New Postcards

My visit to the postcard fair today was very profitable. Well profitable for the stall owners, but very interesting for me.

Upper left is Pansy Montague. Pansy, also known as La Milo, was a human statue performer.She was born in Sydney and started her career with the Tivoli Circuit in the early 20th Century. In this postcard she is posing as the Water Nymph.

Upper right is Little Baby Watson, another Tivoli performer. Little baby Watson was a favorite of Tivoli owner Harry Rickards in the early 20th century.

Lower left is Teresa Carreno, who toured Australia in 1907. She was a Venezuelan pianist, singer and composer.

Lower Right is Margaret Thomas, one of JC Williamson's Royal Comic Opera Company.

Above to the left is a lovely postcard of the 'red headed spark' Daisy Jerome. I have something about her elsewhere on this blog. Next to her is one of my favorites, Carrie Moore. On the bottom is a very interesting advertising postcard for a Bland Holt production. Bland Holt was one of Australia's premier producers of melodrama. This particular postcard is advertising a 1904 production at the Theatre Royal in Sydney. It features a caricature of the man himself staring out a window.

These three postcards feature at the top left, a 1950s Australian magician named Tommy Parer. Next to Tommy is Annette Kellerman, the famous Australian swimmer who made a name for herself in the movies. Below is a picture of Miss Valli Valli an English Edwardian actress.

Finally, two wonderful postcards. The first is of Vivien Leigh during her contract with London Films. This probably dates from the mid 1930s, just before Gone with the Wind.

The second is an intriguing picture postcard of a parade in Sydney to advertise the Criterion Theatre's production of 'A Beggar on Horseback'. A quick internet search dates this to 1908. If anybody can tell where this was taken, I would appreciate it. I'm guessing Hyde Park because it was the closest park to the Criterion.

Alas, No Jugglers!

Carrie Moore

The beautiful yet rebellious Carrie Moore was one of Australia's most successful Edwardian actresses. She was born in Geelong Victoria in 1882.

Carrie started as a child star with J C Williamson, she was 13 years old and had a role in a pantomime. She was a leading lady at age 16 and for her 21st birthday, she received a contract with George Edwardes in London.


Above is a picture of Carrie in costume for an Australian production.

So at the age of 21 Carrie went to London to work for George Edwardes, the most famous theatrical manager in England.

She performed in the Cingalee for Edwardes and reportedly argued with him about wearing white make up . "Have you ever seen a white Cingalee?" She asked Below is Carrie in the Cingalee.

Her most famous role in London was as a Sandow Girl in the original London production of the Dairymaids. She gave a very scandalous interview speaking against corsets. As a Sandow girl she wore little more than drapery as you can see below.

She returned to Australia in 1908 and was Australia's first Merry Widow.( picture below.)

She then eloped with an bigamous Englishman, whilst being engaged to another one who was conveniently in England.

Carrie was bold and adventurous and was one of the few stars who performed in legitimate theatre, vaudeville, TV, radio and movies. She had a lovely soprano voice, but it was her charismatic presence that made her a star.

I've long been fascinated by Carrie and wrote a small book about her.

She died in Sydney in 1956 after living an incredible life.