Bismarck Cafe

       
                                               Joseph Ehrman

   Bismarck's began around 1900 at 612 Vine St. as can be seen in the first two items above. They moved into the bottom floor of the Mercantile Library Building at 414 Walnut St. in 1904 and was known in the beginning as the Ehrman Catering Company and it was incorporated by Julius Fleischmann, W.W. Granger, Dr. A. Zeckendorf, and Charles Wiedemann. The venture quickly became a failure and , after 6 months, all obligations were assumed by Charles Wiedemann and the company was reincorporated under the name The Bismarck Cafe Company with Emil G. Schmitt at its head. Under Schmitt's leadership the enterprise became the largest establishment of its kind in Cincinnati and served the higher class trade. It was divided into three large departments- The Lady's Grill Room,  Grill Room, and Gentlemen's Cafe/Rathskeller. They were well known for their German food and there were around 150 chefs, cooks, and waiters serving it. 
   It was only natural that their upper class cliental would start their evening entertainment by going to one of the many theaters around town and then capping off their night by eating dinner at the Bismarck. Their connection with various theaters is obvious and I would guess that the cards below were passed out, or sold to, their rich patrons. Again, if anyone has any of these cards for sale please let me know.

                       
The Royal Hungarian Orchestra                                        Cabaret                     

Not a post card

                               
Gentlemen's Dining Room                             Dining Room                              Ladies Dining Room   

Ladies Dining Room. This is a very rare double card.

                                
      Gentlemen's Bar                                   Grill Room AKA                          Rathskeller-North View
         Rathskeller-West View     

               
MME. AYOE                     KYRLE BELLEW          THOS. COFFIN COOKE             W. H. CRANE                  DESSA GIBSON

              
    EDDIE FOY                      GRACE GEORGE                 R. E. GRAHAM            CHARLES GRAPEWIN           EMELIE  POLINI

               
KATHI GULTINI               RAPLEY HOLMES              FRANK KEENAN          PERCIVAL T. MOORE               JULIE RING      

               
 FRITZI SCHEFF                CLAIRE ROMAINE               OTIS SKINNER                     E.H.SOTHERN               CINTI  IN  MOTION

               
 GRACE VAN STUDDIFORD        EVA TANGUAY                   NAME MISSING               HUBERT WILKE              MARGARET DALE        

               
HATTIE WILLIAMS           FLORA ZABELLE       JEFFERSON DE ANGELIS       JULIAN ELTINGE        ALEXANDER CARR

               
  KEE KOHLMAR        MINTHORNE WORTHLEY           MABEL HITE             MACLYN ARBUCKLE          LOUISE DRESSER 

               
MAY STOCKTON         ESTELLE WENTWORTH       THOMAS W. ROSS       CHARLES STEVENSON           NAME MISSING   

               
VALESKA SURRATT              NAME MISSING                COUNTESS  OLGA        GUS  EDWARDS KIDS           GEORGIE PRICE    
                                                                                                  VON  HATZFELDT                                                                                            

   The last two cards above are the same because the 4th card is an error postcard in that it is missing the name Georgie Price.

               
NELLA  WALKER                 DAVE LEWIS                BLANCHE BENDER            BERTHA KALISH              NAME MISSING

               
        AMELIA BINGHAM             DONALD BRIAN            JULIA SANDERSON           NAMES MISSING     MRS. PATRICK CAMPBELL

               
WINONA WINTER            BLANCHE DAYNE              NAME MISSING             GLADYS  HANSON          FRANCIS WILSON

               
BLANCHE RING               BLANCHE RING  2            DOROTHY DALEY          MABEL TALIAFERRO           SAM BERNARD

   The two Blanche Ring cards are very confusing. They are obviously two different women, unless she is in stage make-up in one of the portraits, they both are starring in the same play but at two different theaters. Maybe one of them is an error card. Like I said, very confusing.

       
    FISKE O'HARA                 DORIS KEANE                LEW DOCKSTADER