tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post4011128765720260065..comments2023-09-12T11:22:50.667-07:00Comments on The Thrift Shop Romantic: Yesterday's Starlets: Actress Postcards from Stage to Silent ScreenJenn Thorsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12899242535971792424noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-6742267648975013012008-06-11T09:41:00.000-07:002008-06-11T09:41:00.000-07:00The comment I'm leaving here is because I had the ...The comment I'm leaving here is because I had the delightful good fortune to receive email today from actress Curigwen Lewis' granddaughter, Blue MacAskill, who came across this post and kindly shared some additional information about her fascinating grandmother. <BR/><BR/>Ms. MacAskill kindly has let me reproduce her comments here, and I thought you all would enjoy reading them. The emails are as follows:<BR/><BR/>Email 1:<BR/><BR/>My name is Blue MacAskill, I tried to write on your blog, but I am no<BR/>Google emailer.<BR/><BR/>My granny is that fantastic young woman you have playing Alice in<BR/>Wonderland, around 1936 in Bristol and then on tour.<BR/><BR/>She was completely brilliant in every way, and I miss her loads.<BR/><BR/>Born in Wales in 1905, She went to RADA when she was 16, and went on to great things.<BR/><BR/>I am an artist and am working as artist-in-residence at The National<BR/>Library of Wales, near to where she was brought up in Llandrindod Wells.<BR/><BR/>Hope you find this interesting, we loved your site<BR/><BR/>best wishes<BR/>Curigwen's grand daughter<BR/>Blue MacAskill<BR/>Artist<BR/>www.bluemacaskill.com<BR/><BR/>--------------------<BR/><BR/>Second email--<BR/><BR/>She told a fab story about being Alice: it goes like this.....<BR/><BR/>"When I was doing Alice on stage and it came to the scene when I had to fall down the hole, I started saying my lines, 'ahhh, I falling....'<BR/><BR/>and one night one of the stage hands must have stopped concentrating for a second, because<BR/>he yelled across stage,<BR/>"It's alright, Miss Lewis, we've got you!"<BR/><BR/>She would hoot with laughter, and I think when she gave up acting, she<BR/>really missed it, and when she told us her stories you could she<BR/>she was there re-living the whole play, night after night...<BR/><BR/>I am sitting at my little desk, researching an article I am writing with the paper about my work and finding an article about my granny in the collection here it is a great resource:<BR/>http://www.llgc.org.uk/<BR/><BR/>All the best and hope you continue to have a great day!<BR/><BR/>B <BR/><BR/><BR/>--------------------<BR/>Thanks so much to Ms. McAskill for sharing her beautiful memories and history with us here!!Jenn Thorsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12899242535971792424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-77675193771659786122008-05-18T18:42:00.000-07:002008-05-18T18:42:00.000-07:00These are fabulous postcards,I enjoyed them a lot!...These are fabulous postcards,<BR/>I enjoyed them a lot!<BR/>JewelgirlJEWELGIRLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10229475913954848185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-30244127904213377492008-05-18T09:31:00.000-07:002008-05-18T09:31:00.000-07:00Hi, Jenn! Per norm, I'm loving it all but am stuc...Hi, Jenn! Per norm, I'm loving it all but am stuck on that first review. Hmmm. Would I rather be a pretty girl in a handsome frock or a handsome girl in a pretty frock? Not much of a contest for me - I'll be the pretty girl, how 'bout you? :-><BR/>SherAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07918473679427192500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-3131843949797524152008-05-16T15:07:00.000-07:002008-05-16T15:07:00.000-07:00Wow, just found your blog and I'm loving the topic...Wow, just found your blog and I'm loving the topic. I'm a thrift store girl myself. You can get a real rush from some of the things you find and knowing you saved money too.callmekellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05529937354780872542noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-36327244039139515192008-05-16T10:36:00.000-07:002008-05-16T10:36:00.000-07:00Vallen- thanks so much. Yes, those tinted colors j...Vallen- thanks so much. Yes, those tinted colors just are right up my alley-- so soft and they add so much. They just don't make 'em like that anymore.<BR/><BR/>Carrie- hey, thank you. I wish I'd had more time, I'm sure there is more information available out there. But really fun to see what a quick search can uncover.