The "Pictures Portrait Gallery" and early "Picturegoer" postcards

12th October 2026

Michele

Greetings to my fellow card collectors. And I hope you enjoy browsing our website.

This is a listing which began many years ago in conjunction with Harry Shaw and David Williams, and it is uploaded here in both their memories.

It all starts with “Pictures For The Picturegoer”, a magazine which was first published by Odhams in 1911, though it was hardly a magazine, and definitely nothing like the glossy ones we know of today, it was really just a newspaper, offering short synopses of current films. However it was very popular, and demand was such that the same publisher started to print a sister magazine entitled “The Picturegoer - the Picture Theatre Weekly Magazine”, Volume 1 number 1 of which is dated “week ending SATURDAY OCT. 11, 1913”, cost 1d., and was, thereafter, issued every Sunday, not only endeavouring to list where the films were playing, but dealing with films that were to come.

These two film magazines ran alongside each other for a short while, until the issue dated 14 February 1914. Then, the next issue, dated 21st of February 1914, was instead issue number one of “Pictures AND The Picturegoer”, and it was through that magazine that these postcards were first issued.

Section 1 - sepia matt photogravures with 85 Long Acre Address

Group 1.1 -

Cards numbered 1-42. Backs printed in black. The first two lines of the inscription on the reverse reads “PICTURES” PORTRAIT GALLERY. No. xx / Published by PICTURES, LTD., 85, Long Acre, London." - with the publisher`s name entirely in upper case lettering. The third line varies, sometimes it is a photographer`s credit, sometimes it is a film company, and occasionally it is missing entirely. We cite this third line, in italics, at the end of each card in the following listings

1. Katherine Lee - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
2. Gladys Brockwell - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
3. Virginia Pearson - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
4. Theda Bara - By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
5. Jane Lee - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
6. Jewel Carmen - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
7. Miriam Cooper - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
8. George Walsh - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
9. William Farnum - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
10. Jewel Carmen - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
11. Valeska Suratt - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
12. June Caprice - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
13. Tom Mix - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
14. Dustin Farnum - "By permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd"
15. William S Hart - "By permission of The Western Import Co. Ltd"
16. Charles Ray - "By permission of The Western Import Co. Ltd"
17. Louise Lovely - "By permission of Granger`s Exclusives, Ltd"
18. Gerald Ames - no third line
19. Mae Marsh - "By permission of The Western Import Co. Ltd."
20. Bessie Barriscale - "By permission of The Western Import Co. Ltd."
21. Mildred Harris - "By permission of The Western Import Co. Ltd."
22. William Desmond - "By permission of The Western Import Co. Ltd."
23. Dorothy Dalton - "By permission of The Western Import Co. Ltd."
24. Peggy Hyland - "By permission of The Fox Film Co. Ltd."
25. Jack Mulhall - "By permission of The Transatlantic Film Coy., Ltd".
26. Ben Wilson- "By permission of The Transatlantic Film Coy., Ltd".
27. Gale Henry- "By permission of The Transatlantic Film Coy., Ltd".
28. Neva Gerber - "By permission of The Transatlantic Film Coy., Ltd".
29. Zoe Rae - "By permission of The Transatlantic Film Coy., Ltd".
30. Carmel Myers- "By permission of The Transatlantic Film Coy., Ltd".
31. Eddie Polo - "By permission of The Transatlantic Film Coy., Ltd".
32. Eddie Polo & Vivian Reed - "By permission of The Transatlantic Film Coy., Ltd".
33. L - KO Beauties - "By permission of The Transatlantic Film Coy., Ltd".
34. Ivy Close - "By permission of Elwin Neame, Ltd."
35. Ivy Close - "By permission of Elwin Neame, Ltd."
36. Miss Violet Hopson - "By permission of Claude Harris, Ltd."
37. Miss Violet Hopson - "By permission of Claude Harris, Ltd."
38. Norman Howard - "By permission of Claude Harris, Ltd."
39. Miss Lilian Braithwaite - "By permission of Claude Harris, Ltd."
40. Mr Ben Webster - "By permission of Claude Harris, Ltd."
41. Miss Eve Balfour - "By permission of Claude Harris, Ltd."
42. Gabys Deslys - "By permission of Claude Harris, Ltd."

