Vintage original 3.5 x 5.25 in. German postcard depicting the handsome German silent film actor, ALPHONS FRYLAND. He is depicted in an exterior publicity shot seated behind the wheel of a vintage convertible wearing driving gloves and a cap as he looks at the viewer. This postcard was signed in blue ink by Alphons Fryland in, we believe, 1926 (see "Provenance" below), the year in which he appeared in five silent films in Germany. Printed by the renowned Ross-Verlag company of Berlin, this vintage original postcard was posted in the German mail and cancelled on February 2, 1926. It is in very fine condition with a small fingerprint smudge just above his signature. There are no tears, stains, or other flaws. Silent Cinema Inc. (the seller here) guarantees the authenticity of Alphons Fryland's signature. 

Provenance: Approximately 8 years ago, 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.

Alphons Fryland (May 1, 1888 –November 29, 1953) was born in Vienna, Austria-Hungary. He was an actor, known for Quo Vadis? (1924), Die Insel der Träume (1925), and Der Geliebte seiner Frau (1928), appearing in 47 films between 1921 and 1933. He entered the film business through director Fritz Freisler and made his debut in 1920 with Die Jagd nach dem Glück for the Vienna Sascha-Film. With it began his comet-like rise to a star of the German-Austria film. It followed many other roles in the following years, very often at the Austrian silent movie star Liane Haid's side. The arising sound film had brought his career to an end and he retired from the film business. He was married to Magdalena Stemann and died on November 29, 1953 in Graz, Austria. 

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 as emigrant in the USA).