<BR/><BR/>Gina- You know, you're absolutely right about Bernadette Peters and Pauline Garon. Bernadette really does have that old-fashioned Kewpie or Flapper look. Excellent observation. Thanks for sharing!Jenn Thorsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12899242535971792424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-22200075535968335402008-05-16T10:24:00.000-07:002008-05-16T10:24:00.000-07:00What an intriguing post...wonderful!! Your observa...What an intriguing post...wonderful!! Your observation of Carigwen Lewis looking like Drew Barrymore is right on. It's almost spooky how similar they look.<BR/><BR/>I thought that pauling Garon looked very much like Bernadette Peters. What a fun post, thanks!<BR/>GinaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-31030079907330076742008-05-13T20:37:00.000-07:002008-05-13T20:37:00.000-07:00Wonderful research on the vintage photos.Wonderful research on the vintage photos.Carriehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17008155356923332277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-15709505868951719482008-05-13T08:36:00.000-07:002008-05-13T08:36:00.000-07:00The postcards you found are absolutely delightful ...The postcards you found are absolutely delightful in and of themselves - the tinted colors like icing on a cake. But with the additional history they are fascinating. Wouldn't you love to dress like that just once? Thanks for the tour.Vallenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09561607383264490453noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-32321687971585359622008-05-13T02:59:00.000-07:002008-05-13T02:59:00.000-07:00Jane- You know, it's hard to say. The advantage st...Jane- You know, it's hard to say. The advantage stars have now is in the fact their exposure includes television interviews and internet articles and databases instead of just print. <BR/><BR/>So I would guess that even as they lose their popularity, that background material on them will be out there for a while. I was actually surprised how many of these actresses from the 1900s had at least a small presence in the Internet Movie Database, or Wikipedia.Jenn Thorsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12899242535971792424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-91990412030790405242008-05-12T18:03:00.000-07:002008-05-12T18:03:00.000-07:00That was fascinating, thank you for sharing what y...That was fascinating, thank you for sharing what you learned.<BR/><BR/>Interesting to think that the many of the stars of today will likely be as obscure in the not~to~distant future.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-74713063105523378422008-05-12T15:45:00.000-07:002008-05-12T15:45:00.000-07:00Angela- I think Helen is developing herself a fan ...Angela- I think Helen is developing herself a fan club! :) Yes, I hope she found a guy who really appreciated her. <BR/><BR/>Pam- Yup, it's funny, we're all involved with a heartbreak of 100 years ago. There's something sort of lovely about that.Jenn Thorsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12899242535971792424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-26184633769126675542008-05-12T15:05:00.000-07:002008-05-12T15:05:00.000-07:00Wow! I love them. My favourite is Helen, soooo pre...Wow! I love them. My favourite is Helen, soooo pretty. Hope she did better than Mr Bloom in the end...Cheers...PamAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-41997842593207597802008-05-12T14:37:00.000-07:002008-05-12T14:37:00.000-07:00What a cool post! Thanks for researching these lad...What a cool post! Thanks for researching these ladies for us. I'm also wondering what happened to poor Helen. I hope she found someone else.Angela Williams Dueahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05570848895164313428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-69602827227090905632008-05-12T09:19:00.000-07:002008-05-12T09:19:00.000-07:00Hi, Shirley!- There's just a lot of cool stuff out...Hi, Shirley!- There's just a lot of cool stuff out there. It's funny, too, I haven't found any of these cards yet with actors on them, only actresses.<BR/><BR/>CreatingMyself- thanks for the visit. Yup, I totally agree how enjoyable it is to get little glimpses into peoples' lives through these cards. I collect them for that little bit of history and for the artwork. Poor, poor Helen... :)<BR/><BR/>Lidian- I'll have to look and see what the postmark was on the card-- I believe there was, but I can't recall for sure.<BR/><BR/>I read your post last week on the actress. You're a busy bee with all of your web sites!Jenn Thorsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12899242535971792424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-4239614403750964102008-05-12T08:52:00.000-07:002008-05-12T08:52:00.000-07:00Jenn, I really enjoyed this post so much! What fan...Jenn, I really enjoyed this post so much! What fantastic postcards those are...I am really intrigued about poor Helen. Was there a postmark on the card?