Vintage original 3.5 x 5.25 in. "country of origin" German Ross Verlag postcard from the classic 1920's silent film production of FAUST, released in Germany in 1926 by UFA and directed by the renowned F.W. Murnau.

The image features a beautiful publicity shot of the film's leading lady, the beautiful German born actress Camilla Horn, in costume as "Gretchen," as she strikes a reverent pose that is enhanced by the strong side-lighting. This postcard was boldly signed in black ink by Camilla Horn in, we believe, 1926 (see "Provenance" below). Printed by the renowned Ross-Verlag company of Berlin, Germany, this vintage original "country of origin" postcard is unused in very fine condition.

Provenance: 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.

The daughter of a railroad official, Camilla Horn was educated in Germany and Switzerland. She initially trained as a dressmaker and received her firstj ob experience in a fashion salon in Erfurt. This was merely a stepping stone for a performing career which began with dance lessons in Berlin and subsequent acting studies under Lucie Höflich. The lithe, blonde and strikingly beautiful Camilla soon appeared in cabaret revues staged by Rudolf Nelson.By 1926, she was employed as an extra at Ufa, where she was spotted by the director F.W. Murnau, who found in her the ideal representation of "Gretchen" for his seminal production of Faust (1926), which catapulted her to instant stardom.

Within a year, she was signed by United Artists in Hollywood, befriending Charles Chaplin and, more importantly, studio chairman Joseph M. Schenck. The friendship with Schenck may or may not have led to an affair -- depending on which story one is to believe -- but it did result in two high-profile starring roles opposite John Barrymore in the torrid melodramas Tempest (1928) and Eternal Love (1929), both produced by Schenck (though neither was a commercial success). With the coming of sound, Camilla returned to Europe, briefly appearing onstage in London and Paris, before resuming her screen career in Germany. As the1930's went on, she rarely turned down a role, playing anything from baronesses and fashion models to vamps and "fallen women." While the quality of her films was variable, there were several noteworthy standouts, such as Hans in allen Gassen (1930), opposite Hans Albers, TheLast Waltz (1934), and FahrendesVolk (1938) (as a circus artiste, again with Albers).

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).