Gabrielle Ray – Marriage – Dartmouth and South Hams Chronicle – Friday 8th March 1912
A Picture-Postcard Favourite.
Miss. Gabrielle Ray, married on Friday in the Royal Borough of Windsor, might be called “The Queen of the Picture – Postcard” Something like 10,000,000 postcards, representing Miss Ray in thousands of poses, have been sold during the last, few years. Curiously enough, says the star, women and young girls are the principal purchasers of these cards, and the most popular pose is like one in which the pretty actress is dressed as the boy in Millais’ “Bubbles.” In addition to her picture-postcard popularity, Miss Ray is one of the most piquant personalities on the musical comedy stage. Her voice, though thin and piping, seems to have a peculiar fascination, while her dancing has a quality all its own.
Mr. Eric Loder.
The bridegroom, Mr. Eric is said to be a wealthy young man. He comes of a well-known sporting family, his uncle, Major Eustace Loder, having won the Derby with Spearmint. His brother, Mr. Basil Loder, resigned from the Army four years ago order to marry of Mr. Seymour Hicks’s “Gay Gordon” girls.
Dartmouth and South Hams Chronicle – Friday 8th March 1912
Gabrielle Ray – Engagement – The Daily Mirror – Wednesday 10th January 1912
MISS GABRIELLE RAY ENGAGED.
Gaiety Theatre Dancer to Wed Mr. Eric Loder.
QUEEN OF THE POSTCARD.
Brother of ex-Guardsman, Whose Wife Was
in Mr. Seymour Hicks’ Company.
(From Our Own Correspondent.)
PARIS, Jan. 9 – Another famous actress beauty is to marry into the ranks of the aristocracy.
I am able to announce the engagement of Miss Gabrielle Ray, the popular dancer and singer of Mr. George Edwardes’ companies, to Mr. Eric Loder, son of the late Mr. Alfred Loder, and grandson of the late Sir Robert Loder, first baronet.
Mr. Eric Loder – a tall, fair. good-looking young man, twenty-three years of age -smilingly confirmed the news of his engagement to Miss Gabrielle Ray when I saw him this afternoon. He looked very happy, but said he did not desire any fuss to be made.
No date has been fixed for the marriage, and the engagement was announced here because they happened to be in Paris at the same time. Mr. Loder is said to be very wealthy.
Miss Gabrielle Ray to-night occupied a box with her fiancé at the Olympia music hall. They were a typical good-looking English couple, Miss Ray looking radiant in an exquisitely pretty pink evening frock. “Please, no interview,” she said, in speaking to me of her engagement.
Yesterday evening Miss Gabrielle Ray, the married lady who is chaperoning her, Mr. Loder, and Mr. Eustace Parker, a friend, dined together at the Hotel Meurice.
Mr. Loder has been in Paris for four or five days, and has several times accompanied Miss Gabrielle Ray to the theatre.
BROTHER MARRIED “GAY GORDONS” GIRL.
A remarkable feature of this latest stage romance is that Mr. Loder’s brother also married a musical comedy actress.
Four years ago Mr. Basil Loder resigned his commission in the Scots Guards and married Miss Barbara Deane, one of the most charming singers in Mr. Seymour Hicks’ “Gay Gordons” company.
It is a strange coincidence that while the elder brother married one of the most accomplished singers in Mr. Seymour Hicks’ company, which added so many charming brides to the pages of Debrett, the younger brother should wed one of Mr. George Edwardes’ most delightful dancers.
But though Miss Ray is in the front rank of England’s dainty dancers, and is as well known as a singer, she must rank first and foremost as the queen of picture postcard beauties.
(Photographs, on page 9.)
LODER’S UNCLES.
Mr. Eric Loder is the nephew of many well known men.
The eldest is Sir Edmund Giles Loder, the second baronet, who succeeded his father in 1888, and has seats at Worthing and Horsham, where he preserves kangaroos and other exotic animals.