Group 1.2 -

Cards numbered 43-101. Backs printed in brown. The first two lines of the inscription on the reverse reads “PICTURES” PORTRAIT GALLERY. No. xx / Published by Pictures, Ltd, 85, Long Acre, London." Note that on these cards the publisher`s name has changed to upper and lower case lettering. The third line varies, sometimes it is a photographer`s credit, sometimes it is a film company, and occasionally it is missing entirely. We cite this third line, in italics, at the end of each card in the following listings-

43. Aurele Sydney - no third line
44. Mary Pickford - no third line
45. Sessue Hayakawa - no third line
46. not yet seen
47. Jack Jarman - "Photo Randal Terraneau"
48. Bert Wynne - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
49. Mary Odette - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
50. Minna Grey - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
51. Malvina Longfellow - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
52. Constance Worth - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
53. Gwynne Herbert - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
54. Manora Thew - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
55. Owen Nares - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
56. Peggy Paterson - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
57. Queenie Thomas - no third line
58. Stewart Rome - "By permission of Broadwest Films Ltd"
59. Stewart Rome - "By permission of Broadwest Films Ltd"
60. Enid Bennett - no third line
61. Enid Bennett - no third line
62. The Editor of Pictures as a French artist at the Film Ball - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
63. The Pictures Answers Man born 1815 still going strong - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
64. Lavender Lee the Pictures Girl as a ballerina at the Film Ball - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
65. Olga Petrova - no third line
66. Betty Compson - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd."
67. Harry Carey - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd."
68. Gregory Scott - "By Permission of Broadwest Films Ltd"
69. Ernie Shields - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd."
70. Dorothy Davenport - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd."
71. Monroe Salisbury - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd."
72. Mary Dibley - "Photo Army & Navy Stores"
73. Neal Hart - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd"
74. Anna Pavlova - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd"
75. Dorothy Phillips - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd"
76. Arline Pretty - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd"
77. Mildred Harris - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd"
78. Fritzi Brunette - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd"
79. Edith Roberts - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd"
80. Merta Sterling - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd"
81. Lilian & Myra Aberg - "Photo Claude Harris Ltd"
82. Herbert Rawlinson - "By permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd"
83. Molly Malone - "By permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd"
84. Pearl White - "By Permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd."
85. Elinor Fair - "By Permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd."
86. Madlaine Traverse - "By Permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd."
87. Pearl White - "By Permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd."
88. Pearl White - "By Permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd."
89. Mr & Mrs Carter De Haven - "By Permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd."
90. Gertrude Selby - "By Permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd."
91. Francis Carpenter - "By Permission of The Fox Film Co., Ltd."
92. Helen Gibson - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd."
93. Kingsley Benedict - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd."
94. Edna Purviance - no third line
95. Christine Maitland - no third line
96. William Russell - "By permission of The Fox Film Co. Ltd."
97. Harry Gribbon - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd."
98. Fannie Ward - no third line
99. Annette Kellerman - "By permission of The Fox Film Co. Ltd."
100. Ruth Clifford - "By Permission of The Trans-Atlantic Film Coy., Ltd."
101. Albert Ray - "By Permission of The Fox Film Co. Ltd."

Group 1.3 -

Allied to these cards, still with the "85 Long Acre" Address, and also titled "Pictures AND The Picturegoer", are other postcards of "Pictures" staff. However these are in a totally different style, having no framelines to the picture and just a title in the bottom border, whilst the reverses have “PRINTED IN ENGLAND” in the stamp square, and are headed with “address only to be here”. To the left-hand edge, it says “Photo by Elwin Neame”, and he was already mentioned on the main set, for he photographed two cards [of his wife, Ivy Close], these being numbered 34 and 35.

