Pin-Up Postcards

No, actually, these weren't all that racy. From either the 50's or early 60's.

A Bicycle Photo From a Pocket Kodak

This very small picture, it measures 1 1/2x 1 5/8 inches, was taken with a Pocket Kodak camera. The Pocket Kodak was manufactured from 1895 to 1900. The camera used 120 film and made a negative with an image area of 1 1/2x 2 inches. Kodak did the printing and mounted it on a card with the Pocket Kodak name embossed on the card. I didn't' scan the card, since it was pretty badly damaged, but enough of it was left to clearly make out the Pocket Kodak mark. For more info on the Pocket Kodak, go to www.boxcameras.com/pocketkod.html

Team Photo

A team on a military base, or some sort of early 20th century ROTC?

The German Girl

The seller told me that this image was from the estate of a German who immigrated to the United States between World War 1 and World War 2. Can I just say how much I hate sellers who break up collections of old photographs. This image, beautiful as it is, would have been so much more interesting in context of a large collection. My guess is it's from the 1920's. Printed on post card stock.

Who Was Marina Marshal?

This is one of those really frustrating collections. Clearly this woman had some level of success in the theater, but I'm unable to get any real information on her. The two photos that appear to be the oldest, show her in a train compartment. On the back is written, "Mary Shuck Arnahenstr 15/I Muenchen." Checking http://www.imdb.com/ I found a listing for a film from 1937, Die Stimme des Herzens, with a Mary Shuk as a cast member in a very small part. The film was produced by Bavaria Films, and of course, Munich is in Bavaria. And that's as close as I've come to any real info, and it might not even be the same person. Most of these photos have German language stamps on the backs. There are some images of Marina Marshal AKA Mary Shuck where she is wearing a pin striped pants outfit that are stamped "Copyright Presse J Hustrationen ( ) Berlin SW G8, Kochstrasse 10 Tel. 19 6508-3" On the back of the one where she is standing in a group and shaking hands has, hand written on the back, and in English, "Marina Marshal as Diana in "French Without Tears" 49 West 11th St. NYC Gramercy 5-9259." French Without Tears was written by Terrance Rattigan and first produced in the late 1930's. The photo where she is sitting in the Tuxedo wearing gentleman's lap has, hand written on the back, "Marina Marshal in The Circle by Somerset Maugham" with the same address and telephone number. Also a sticker that reads, "THE CREDIT LINE MUST NOT BE OMITTED ALTERED OR ABBREVIATED ATLAS PHOTOS This photograph is released for one reproduction only and must not be used for trade or advertising purposes, copied, loaned, or syndicated without written permission. ATLAS PHOTOS 45 WEST 46TH ST. NEW YORK CITY" I did find The Circle on http://www.ibdb.com/ from a 1937-38 Broadway production, but Marina Marshal is not listed in the credits, and in any case, it seems she was still in Germany at the time. Most of the other theatrical pictures have stamped on the back, "Foto-Schreyer, Berlin -Steglitz Zimmermannstr. 12, Telephon G2 Steglitz 1243" On the shot of her standing, wearing furs, stamped on the back of the picture, "VERVIELFALTIGUNG NUR MIT ANGABE ANTON SAHM MUNCHEN COPYRIGHT BY ANTON SAHM, MUNCHEN." Sahm was a successful German studio photographer. I've found a nude by him, entitled "Sitzender Akt" dated 1925 that has a resemblance, though as a profile it's hard to be certain, of Marina. Written on the back of the photo of Marina in the long dress, with her leaning on a cabinet, hand written on the back, "Marina Marshal 127 W. 52nd St. NYC CO5-8981. Size 12 wt. 115 Ht 5'8" Reddish brown hair. Grey-green eyes." So, it seems that a German actress, with a fairly successful career on the German stage ended up in the United States, possibly before or after the Second World War. With no credits on either imdb or ibdb, at least not under the name Marina Marshal, it doesn't look like she had much luck in the United States. And did the name change come before or after she ended up in America? Lots of questions, and no answers.

World War 1, The Meuse-Argonne Front

Again, I think the originals are rotogravures, though I'm not sure. The first two images include a standard photographic print I made from a copy negative. They are captioned, "Two miles an hour was the rate at which traffic moved through Esnes near the Meuse-Argonne front. The scene is typical of the congestion of vehicles back of the line." The guys getting inspected, "Shirt reading." The other photo of vehicles is captioned, "A traffic jam at Esnes." The guys getting water, "A drinking reservoir for American troops moving toward the front." The sleeping soldier, "A catnap in a gun emplacement."