable leading women of many stock companies outside of New York City. She died in New York’s Bellvue Hospital at age 35. The article reports that she “had fallen on evil days” and was “too proud to let her friends know of her plight”. She let an illness go till it turned into acute pneumonia which led to her death. Her last two engagements were in Worcester, Massachusetts and Rochester, New York. She received excellent reviews for her acting in both productions. However, her wardrobe was stolen and she was criticized for the way she dressed for her part in Rochester. She returned home “down hearted and discouraged” and sick, penniless and homeless. She met an old friend on the streets of New York who took her home to be fed and cared for but her condition worsened. A collection was made from other actors and actresses and the money was used to admit her to Bellvue Hospital where she died. Aid from the Actors Fund paid for her funeral and burial at Evergreen Cemetery.
JENNIE JOYCE: TROUBLED STAGE STAR PHOTOGRAPHED BY FALK FOR NEWSBOY
This photograph, by celebrity photographer B. J. Falk, features stage star Jennie Joyce. She was photographed for the Newsboy tobacco company and the image was used as a premium to reward purchasers for buying Newsboy products. The image has a copyright date of 1891 and is number 307 in the Newsboy series. This photograph is risque for its era. Miss Joyce is showing much of her nearly bare legs and is exhibiting a sexually provocative pose. The New York Times (1892) published an article reporting that Jennie Joyce was sued by her husband for divorce. John E. Stanley’s request for a divorce was uncontested. The newspaper described Jennie Joyce as a variety actress and singer. An 1899 article in the same newspaper reported a story about problems in the marriage of Joyce and sportsman Phil Daly Jr.. Daly had told Joyce that he would be out all night but according to plan, returned home at two in the morning only to find his wife with another man (Phillip Wood). Daly fired a number of shots at Wood but missed. Daly’s parting shot was to file for divorce and end his five year marriage. The bad publicity caused by Joyce’s marital problems cause her to speculate in another 1899 Times article that she planned to leave the United States to perform pantomime in London until the fallout from her divorce had diminished. An additional conflict was in the news when the New York Times (1901) printed a story about Joyce successfully suing theatre manager, Alexander Hashim for unpaid salary. Jennie Joyce was clearly a gossip magnet for the press and she provided them with a lot of material.
