Does anyone have information about the history of movie star postcards, particularly of the silent film and early sound era (such as the Real Photo postcards)? How or where did moviegoers acquire or collect them? Where were they sold - news stands, drug stores, movie theatres? Or were they promotional giveaways?
I've bought many of them myself on ebay, but don't have any idea about how they were sold or distributed back when they were originally produced. Most of them that I see are unused - not written on or mailed to someone else - so it seems they may have been intended as something for movie fans to collect from the beginning?
I've found lots of images and cards for sale online, but no context. Any help would be much appreciated!
Nancy