Mr. Gerald Loder, who was Unionist M.P. for Brighton from 1889 to 1905, but was defeated at a by-election after being appointed Junior Lord of the Treasury, is another uncle of the bridegroom elect; while a third is Major Eustace Loder, who won name and fame on the Turf as owner of Pretty Polly and Spearmint.
Mr. Eric Loder’s father, who died in 1905, was his day a famous athlete, and for many years was one of the only three who had run the hurdles in 16s. dead.
Mr. Loder himself is a keen motorist, and is well known to frequenters of Brooklands motor track.
PICTURE POSTCARD FAVOURITE.
Miss Gabrielle Ray, who is in her twenty-seventh year, but does not look it, made her stage debut as a child of ten at the old Princess’ Theatre.
Subsequently she played many child parts, including Cupid in “Little Red Riding Hood,” at Richmond.
Her first big part was on tour with “The Belle of New York,” when she played Mamie Clancy, in 1899 and 1900.
After understudying Miss Gertie Millar in “The Toreador” at the Gaiety, she succeeded to Miss Letti Lind’s part of Ellen in “The Girl from Kay’s,” and returned to the Gaiety in “The Orchid.”
Since then she has been associated with many of Mr. George Edwardes’ biggest successes at both his theatres, reaching the zenith of her popularity in the scene at Maxim’s of “The Merry Widow.”
OVER 1,000 POSES.
The manager of the Rotary Photograph Company told The DailyMirror last night something of Miss Gabrielle Ray’s popularity in the picture postcard world.
“It has been more than a craze, you could almost call it a fever, for at a careful estimation my firm alone has sold between 7,000,000 and 10,000,000 of her postcards.
“We have photographs of her in over a thousand poses. It is impossible to say which has been the most popular, but over 10,000 copies have been sold of her dressed as Millais’ ‘Bubbles.’
“Large photographs of her for framing purposes are sold like hot cakes at 2s. 6d. each, not in dozens, but in thousands, and the craze applies not only to London, but to every little town and village through the kingdom.”
The Daily Mirror – Wednesday 10th January 1912
Gabrielle Ray – Engagement – The Daily Mirror – Wednesday 10th January 1912
Gay Gordon Weds Guardsman – The Bystander – Wednesday 29th January 1908
Miss Barbara Deane
Of The Gay Gordons at the Aldwych, and one of the three ladies of the company whose marriage was announced last week.
Mr. Basil Loder
Of the Coldstream Guards, whose marriage to Muss Barbara Deane was announced last week.
The Bystander – Wednesday 29th January 1908
Basil Loder – The Yorkshire Evening Post – Monday 10th February 1908
THE ACTRESS AND THE GUARDSMAN.
The wedding story just published in reference to the marriage of Lieutenant Basil Loder, of the Guards, and a “Gay Gordons” actress, reads like an extract from “Ouida.”
“It quite true,” said Colonel Romilly to a representative of the “Daily Dispatch,” “that Lieutenant Basil Loder has resigned, but did so quite voluntarily. Having married an actress, be would, of course, retire from the regiment. An officer of the Guards cannot marry an actress and remain in the regiment. If a person in one rank life marries person in another rank – well!”
“And was Lieutenant Loder aware of this at the time of his marriage?”
“Certainly,” was the reply, “he knew that if married an actress h« must resign.”
The Yorkshire Evening Post – Monday 10th February 1908
Barbara Deane – The Sketch – Wednesday 29th January 1908
THE- ALDWYCH THEATRE: MATRIMONIAL OFFICE.
A TRIO OF FAIR BRIDES FROM “THE GAY GORDONS”
COMPANY.