We know that the Editor appears as card 62 of the Pictures Portrait Gallery, dressed as a French Artist at the Film Ball. What we do not know is whether it is the Secretary and Postcard Manager who wears the glamorous yet grisly garb of the Answers Man, but it well might be. Neither cards are mentioned in the magazine. We imagine they could have been enclosed with or used for correspondence, perhaps from letters to the Editor, or sent with postcards from the Secretary and Postcard Manager.

Two staff members have been seen so far and these show

The Editor of Pictures AND the Picturegoer” - Fred Dangerfield - this is found personally signed and unsigned
The Secretary and Postcard Manager of Pictures AND the Picturegoer” - G Southwood - this has so far only been found unsigned

On the 27th of November, 1920, edition number 354 was suddenly re-titled "Pictures For the Picturegoer", though it remained at the same address. At this stage two sets of advertisement cards were issued with the magazine.

Group 1.4 -

The first of these was produced on very thin card, almost paper, and they have a full back vertical advert.

The top three quarters of this is for “The ONLY all Photogravure Magazine / The Picturegoer / Monthly 1/- net / 64 Pages – all superbly printed in/ Photogravure – in four colours / BRILLIANT stories and articles, joy- / ous pictures and portraits, clever / sketches and bright critical gossip cover- / ing every phase of the great motion pic- / ture industry and providing real food for / thought for the intelligent picturegoer. / ¶ Published the First of every Month / FIRST NUMBER ON SALE JANUARY 1 / Order now from your Newsagent”. Now if, as we suspect, these were teasers, these cards could well have started to be issued with that November edition. The bottom quarter of the advert was for “Pictures / FOR the Picturegoer / weekly … 3d.” “For the latest Star / Postcards, write / Pictures Ltd 85 Long Acre, W.C.2”.

These postcards show the following stars, and the images would later be used for numbered "Pictures Portrait Gallery" postcards, sometimes more than once. Those numbers appear in brackets below, behind the name

Bessie Barriscale [164], [224]
Alice Brady [162]
Lew Cody [172]
Dorothy Dalton [167]
Pauline Frederick [165]
Juanita Hansen [169]
Wm S. Hart [168], [207]
Wm S Hart [170], [223]
Peggy Hyland [160]
Bert Lytell [171]
Mae Marsh [163]
Vivian Martin [156]
Shirley Mason [161]
Eugene O`Brien [158]
Jack Pickford [157]
Gloria Swanson [166]
Norma and Constance Talmadge [159]
Clara Kimball Young [173]

Group 1.5

The second group of adverts are in a horizontal format, but they have been found on either the same thin card, almost paper as the above group of adverts, and as standard thick postcard stock. However both are proper postcards, with the advertisement only on the correspondence space and the address space left blank and usable.

The top half of the advert is for “The / Picturegoer / Monthly 1/- net / 64 pages – all superbly printed / in photogravure - in four colours / Brilliant stories and articles, joyous pictures / and portraits, clever sketches and bright / critical gossip covering every phase of the / great motion-picture industry and provid- / ing real food for thought for the intelligent / picturegoer. / OUT 1st / of every Month”. To the right hand side of the box it says “Order now from your Newsagent”. We presume that these were issued either in December 1920, or even once the magazine was available at the newsagents in January 1921.

The bottom half advertises “Pictures / for the Picturegoer / Weekly … 3d. / Latest news, sanest views and / the pick of the pictures. Photogravure cover and dou - / ble page art plate weekly. / OUT every Monday”; to the left hand side of the advert box it says “For the / latest / Star Postcards / write / Pictures Ltd. / 85 Long Acre / W.C.2.”

We also know that these advertisement cards were given away at cinemas, because we have found an example of the Dustin Farnum card with an additional rubberstamped advert for TOOTING ELECTRIC PAVILION.

