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THE MINIATURE COLLECTING CARDS
(Mäppchenfotos)

 

INTRODUCTION

In 1933 Ross was starting to publish a brandnew product line, the so-called “Mäppchenfotos” (“Package photos”) or “Filmsterne” (“Filmstars”), a very charming and popular miniature collection. More than 700 different sets have been produced throughout the thirties. The regular size of those mini cards was 4,5 x 7,0 cm. One package contained 10 different little photographs in black and white with a white margin. The issue price was 35 German pennies per pack. The miniatures were delivered in a pastel green and blue cardboard which could be opened at the reverse side (insert flap). The front side mentioned the artist's name, the publishing company Ross, the package number and the quantity of containing photographs. An oval cutaway exposed a visible segment of the first picture within the pack.

Ross didn't wait very long until the first pack on Garbo was produced, the nineth of their new production line. In the following 5 years Ross was distributing several sets on Garbo. Finally 22 miniature packs were available, produced between 1933 and 1938, starting with number 9 and ending with number 707.

The most motifs of the miniature cards haven't been used for the regular cards. Ross published a lot of new material here and pleased all collectors additionally.

Not all 22 sets had the same kind of miniatures regarding size, layout or price. In 1936 Ross published a special set with another format. That bigger size was 5,5 x 8,5 cm and cost 5 pennies more. The pack number was 309 with an orange wrapping. And that special set contained not 10 but just 6 cards only. 5 of them portray ANNA KARENINA scenes and the 6 th one (don't ask why) is related to THE PAINTED VEIL.

In 1937 the company produced the one and only set containing 10 handcolored miniatures in a red wrap with pack number 432. All 10 issues portrayed Garbo in CAMILLE. The format showed the regular size again and the price was also 40 pennies. Such a handtinted layout became more and more popular. Collectors who didn't like that manual color could get rid of it by putting the miniatures in cold water. After a while the light color was rinsed off and the result was a black and white card.

The biggest problem regarding numbering is the fact that all miniatures do n o t carry any numbers!!! The only indication for a special card set was the number on the wrap itself. As you can imagine that concept could cause a lot of confusion. Whenever people exchanged or replaced single miniatures out of a specific set, no one was able to check that anymore as long as there wasn't a comparison possible with another original pack of the same number. It also meant that loose miniatures which were bought without wrap or which were swapped with other persons couldn't get identified anymore. The only way to be sure to keep an original set of a certain number in hands was to order it directly from Ross via mailorder or to buy it at a stationery store or cigarette shop where Ross products were sold.

Regarding Garbo we got 20 sets in black and white with 10 miniatures each, 1 set with 6 bigger issues and 1 colorized pack containing 10 pieces again. So we have a grand total of 216 available Ross miniature collecting cards showing Greta.

All 216 miniatures show Greta in 8 silent film scenes or in private moments, the rest of the entire collection is dedicated to her talkies, starting from ANNA CHRISTIE to CONQUEST.

The most issues are referred to CAMILLE, particularly with regard to the additional colorized pack no. 432.

 
 

Silent movies / Private moments
 



 

 


 

Anna Christie
 


 

Romance
 

 

 


 

Inspiration
 



 


 

Susan Lenox
 



 


 

Mata Hari
 


 

Grand Hotel
   


 

As You Desire Me
 





 

 


 

Queen Christina
 





 


 

The Painted Veil
 











 

 

 

 

 

Anna Karenina
 













 

 

 

 


 

Camille
 



















 

 

 

 


 

Conquest
   
















 

 

 How the original packs look like.

     

4,5 cm x 7,0 cm
black/white, high glossy
former salesprice per package:
35 (40 for the colorized and larger sized cards) German pennies

 

9

(1933)

10

(green package)

39

10

(green package)

59

10

(green package)

79

10

(green package)

99

(1934)

10

(green package)

122

10

(green package)

148

10

(green package)

171

(1935)

10

(green package)

201

10

(green package)

248

10

(green package)

252

10

(green package)

309

(1936)

6

(orange package 5,5 cm x 8,5)

355

10

(green package)

406

(1937)

10

(green package)

421

10

(green package)

432

10

(red package colorized)

484

10

(green package)

528

(1938)

10

(green package)

550

10

(green package)

561

10

(green package)

601

10

(green package)

707

10

(green package)

    22 packages           =          216 mini cards

 

 
 
Postcards
  Introduction   
  Garbo Postcards  
  Introduction   
Ross Verlag
 
      Introduction   
      The Regular Postcards   
      The Scene Postcards   
      The Luxury Cards   
      The K-Cards   
      The Mini Collecting Cards   
      The Colorized Cards   
      The Ross Related Cards   
      Complete GG Ross List   
      Epilogue   
Iris   
Ballerini & Fratini   
Bonnist & Zonen   
Picturegoer   
Cinemagazine   
EMBR   
Europe   
G.B. Falci   
Jospe   
Other Publishing Companies   
New Publishing Companies   
Swiftsure Postcards 2000   

 

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