Dorothy Sebastian – Greta Garbo

Among all countries with an evident tradition of printing cards, it was Germany in particular publishing thousands of postcards dedicated to film actors and actresses, stage artists, directors and all film related subjects.
The biggest and most well known company in Germany was ROSS VERLAG in Berlin (Verlag is the German word for publishing company). Ross was the best and most renowned company which was successfully dealing during some decades of the 20th century. Ross Verlag was a postcard publishing company that existed from the early 1920’s through the mid 1940’s .

The first Garbo card which was published by Ross appeared 1925/26 and showed the young Swedish actress in her 2nd feature film GÖSTA BERLING SAGA. That card carried the individual number 950/1. As you might know Ross had a special number system for its cards to identify all different issues. Each number was listed on the lower left card edge. Opposite (right side) the publishing company had to name the original source of the photograph (studio), in this case basically Metro Goldwyn Mayer. Furthermore the name of the pictured star was printed in the middle of the card below. Besides you can always read two remarks underneath: On the left side the name of the editor (“Ross” Verlag) and on the right side “Reproduction verboten” (reproduction forbidden).

Only the first 8 cards of the production were differing in a little detail compared to all other ones. The publisher’s name was expressed differently and city plus area code had been added:

The primary cards came out in a sepia brown tone (the “dark ones”). A few years later, at the beginning of the thirties, the production of all following cards was handled in another quality which reminded more of a black/white motif (the “light ones”). In between Ross printed both kinds of cards simultaneously and they were partly available in both versions. Most collectors prefer the light cards but there is also a little fan community liking the dark ones in sepia brown, not to forget those passionate fans who try to find both variations.

Ross published more and more postcards on Garbo in the following years. Garbo portraits made by famous photostudios such as Binder in Berlin or those taken by star photographers such as Arnold Genthe or Ruth Harriet Louise in Hollywood. And above all, Garbo was pictured in her further silent movies, starting from THE JOYLESS STREET to THE KISS. The most motifs show Garbo alone but there are a lot of motifs with filmpartner(s) as well.

It has to be mentioned that the appearing of the following cards did not always run chronologically. Ross didn’t pay attention of the right order and you may not get confused when you have a higher card number showing an earlier film motif or vice versa. Even after publishing the first postcards showing Garbo in ANNA CHRISTIE (5108/1 etc.), at the beginning of her talkies, Ross still published cards regarding silent movies again. But the card numbering was always rising with a higher number, from issue to issue.

By the way, cards with a common origin i.e. the same movie or the same costume of the portrayed star received the appropriate id code after a slash. So you have Garbo Ross cards with numbers 4527/1 and 4527/2 for example or 3787/1, 3787/2, 3787/3, 3787/4 up to a little series within one special order showing even /5. Because Ross didn’t produce cards of one particular star consecutively, the upgrading numberation lies far apart. There are always other numbers in between belonging to different stars and their special cards except in case of the mentioned ranges (…./1, …./2, …./3 etc.).

The original size of the cards is 14 x 9 cm. Most of the cards were produced in a longish version but there are also some available in horizontal format. The official sales price per card was 15 German pennies.

The last card in that common numbering was 9961/1. Then Ross changed the following system and put the letter “A” infront of the number. The first Ross card with that new scheme was a Garbo card and indicates the number A 1000/1, a CAMILLE motif. The last number with an A for a Ross Garbo card is A 2617/1, also CAMILLE, published in 1939.

ΠΗΓΗ: www.garboforever.com