This group of postcards shows the following stars, and the images would, like the preceding group, later be used for numbered "Pictures Portrait Gallery" postcards. Those numbers appear in brackets below, behind the name

May Allison [9/189] (thick)
Gerald Ames [9/194] (thick)
Fatty Arbuckle [9/192] (thick) - from “The Round-Up” (7 Nov.1921)
Enid Bennett [9/190] - also used on the Bucktrout first series of "Cinema Stars" as card 13
Billie Burke [9/188] (thick)
Dorothy Dalton [180] (thick)
Marion Davies [9/193] (thick)
Douglas Fairbanks [178] (thick)
William Farnum [179] (thin) – also found with two line rubberstamped advert for "Tooting / Electric Pavilion"
Geraldine Farrar [9/187] (thick)
Pauline Frederick [182] (thick)
Dorothy Gish [9/185] (thick)
Wm S Hart [9/183] (thick)
Wanda Hawley [9/191] (thick)
Violet Hopson [9/184] - also used on the Bucktrout first series of "Cinema Stars" as card 10
Nazimova [174] (thick)
Mary Pickford [144], [181]
Anita Stewart [175] (thick)
Constance Talmadge [148], 177] (thin)
Norma Talmadge [9/186] (thick) - from “The New Moon” (1919)
Clara Kimball Young [176] (thick) (thin)

Group1.6

We have also discovered an example of the Gerald Ames card with another overprinted advert, for Provincial Cinematograph Theatres. It is exactly the same advertisement that appears on the later triple advert cards of Gladys Brockwell - and on the card of Bebe Daniels, except that in her case the cinema is different - and it reads : "A / HAPPY / CHRISTMAS / and / A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR / to all our Patrons / HAPPINESS is akin to Prosperity. – We are going to give you an in- / fallible prescription for happiness / every week throughout the coming / year. The world’s best pictures / will be shown at this Theatre. / The Central Picture House / Prospect Street / HULL

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Section 2 - sepia matt photogravures with 88 Long Acre Address

Group 2.1 -

Cards numbered 102-183. Backs printed in brown. The first two lines of the inscription on the reverse reads “PICTURES” PORTRAIT GALLERY. No. xx / Published by Pictures, Ltd., 88, Long Acre, London." - with the publisher`s name in upper and lower case lettering. There is no third line on this inscription.

102. Carol Holloway
103. Nazimova - image also used on the Bucktrout first series of "Cinema Stars" as card 21
104. Jack Holt
105. Ethel Clayton
106. Pauline Frederick - image also used on the Bucktrout first series of "Cinema Stars" as card 18
107. Douglas Fairbanks
108. William S Hart - image also used on the Bucktrout first series of "Cinema Stars" as card 39 - taken from "The Bargain", 1914, re-released in 1920
109. Anna Q. Nilsson
110. Louise Lovely
111. Anita Stewart
112. Priscilla Dean
113. George Walsh
114. Lillian Gish
115. Bessie Love
116. Blanche Sweet
117. Langhorne Burton
118. Madge Kennedy
119. William Farnum
120. Mabel Normand
121. Elsie Ferguson
122. Richard Barthelmess
123. Elmo Lincoln
124. Tom Moore
125. Marie Walcamp
126. Earle Williams
127. Dorothy Gish
128. Billie Burke
129. Lionelle Howard
130. Norma Talmadge
131. Margarita Fisher
132. Marguerite Clark
133. Antonio Moreno
134. Mary Pickford
135. Robert Warwick
136. Thomas Meighan
137. Warren Kerrigan
138. Jewel Carmen
139. Tom Mix
140. Alice Joyce - image also used on the Bucktrout first series of "Cinema Stars" as card 8
141. June Caprice
142. Charles Chaplin
143. Charles Chaplin
144. Mary Pickford - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 181
145. Wallace Reid
146. Theda Bara
147. Mary Pickford
148. Constance Talmadge - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 177
149 Mary Miles Minter
150. Mary Pickford
151. Charles Ray
152. Douglas Fairbanks - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 153
153. Douglas Fairbanks - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 152
154. Viola Dana
155. Eddie Polo - also used on the Bucktrout first series of "Cinema Stars" as card 31
156. Vivian Martin - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
157. Jack Pickford - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
158. Eugene O`Brien - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
159. Norma & Constance Talmadge - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
160. Peggy Hyland - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
161. Shirley Mason - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
162. Alice Brady- same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
163. Mae Marsh - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
164. Bessie Barriscale - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 224
165. Pauline Frederick - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
166. Gloria Swanson - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
167. Dorothy Dalton - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
168. Wm S. Hart - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 207
169. Juanita Hansen - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
170. Wm S Hart - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 223
171. Bert Lytell - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
172. Lew Cody - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
173. Clara Kimball Young - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
174. Nazimova - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
175. Anita Stewart - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
176. Clara Kimball Young - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
177. Constance Talmadge - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 148
178. Douglas Fairbanks - same picture as on the vertical dual advertisement postcards
179. William Farnum - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
180. Dorothy Dalton - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards
181. Mary Pickford - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 144
182. Pauline Frederick - same picture as on the vertical advertisement postcards

