22.00 USD
"Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome..."
We recently came across a number of great vintage German musical theater postcards and thought we'd put them in what will probably be a temporary section under the heading "Cabaret," or, auf Deutch, Kabarett! Most of the cards in this section will concern theatrical entertainment in the 1920s Weimar era of post world war one Germany, though we may place a number of Austrian cards of the period and a few film star cards from that time and place into this section as well.
The Weimar era, particularly in Berlin, fascinates us at least in part because of its dramatic contrasts, the tinsel glitter that could not entirely disguise an ever deepening gloom, the festive mood that seemed to so many who witnessed it as if driven by misery rather than a celebration of life as had seemed the Parisian nightlife of the previous decade. In hindsight, some compared the cabaret life of Weimar Berlin to dancing at the edge of a sheer cliff, and perhaps a little of that frenzied energy clings to these images of actors and dancers.
Just for fun, if it's been a while since you've seen it, you might enjoy a little mood music...the very memorable opening of the classic 1972 film version of "Cabaret." Youtube link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hBlB8RAJEEc
Dressing room image of stage and film actress Maria Orsca (1893-1930), a popular denizen of the Weimar Berlin arts scene. She played the part of Lulu, the lead character in the play "Erdgeist" by Frank Wedekind, a prominent and controversial figure in German theater of the Jugendstil Epoche. An author, actor and cabaret performer, he led German theater from the norm of pre-20th century Realism into the unexplored territory of Expressionism.
Maria Orsca, a Russian actress of Ukrainian Jewish decent, was born Rachel Blindermann, near Odessa, in 1893. She appeared in some silent films, but mostly on the stage, working with some of the most important names of the time, including Max Reinhardt.
Like Lulu, Maria Orsca was also a tragic figure, losing a lover to suicide in 1926, then her sister Gabryela, also to suicide in '28, and finally she herself, taking her own life in 1930. It has been suggested that morphine addiction, one of the popular vices of the Weimar era, lay at the bottom of much of this misery.
Thanks to Wikipedia for much of the information in this post!
A truly wonderful card so evocative of the time and place, published by Ross Verlag of Berlin.
Please examine our high res scans for detail.
The item you are considering for purchase is, unless otherwise noted, a vintage postcard of approximately 5 and 1/2, by 3 and 1/2 inches. Postage is for fully-insured, first class shipping in a secure photo mailer (to avoid any damage to your purchase in the mails), and we happily combine shipping on all paper goods. If you purchase two cards, we will not charge for postage on the second card, and when you purchase three or more cards from us at the same time, your shipping will be entirely free, except for international orders which, because of increases in international shipping rates will still be charged one card's shipping fees on orders of three or more. We do not charge for insurance or shipping materials, and as of the date of this listing are still charging below our overall cost on shipping.
And please come visit our blog at:
redpoulaine.blogspot.com
where we post biographical and historical tidbits, images of cards and photographs for sale, some already sold but remembered fondly, related images of historical interest and sometimes even images of items that have not yet arrived in the shop, but that are expected to arrive soon, as well as coupon codes, links to other related sites, and more!