Lately, we acquired this series of 11 American postcards with painted portraits of early silent film actresses. The series was published by the Kline Poster Co. Inc. of Philadelphia and must have been produced around 1915. The actresses worked for such American studios as Essanay, Pallas, Metro, Fox and Lasky, and they were among America's first film stars. Most of these leading ladies are forgotten now and many of their films are lost. Only, Fannie Ward is known for Cecil B. De Mille's The Cheat (1915) and Ethel Barrymore is still remembered for her films of the 1940s or 1950s. When we uploaded her card at Flickr, Philip Mayer commented: "The rumours were true, then. She was young, once."
![Myrtle Stedman]()
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Pallas / Paramount.
American silent screen actress Myrtle Stedman (1885-1938) was known as 'the girl with the pearly eyes'. In 1911, Myrtle and husband Marshall Stedman were signed by the Selig Polyscope Co. Myrtle was a leading lady in silent films of the 1910s and early 1920s for such companies as Bosworth and Pallas and later, she became a character actress.
![Genevieve Hamper]()
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Fox.
Genevieve Hamper (1888-1971) was an American stage actress who also starred in seven silent films. She often appeared on stage and in early silent films with her much older husband Robert B. Mantell.
![Fannie Ward]()
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Lasky / Paramount.
Fannie Ward, a.k.a. Fanny Ward (1871–1952) was a star of light comedies on Broadway and in vaudeville. Internationally famous, she was at the height of her career in the first decade of the 20th century. Later she was known for The Cheat (1915), a sexually- and racially-charged silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. In the late 1910s she did a series of films for Astra Films, released by Pathé Exchange.
![Edna Mayo]()
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Essanay.
Edna Mayo (1895-1970) was an American actress of the silent film era. She was on stage from 1906 and prominent in films with Essanay between 1914 and 1918.
![Cleo Ridgely]()
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Lasky / Paramount.
Cleo Ridgely (1893-1962) was a New York chorus girl, who became a modern, sporty silent screen lady of the 1910s. In a Kalem series of shorts, she starred as Jean, the Girl Detective.
![Beverly Bayne]()
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Metro.
Wide-eyed, brunette Beverly Bayne (1894-1982) was an American silent film actress who began her career in 1910 at the Essanay Studios in Chicago. With Francis X. Bushman, she formed the most successful romantic couple of the early cinema. They appeared together in 24 films.
![Bertha Kalich]()
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Fox.
Austrian born, American actress Bertha Kalich (1874-1939) was known for her majestic bearing, great beauty, and fine diction. She started her career as an entertainer in Eastern Europe. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, she became one of the 'larger-than-life' figures that dominated New York stages during the Golden Age' of American Yiddish Theatre. Kalich was the first female actor to make the transition from the Yiddish to the English stage. During the 1910s she became one of the stars of Fox Film.
![Claire Whitney]()
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Fox.
Claire Whitney (1890-1969) was an American stage and film actress who appeared between 1912 and 1949 in 111 films for companies like Solax and later Fox. Only 21 of these films survive, as most have been lost.
![Ethel Barrymore]()
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Metro.
American actress Ethel Barrymore (1879-1959) was a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Her career as a stage, screen and radio actress spanned six decades, and she was regarded as "The First Lady of the American Theatre". She made 15 silent pictures between 1914 and 1919, most of them for the Metro Pictures studio.
![Mary Fuller]()
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Universal.
American actress Mary Filler (1988-1973) started her film career at Vitagraph and had her breakthrough at Edison. At Universal, Fuller became a major early film star who rivalled Mary Pickford in popularity. In 1917, she left the film industry and ended her life in a mental hospital.
![Olga Petrova]()
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila.
Olga Petrova (1884-1977) was a British-American actress, screenwriter and playwright. During her seven years in film, Petrova appeared in more than two dozen films and wrote the script for several others.
If you like to read more background info about the actresses, double click on the postcards or read their bios in our Flickr album on the Kline Poster Co.
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Pallas / Paramount.
American silent screen actress Myrtle Stedman (1885-1938) was known as 'the girl with the pearly eyes'. In 1911, Myrtle and husband Marshall Stedman were signed by the Selig Polyscope Co. Myrtle was a leading lady in silent films of the 1910s and early 1920s for such companies as Bosworth and Pallas and later, she became a character actress.
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Fox.
Genevieve Hamper (1888-1971) was an American stage actress who also starred in seven silent films. She often appeared on stage and in early silent films with her much older husband Robert B. Mantell.
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Lasky / Paramount.
Fannie Ward, a.k.a. Fanny Ward (1871–1952) was a star of light comedies on Broadway and in vaudeville. Internationally famous, she was at the height of her career in the first decade of the 20th century. Later she was known for The Cheat (1915), a sexually- and racially-charged silent film directed by Cecil B. DeMille. In the late 1910s she did a series of films for Astra Films, released by Pathé Exchange.
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Essanay.
Edna Mayo (1895-1970) was an American actress of the silent film era. She was on stage from 1906 and prominent in films with Essanay between 1914 and 1918.
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Lasky / Paramount.
Cleo Ridgely (1893-1962) was a New York chorus girl, who became a modern, sporty silent screen lady of the 1910s. In a Kalem series of shorts, she starred as Jean, the Girl Detective.
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Metro.
Wide-eyed, brunette Beverly Bayne (1894-1982) was an American silent film actress who began her career in 1910 at the Essanay Studios in Chicago. With Francis X. Bushman, she formed the most successful romantic couple of the early cinema. They appeared together in 24 films.
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Fox.
Austrian born, American actress Bertha Kalich (1874-1939) was known for her majestic bearing, great beauty, and fine diction. She started her career as an entertainer in Eastern Europe. During the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, she became one of the 'larger-than-life' figures that dominated New York stages during the Golden Age' of American Yiddish Theatre. Kalich was the first female actor to make the transition from the Yiddish to the English stage. During the 1910s she became one of the stars of Fox Film.
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Fox.
Claire Whitney (1890-1969) was an American stage and film actress who appeared between 1912 and 1949 in 111 films for companies like Solax and later Fox. Only 21 of these films survive, as most have been lost.
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Metro.
American actress Ethel Barrymore (1879-1959) was a member of the Barrymore family of actors. Her career as a stage, screen and radio actress spanned six decades, and she was regarded as "The First Lady of the American Theatre". She made 15 silent pictures between 1914 and 1919, most of them for the Metro Pictures studio.
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila. Image: Universal.
American actress Mary Filler (1988-1973) started her film career at Vitagraph and had her breakthrough at Edison. At Universal, Fuller became a major early film star who rivalled Mary Pickford in popularity. In 1917, she left the film industry and ended her life in a mental hospital.
American postcard by Kline Poster Co. Inc., Phila.
Olga Petrova (1884-1977) was a British-American actress, screenwriter and playwright. During her seven years in film, Petrova appeared in more than two dozen films and wrote the script for several others.
If you like to read more background info about the actresses, double click on the postcards or read their bios in our Flickr album on the Kline Poster Co.