Group 2.2 -

These cards suddenly have a prefix, and are numbered 9/183-9/194. Backs printed in brown. The first two lines of the inscription on the reverse reads “PICTURES” PORTRAIT GALLERY. No. xx / Published by Pictures, Ltd., 88, Long Acre, London." - with the publisher`s name in upper and lower case lettering. There is no third line on this inscription.

9/183. Wm S Hart
9/184. Violet Hopson - also used on the Bucktrout first series of "Cinema Stars" as card 10
9/185. Dorothy Gish
9/186. Norma Talmadge - from “The New Moon” (1919)
9/187. Geraldine Farrar
9/188. Billie Burke
9/189. May Allison
9/190. Enid Bennett - also used on the Bucktrout first series of "Cinema Stars" as card 13
9/191. Wanda Hawley
9/192. Fatty Arbuckle - from “The Round-Up” (UK release date 7 November 1921)
9/193. Marion Davies - from "Cecilia of the Pink Roses" (UK release date 2 June 1918)
9/194. Gerald Ames

Group 2.3 -

These cards have a different prefix, and are numbered 10/195-10/206. Backs printed in brown. The first two lines of the inscription on the reverse reads “PICTURES” PORTRAIT GALLERY. No. xx / Published by Pictures, Ltd., 88, Long Acre, London." - with the publisher`s name in upper and lower case lettering. There is no third line on this inscription. This group are all totally new subjects, including two oval portraits, which are marked below

10/195. Eileen Sedgwick
10/196. Eileen Percy - picture was front cover of “Pictures For The Picturegoer” #369 – dated 12 March 1921
10/197. Bebe Daniels
10/198. Marguerite Clark
10/199. Marjorie Daw
10/200. Ruth Roland [oval portrait]
10/201. Natalie Talmadge
10/202. Corinne Griffith
10/203. Conway Tearle - possibly from "Marooned Hearts" (UK release date 1920)
10/204. Will Rogers - also used on the Bucktrout second series of "Cinema Stars" as card 1
10/205. George Cheseboro - picture was front cover of “Pictures For The Picturegoer” #373 – dated 9 April 1921
10/206. Gladys Brockwell [oval portrait]

Group 2.4 -

These cards have a prefix, and are numbered 11/207-11/224. Backs printed in brown. The first two lines of the inscription on the reverse reads “PICTURES” PORTRAIT GALLERY. No. xx / Published by Pictures, Ltd., 88, Long Acre, London." - with the publisher`s name in upper and lower case lettering. There is no third line on this inscription. They include seven more oval portrait miniatures, which are marked below

11/207. Wm. S Hart - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 168
11/208. Lillian Gish
11/209. Douglas MacLean - picture was front cover of “Pictures For The Picturegoer” #374 – dated 16 April 1921
11/210. Mildred Harris
11/211. Doris May
11/212. Franklyn Farnum
11/213. Katherine Lee [oval portrait] - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" photographic series card 8
11/214. Harry Houdini [oval portrait]
11/215. Peggy Hyland [oval portrait]
11/216. Ralph Graves [oval portrait]
11/217. Lila Lee [oval portrait]
11/218. Francelia Billington [oval portrait]
11/219. Katherine McDonald[oval portrait]
11/220. Dustin Farnum - in The Primal Law (1921)
11/221. Mae Marsh
11/222. Elmo Lincoln - similar front to PPG 123, background differs
11/223. Wm S Hart - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 170
11/224. Bessie Barriscale - image also used as "Pictures Portrait Gallery" card 164

Group 2.5 -

This is the third group of adverts, once more in a horizontal format, and once more proper postcards, with the advertisement only on the correspondence space and the address space left blank and usable. They have only been found on thick card. After much discussion we believe that these were issued after their "Pictures Portrait Gallery" numbered versions, because of the additional cross over advert for the magazine, "Film Fiction", which was not issued until August 1921.

