Rare Famous Silent Movie Stars by Ruby Magazine Trade Cards in 1923 Mary Pickford Lillian Gish Pauline Frederick

Sample scan

In the early days of the movie industry the actors and actresses who appeared in films were not publicized as they are now. The studios feared that if they made them famous in their own right they may become too powerful and demand bigger salaries. In a similar vein, the early trading card and cigarette card issuers did not credit the visual artists who helped produce the illustrations for the cards.

Florence Lawrence became very popular as the leading lady in Biograph studio movies, despite the fact that her name was never revealed. To the audience she was simply known as “The Biograph Girl”. Fans began writing in to the studio asking for the name of the mysterious girl. In a move to lure her away from Biograph, Carl Laemmle promised to make her the first performer to be identified by name on screen and in film advertising, and so the first true movie star was born in 1910. Despite having appeared in more than 270 films and laying the foundations for future film stars, she was laid in an unmarked grave and her movie accomplishments were largely forgotten.

Miss Lawrence’s successor as the “Biograph Girl” was Mary Pickford, who quickly became a global phenomenon. This set of cards features Pickford and many of her contemporaries.

Ruby (Periodical), Famous Film Stars , 1923 (6 cards)

Includes:Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Norma Talmadge, Constance Talmadge, Pauline Frederick, Anita Stewart

If you would like to find out more about the classic silent movie era icons and legends featured in this blog please click here.
Thank you for reading my blog and I hope you found it interesting!