MYSTERY SERIES


Some cards that show up with the Ross Verlag name on them do not seem to be part of the more common series.


Marion Davies card for 1923 film "Little Old New York"
A/1 postcard



Mia May color card, numbered 2001/3 on back.  
This was one of a series of #2001 cards with various German actors.
This #2001 number is not part of the regular card list.



These unnumbered paper postcards of Maria Paudler and Greta Garbo had perforated edges, suggesting that they came out of some kind of booklet.   Similar cards with movie scenes were found in trade journals like "Filmkurier" for advertising purposes.   There are also examples of these type of portrait cards picturing Lilian Harvey and Brigitte Helm.


"World-famous film artists, who earn millions, in their role"
Interesting postcard shows four movie actresses from four different countries.
Pearl White (America)     Franceska Bertini (Italy)
Henny Porten (Germany)     Melle Napierkowska (France)
In photo by Pearl White it says "Szabó A.I. Berlin" but I have
no idea who or what that means.


There is no mention of any publisher on the front.
On the back, it says that the portrait of Henny Porten
was used with the permission of "Ross Verlag"






Conrad Veidt facsimile autograph card on paper card stock.
Numbered 8001/1 on back.   I have seen a few other examples.


These two cards are numbered 32 and 82 (with no slashes), respectively.   The two actors appeared together in the Austrian film "Heut ist der schönste Tag in meinem Leben."   They were both Jewish actors.   Otto Wallburg was killed at Auschwitz.   Joseph Schmidt died in a Swiss internment camp.   (Thanks to Klaus Wunderlich for these scans).









Card commemorating Germany President
Paul von Hindenburg's 80th Birthday in 1927.
Tannenberg Monument at top.
Presidential palace at bottom.
  Numbered #4830



Card commemorating the 1000 year anniversary
of the German state of Rheinland in 1925.
The poem roughly translates as:
"We celebrate our Rhine
We drink its wine
Freedom is its star
The solution for Germany is the Rhine!"
Four cities and points of interest are pictured on the card
Bingen Mäseturm     Schloss Rheinstein     Worms     Speyer
  Numbered #4592
  Thanks to Hans Schnepper for translation and information



Unnumbered card   "At the Loom"





Scene from the film "Schöpferin Natur," a 1926/1927 documentary film better known as "Natur und Liebe."   There are at least 7 cards in this set.



Dancer Maja Lex oversized unnumbered postcard with Ross name on back.   Text at bottom reads "Weltvertretung (Representative worldwide): Ernst Krauss, Amsterdam" and "Für Deutschland (Inside Germany): Bühnennachweis (similar to an actor's trade union service)."   The card seemed to have been produced to be sent to various theaters, club etc. as an promotional device. (Thanks to Klaas Dierks for the translation and information).




Unusual postcards by Ross Verlag and Walter Steinhaus in Hamburg.
Known as "Zerschneiderpostkarte" (cut in half postcards).
These cards paired photos of film actors with pictorial scenes from Hamburg.
They measure approximately 6 X 4 inches.   There are at least 30 cards in the series.
This particular card (#21) shows American actor George Bancroft on the left side of the card,
and a photo of a Blohm & Voss floating shipping dock in Hamburg on the right.
The connection between the actors and the Hamburg scenes are tenuous.
#1 has Hans Albers and an aerial view of City Hall and the Alster lake
#16 has Marlene Dietrich and the oceanliner "Europa."
#30 has Evelyn Holt with the Hamburg main station.
#36 has Mady Christians and the Hamburg Harbour.
Thanks to Klaas Dierks for the photo and information!



Gustaf Gründgens postcard.   On the back is a an advertisement for a weekly illustrated newspaper from Cologne, in which one can read of the life of the film star in a pictorial report.   The newspaper was also published in Hamburg, Munich, Leipzig and Berlin.   (Thanks to Klaas Dierks for the information)   I have seen other examples with different actors.



This Shirley Temple card is part of a series of cards known as "Meisteraufnahme" (translation: "master photographs").   #1474/1   The German sentence on front is in Sütterlin script.   It translates to "laughing happiness."   There are other Shirley Temple cards that are similar, but not all have her name on it.   Other cards in the series portray non actor children, animals, flowers and landscapes.   The cards used different variations of script writing.   (Thanks to Klaas Dierks for solving another mystery!)

Further information provided by Hans Schnepper:   There were other actors portrayed on these cards including Peter Bosse, Marta Eggerth and Karin Hardt.   Some text printed on the cards included "Frohe Weihnacht" (Merry Christmas), "Fröhliche Ostern" (Merry Easter), and "Viel Glück" (Good Luck).

Here is a partial list of "Meisteraufnahmen" cards:

Shirley Temple:
1474/1   "Lachences Glück" -- Laughing happiness
1475/1   "Schlauköpfchen" -- Smartypants
1639/1   "Im Gebet" -- In prayer
1639/3   "Da muss ich wirklich lachen" -- I really have to laugh
1639/4   "Lachende Augen" -- Laughing/smiling eyes.

Marta Eggerth:
1269/2   "Frohe Weihnachten" -- Merry Christmas
1284/3   "Prosit Neujahr" -- Happy New Year

Karin Hardt:
1203/1   "Fröhliche Ostern" -- Merry Easter
1203/4   "Glükliche Ostern" -- Happy Easter




"Meisteraufnahmen"
postcard of young girl #1007

"Meisteraufnahmen" of vase
of flowers.   Message translates as
"Best Wishes on your Birthday"
#1126/3



Another "Meisteraufnahmen"
postcard of Shirley Temple
"I really got to laugh there!"

"Meisteraufnahmen" of children
  Message translates as
"This way it tastes better"
#2615/4



New Years card from 1940
2544/3

German soldier holding flowers
offering birthday greetings
  Message translates as
"Many affectionate wishes for your birthday!"
#2615/4



A back of a "Meisteraufnahem" card that shows
the Horse emblem instead of "Ross" name.
(Above five scans courtesy of Klaas Dierks!)





Although these cards do not have "Meisteraufnahem" on the back, the numbers of these two Shirley Temple's cards match the numbers on the list above.

1639/1   "Im Gebet" -- In prayer
1639/4   "Lachende Augen" -- Laughing/smiling eyes.

Neither of these phrases are printed on the cards, although they do match the expressions of Miss Temple in the photos.   The card numbers do not match the regular series as 1639/1 would be too early for a Shirley Temple card and A 1639/1 is taken by another actor.   Note that the Fox Film Logo on these Temple cards are very different from any others on the Ross cards






This is part of the same series above, but has "Ross Verlag" printed on the front, even more unusual for a Meisteraufnahem card.   The card is also scalloped.   Scalloped cards do turn up now and then, but whether or not they were cut at the factory like that is unknown.   The reverse of this card also has "Germany" printed in one corner of the card, which I have not seen before.   (Thanks to Hans Schnepper for the above Shirley Temple scans.)








Henny Porten auf "Odeon"  
Odeon was a well known record company in Berlin.
Unnumbered card.



Unnumbered film scene card   "Die schönste Frau der Staaten"
"The American Venus"   Louise Brooks film






Unnumbered card on Indian actress Seeta Devi


Back of card   "Die Leuchte Asiens"



Calendar card for 1937
Thanks to Ian Sayer for this scan






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