The top half of the advert is for “The / Picturegoer / Monthly OUT 1st / of every Month”.

The bottom half advertises “Pictures / for the Picturegoer / OUT every Monday". to the left hand side of the advert box it says “For the / latest / Star Postcards / write / Pictures Ltd. / 88 Long Acre / W.C.2.” [Note that the price of this magazine has been reduced by 1d., and is now just 2d. weekly].

Between and across these is now a third advertisement for "Film Fiction twelve complete stories and thrilling serial OUT on the 25th of every month".

All the names in the above group with the 10/ prefix, except Will Rogers, have been found issued with this triple advert back. They are :

Gladys Brockwell [10/206]
George Cheseboro [10/205]
Marguerite Clark [10/198]
Bebe Daniels [10/197]
Marjorie Daw [10/199]
Corinne Griffith [10/202]
Eileen Percy [10/196]
Ruth Roland [10/200]
Eileen Sedgwick [10/195]
Natalie Talmadge [10/201]
Conway Tearle [10/203]

Group 2.6 -

We have also discovered some of the above cards with a different overprinted advert, for Provincial Cinematograph Theatres, or PCT, a company formed in 1909 with its head office in London.

Its aim was to provide a cinema in every British city centre, and hopefully provincial town, and by 1929, when they were acquired by Gaumont-British, they had over three hundred cinemas, many of which were very high class, featuring full orchestra accompaniment, smoking lounges, and writing desks with free stationery, perhaps even a selection of these cards on a night just before Christmas ....?

The advert on the reverse of Eileen Percy, showing here, is the most interesting datewise, as the PCT took over the Newcastle Picture House in 1919, and renamed it Grey Street Picture House in June 1922. Therefore these cards must date to the Christmas of 1921, The Picturegoer not being OUT in Christmas 1920, and the cinema being renamed by Christmas 1922

These cards, and adverts, are :

Gladys Brockwell - "A/ HAPPY / CHRISTMAS / and / A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR / to all our Patrons / HAPPINESS is akin to Prosperity. – We are going to give you an in- / fallible prescription for happiness / every week throughout the coming / year. The world’s best pictures / will be shown at this Theatre. / The Central Picture House / Prospect Street / HULL"
(this is the same advert as appears on the card of Gerald Ames in section 1.6)
Bebe Daniels - "A/ HAPPY / CHRISTMAS / and / A PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR / to all our Patrons / HAPPINESS is akin to Prosperity. – We are going to give you an in- / fallible prescription for happiness / every week throughout the coming / year. The world’s best pictures / will be shown at this Theatre. / The PICTURE HOUSE / Granby Street / LEICESTER
(this is the same advert as above but for a different cinema)
Eileen Percy - card showing above - "THE / WORLD`S GREATEST / FILM STARS / SEND YOU / CHRISTMAS GREETINGS / AND the management have/pleasure in announcing that they / will all appear in their best and / latest pictures during the coming / year at / The Newcastle Picture House / Grey Street / NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE
Natalie Talmadge - "To our patrons - / "the / compliments of the season" / in offering you seasonable greet- / ings the management is pleased to / announce that the programme for / the coming year will include all / the finest pictures and the greatest / film stars of the world. / The Picture House / Coney Street / York

Group 2.7 -

Cards numbered 227-238. Backs printed in brown. The one line of the inscription on the reverse reads “No. xx. Published by "The Picturegoer", 88, Long Acre, London.".

