Charles Willy Kayser 1926 Silent Film and 50 similar items

Vintage original 3.5 x 5.25 in. German postcard depicting the German silent film and sound era actor and director, CHARLES WILLY KAYSER. The handsome blonde actor is depicted in an exterior full-length publicity shot wearing a regional costume while posing near a group of trees. This postcard was inscribed in purple ink by Charles Willy Kayser in, we believe, 1926 (see "Provenance" below), the year in which he appeared in five silent films. Printed by the renowned Ross-Verlag company of Berlin, this vintage original postcard was unused and is in fine+ condition with one pinhole in the top center of the upper background area with light signs of wear around it and one in the center of the bottom border (that does not affect his signature). There are no tears, stains, or other flaws. Silent Cinema Inc. (the seller here) guarantees the authenticity of Charles Willy Kayser's inscription and signature. Provenance: Approximately 8 years ago, we purchased a collection of two albums of vintage original German postcards from a rare book dealer at an antiquarian book fair in Pasadena, California (see photos). Approximately half of the postcards were signed by the respective personalities and the ones that were dated by the actors are all dated "1926." We were informed by the dealer that these photographs came from a film collector in Germany who acquired the postcards at the time they were issued and then had them signed by the respective actors when he met them in person. We are now pleased to make these vintage original postcards available to other collectors. Charles Willy Kayser was born on January 28, 1881 in Metz, Lorraine, Germany. He was an actor and director, known for Die Autofahrt unter der Erde (1920), Tschetschensen-Rache (1921) and Waterloo (1929). He made his public debut as a lyric baritone in 1898 and became a busy German stage and screen actor and occasional director, primarily active during the 1920's and 1930's. Allegedly arrested for espionage by the Russians close to the outbreak of World War I, he was transported to Siberia and managed to escape, making his way back to Germany. He died on July 10, 1942. Ross-Verlag in Berlin was a German publishing house specialized in photographs and photo postcards of artists. The owner of the company was Heinrich Ross (b. 10 August 1870; d. after 1954 as emigrant in the USA).