<BR/><BR/>Funny that I wrote about an actress last week and a 1920s jazz singer yesterday - such interesting women!Lidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13719859575624565776noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-12430152804439129852008-05-12T08:04:00.000-07:002008-05-12T08:04:00.000-07:00What a neat find! I knwo most collectors consider ...What a neat find! I knwo most collectors consider unused postcards to be the most collectible but they hold little interest for me. I love reading what they wrote on them. Love reading the unrequited attention from Helen....thansk for sharing!Cami @ Creating Myselfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09493523459163870024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-3143892330325044222008-05-12T06:44:00.000-07:002008-05-12T06:44:00.000-07:00You find the most cool stuff.You find the most cool stuff.Miss Shirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15948305900722983328noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-20295007412056028062008-05-12T03:02:00.000-07:002008-05-12T03:02:00.000-07:00Mandi- thanks much for the book recommendation. It...Mandi- thanks much for the book recommendation. It would probably do me good to know more about the 20s... I'm pretty up on a decade or two earlier, but my knowledge peters out the more modern we go. :)<BR/><BR/>Heya, Le-Chat!- Thanks for the note and for stopping by-- I hope you've been well. I've enjoyed seeing some of the recent goodies you've uncovered.Jenn Thorsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12899242535971792424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-66391222425687388972008-05-11T23:59:00.000-07:002008-05-11T23:59:00.000-07:00Hey Jenn,Just wanted to say I stopped by and enjoy...Hey Jenn,<BR/>Just wanted to say I stopped by and enjoyed this post. But who doesn't like old postcards and celebrities? Just feeds the imagination!Le-Chathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14799726291277538990noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-48704679451088770812008-05-11T21:29:00.000-07:002008-05-11T21:29:00.000-07:00Those are such neat postcards, whate interesting t...Those are such neat postcards, whate interesting things you can find by a little 'googling.' <BR/><BR/>If you are interested in some early silent film starlets, last mother's day I stumbled upon this phenomal book by Joshua Zeitz called "Flapper: A Madcap Story of Sex, Style, Celebrity, and the Women Who Made America Modern" and it's a biography of lots of different people including early starlets like Clara Bow and fashion maven Coco Chanel. It's a really interesting read and may be right up your alley.Handi Dandi Mandihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03554698882699459723noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-27303921357158982792008-05-11T15:08:00.000-07:002008-05-11T15:08:00.000-07:00Don- thanks so much for stopping! I'm glad there a...Don- thanks so much for stopping! I'm glad there are folks out there who also appreciate the history behind old papers. These notes do leave a lot to the imagination-- no matter how active! :) I'd say we'll never know, but it's possible some family member of Mr. Bloom might just stumble on the page some day and wrap up the story. Ya never can be too sure.<BR/><BR/>Hi, Rosemary!<BR/>Yup, that's just what I enjoy about the cards-- the stories and histories behind the image. Thanks for the visit today.Jenn Thorsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12899242535971792424noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-49779362890496784872008-05-11T14:45:00.000-07:002008-05-11T14:45:00.000-07:00Hi Jenn,What an interesting post today!!I loved fi...Hi Jenn,<BR/>What an interesting post today!!<BR/>I loved finding out about all of those ladies. When I find old postcards, I always wonder who these people were, and what they were up to.<BR/>Have a great week,<BR/>RosemaryRosemaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00901666326985976038noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5064894231149440617.post-20627506190269812912008-05-11T13:50:00.000-07:002008-05-11T13:50:00.000-07:00That is a neat post! Especially the last one. Encu...That is a neat post! Especially the last one. Encumbered as I am by a overly active imagination, I always wonder about things like that. Did Helen get over Mr. Bloom? What happened to him? Was he simply a cad who trifled with her affections? Was there an accident? Did he finally get together with her?<BR/><BR/>I know I'll never know, but as the kind of guy who drives by lighted homes on the highway and wonders what the lives are like of the people who live there, these glimpses into the past at actresses I've never heard of are really neat. Great Post!Simon Jesterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11561943975833521547noreply@blogger.com