We have not yet found a reference to these cards in any magazine, but they follow on almost exactly from the "Pictures Portrait Gallery", which ended at card number 224, as they start with card number 227.

227. Rudolph Valentino
228. Mary Philbin
229. Reginald Denny
230. Ramon Novarro
231. Jackie Coogan - different style front with large bottom border
232. Harold Lloyd
233. Norma Talmadge
234. John Barrymore
235. Alice Terry
236. Betty Compson
237. Gloria Swanson
238. Corinne Griffith

As for cards 225 and 226, we suspect that they may have been issued unnumbered, either as a trial or an error, as two similar cards have been found, namely

Alice Calhoun - front with framelines, almost identical to the other cards
Helen Chadwick - front without framelines, thinner borders, and a smaller font to the front title

Group 2.8 -

Two of these cards are found with advert backs. These are :

233. Norma Talmadge -
"See me as "The Lady", at the Tower Cinema, Peckham, / throughout the week commenc- / ing September 14th. In the / same Programme is Pola Negri / and Adolphe Menjou in "For- / bidden Paradise." / NORMA TALMADGE.
The film "The Lady" was released in New York on January the 25th, 1925 and across America on February 8, 1925. I can only find "mid 1925" as a UK release date.
The film "Forbidden Paradise" was released in America on November 30th, 1924, but there is no record of its UK release date, only that it was but a short run.
236. Betty Compson -
"I am appearing at the Tower / Cinema, Peckham, September / 7th, 8th and 9th, supporting / Adolph Menjou in "The Fast / Set". I hope you can make it / convenient to be present. / Yours / Betty Compson". This film was released for the American market on October the 20th, 1924, and for the British Market on November the 15th, 1924

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Section 3 - real photographs with 88 Long Acre Address

Group 3.1 -

Cards numbered A.1-A.25. Backs printed in black. The first two lines of the inscription on the reverse reads “PICTURES” PORTRAIT GALLERY. No. A.xx / Published by PICTURES, LTD., 88, Long Acre, London, W.C.2" - with the publisher`s name entirely in upper case lettering.

These cards were advertised in "The Picturegoer" magazine in June 1922, two months before "Pictures" as a magazine would disappear. They were listed as "Deluxe Glossy Coloured Postcards of the following players" and there was a list of the cards but not in alphabetical, nor number order. In actual fact the reverse of the card has a line that reads "Actuel Photographs Handcoloured", and they were indeed hand painted with colour sections, presumably in France, as the stamp square says "PRINTED IN FRANCE".

The whole set was available post free for six shillings, but they could also be bought separately for 3d. each, postage extra.

The cards were :

A1. Will Rogers
A2. Charles Ray
A3. Buck Jones
A4. William Farnum
A5. Priscilla Dean
A6. Pearl White
A7. Mary Miles Minter
A8. Katherine Lee - similar front to PPG 213
A9. Norma Talmadge
A10. Nazimova
A11. Tom Mix
A12. William S Hart
A13. Johnny Jones & Lucille Ricksen -
sometimes found with an additional printed line :"MITCHELL`S ENGLISH BOOK-STORE, CANGALLO 580 BUENOS AIRES"
A14. Gladys Walton
A15. Virginia Lee Corben - listed in the magazine advertisement as Virginia Lee Corbyn
A16. Pauline Frederick
A17. Dorothy Gish
A18. H B Warner
A19. Sessue Hayakawa
A20. Eddie Lyons
A21. Clara Kimball Young
A22. Anita Stewart
A23. Mary Pickford
A24. Ora Carew
A25. Enid Bennett

Group 3.2 -

We discovered one odd brown glossy photographic postcard along our travels, which is not mentioned in the magazine. It has four borders, and in the bottom right hand corner of the bottom border it says PICTURES LTD 88 LONG ACRE, LONDON. The reverse is totally different to the PPG cards, saying REAL PHOTO POST CARD BRITISH MADE in three lines at the top and an address only header. On the left hand side it says "Pictures Ltd, 88 Long Acre, London". We presume there must be more of these yet to discover!

Wyndham Standing