Antique & Vintage Postcards

Multi-view advertising postcard for Franzl's Club und Ballhaus at Heinestraße 12/13 in St. Pauli, Hamburg — three views showing the street facade of the Gesellschaftshaus W. Franzl, an elegant chandeliered ballroom set for dining, and a billiard room with trophy-lined walls. St. Pauli's Heinestraße was part of Hamburg's waterfront entertainment and social club district at the turn of the century, and establishments like Franzl's catered to Hamburg's merchant and maritime bourgeoisie with dining, dancing, and billiards. Published by Gebr. Israel of Hamburg, the card was sent as a birthday greeting — someone wrote "Glück und..." and birthday wishes, the Wasserkaante (waterfront) and Tante Hedwig mentioned in the margins, a small domestic drama amid the grandeur. Posted to a hotel in the Taunus hills.