1. MISS JENNIE BATEMAN, WHO HAS MARRIED MR. MERVYN DENE. 2. MISS MADGE HODGKINSON, WHO HAS MARRIED MR. PAUL GRISEWOOD.
3. MISS BARBARA DEANE, WHO HAS MARRIED MR. BASIL LODER, OF THE COLDSTREAM GUARDS.
There has been quite an epidemic of marriages amongst members of “The Gay Gordons” company, and it is evident that the Aldwych Theatre is an excellent matrimonial office. Mr. Charles Frohman is so interested, indeed, that he has promised to make a handsome wedding gift to the next bride in the same company, and to the next and the next, so long as there are any marriageable girls left. As we have noted, Miss Madge Hodgkinson was married to Paul Grisewood, who has taken her to America for a honeymoon trip. Miss Jennie Bateman’s husband, Mr. Mervyn Dene, plays the Marquess of Dalesbury in “The Gay Gordons.” Mr. Basil Loder, who has married Miss Barbara Deane, is a lieutenant in the Coldstream Guards. Mr. Loder’s portrait is given on another page in this issue.
The Sketch – Wednesday 29th January 1908
About
One of my main interests is a love of old pictures and postcards that give us a brief glimpse into a past and often forgotten age.
Collecting old postcard and pictures enables the viewer to glimpse a brief moment from that individual’s life; often far removed from their own either by the passage of time or social class. Social History, often described as “history from below” shows everyday people, their social structure and the interaction of different groups; like the wealthy and politicians these people helped shape and maintain society and so shape history.
Examining the images one can’t help but wonder how the individuals lived, were their lives hard compared with today and were they happy. Often the images come with little or no information that can answer these questions, one can only imagine.
With each image saved and seen by others, so that moment, that person is kept alive, our understanding is increased and so our lives are enriched.
A picture is often more descriptive than words can ever be, but how true is this, if a picture enables us to gain entry to another time, another world, will, like the view from a different window, even in the same house provide a different image?
These images allow a glimpse into another time, another era; but what preceded or followed this image? As the individuals were positioned and posed like an artist’s model is what we see truly reflective or like the slightly softened image of an aging beauty a less that truthful representation?
I am reminded of a documentary I watched several years ago regarding the returning troops from the front during the First World War. The camera images show a broken, demoralised sea of humanity, young men who having seen images that most of us hope never to witness had lost that sparkle; that zest which only youth has. But bring on the news camera and that battered returning group came to life, the smiles returned and even though muddied and bloodied their heads and bodies became erect, their arms swung in time and they demonstrated a swagger that spoke of courage, defiance and determination; an image that gave hope to the viewer.
It seems to me that even in the early days of photography all was not what it appeared and now in the advancing digital age a picture may paint a thousand words but will it be factual or fiction?
My interests And collections vary from Maids, Nuns, religious dress and the more risqué images of the French Maid. Often when searching for a particular subject the boundaries cross and as well as true Maids we find Edwardian actresses dressed as Nuns or Maids. During one of my searches I came across Gabrielle Ray dressed as a Maid, “Susan” in Lady Madcap and was instantly captivated by her.
Collecting the individual cards isn’t enough; I like to know more about the individual, which is easier when that person is an actress, although often the information is scarce
Searching for information about Miss Ray I discovered that she was one of the most photographed women of the Edwardian era and described in “Temps” as the most beautiful woman in the United Kingdom; but sadly her success, if measured by being visibly working or in the public eye was short-lived. She struggled with depression and alcohol abuse, and her health declined. In 1936, she suffered a complete mental breakdown and was institutionalized for nearly forty years; dying in 1973 at Holloway Sanatorium at the age of 90.
There are several other sites and blogs dedicated to the memory of Miss Ray and my intention is to share my small but growing collection of pictures and postcards with anyone who shares my interest. Reading about Miss Ray I was saddened that this lady, like many others before and since, after a brief moment in the sun they are soon forgotten. Hopefully as people view and enjoy this blog her memory will remain alive for a little longer.
I have started to write a short Biography about Miss Ray which I will try to update as frequently as possible. The Index page will show any updates under the Biography catagory.
I have also tried to link the various postcards and pictures to the plays in which Miss Ray appeared, however I realise, after several errors that this isn’t an easy task as many are decorative studio poses rather than production images. The individual Rotary, Philco and other publishers numbers are included with any description which should make searching for a particular card or ones from the same set easier. If I have made any glaring errors please feel free to let me know.
Thank you and I hope you enjoy my collection as much as I do.
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