The 'Paul Popper' Picture Page

Paul Popper a Czech-born magazine writer and editor, emigrated to London and, building on his professional relationship with many European photographers and his own wide-ranging journalistic talents, established both a photo and literary agency and began to amass a photographic collection which has endured - and flourished - for nearly three-quarters of a century. He wrote features and took photos himself whilst his wife Erica sold them up and down Fleet Street. With Paul Popper's death in 1969, the company was sold. Source

Note - this page will be stripped of its pictures as they fit better in more relevant parts of the site.

If you see this icon click it to see the extra-large image - if you are a BOOBS contributor.

In February of 2011, a remarkable series of photos started appearing on eBay. I managed to grab the first of them for only $25 (thanks, B.O.O.B.S. contributors!) but then the internet exploded. The second sold for $78. The next hit over $80. The next over $100. One fetched $158! Truly amazing. I have managed to buy a few more since then, but the prices are often prohibitive.

But they are brand new, and all come from the same seller and were distributed by the same German news outlet. Most of them were distributed by Paul Popper.

Many thanks to:
- Simeon for improving the images posted on eBay
- noble Dave N for translating the captions on the backs of the photos
- The Guy From the Netherlands, for sending me huge scans of the Popper pix he managed to buy

She's Vice-President of a wrestling club

Sabrina, the girl with the most "vital" vital statistics in Britain is disturbed by the lack of interest among young people in wrestling.

After all, it is a fine body building sport and as you can see Sabrina believes in keeping the body beautiful.

Photo shows: Sabrina was installed as vice-president of the Sparta Amateur Wrestling Club in Shoreditch, East London yesterday and with a flick of a zip, appeared in a bathing suit ready to wrestle.

Problem for Olympic wrestler Ken Irvin, the instructor, was exactly how could Sabrina wrestle? This is how he solved the problem. 21 April 1958.

Caption: Many stars have sidelines... something to fall back on in bad days, a little something bringing in an extra penny (as if they need it.) Sabrina's little something on her side is making costume jewellery. You see her with some of the items they turn out at her factory. 7 Oct 1958

SABRINA: SHOCKER!

SABRINA, widely known for her excellent figure, is denying strenuously claims targeted at her by the actress Kim Parker during the divorce proceedings against her husband, the film and TV star Paul Carpenter.

It’s claimed that Sabrina and Mr Carpenter committed adultery in a hotel in Paddington, London, and in Mr Carpenter’s apartment in Kensington, London, in December 1956. (Sabrina’s real name is incidentally Norma Sykes.) The two of them “have a clear conscience and will contest the allegations”. Kim Parker “continues to admire her husband as an artist, whatever may have happened.” She has been married to 38-year-old Paul Carpenter (who was born in Canada) for
three years. Kim Parker suffered a miscarriage in February. Note: Paul Carpenter was first married to Miss Pauline Black, daughter of the late Mr George Black, impresario. That marriage was dissolved in 1953.

Picture: Sabrina, blond and with an enviable bust measurement, who was named in the divorce proceedings.

9th April 1958. Thanks to The Guy From the Netherlands for the big VIP scan!

LUXURY - YET STILL SHE CAN'T SLEEP

It seems that the things that sound good in a dream are gibberish in the mind. Our research about sleep took our photographer into one of London's most fabulous bedrooms - Sabrina's.

The whole of one wall in Sabrina's bedroom is panelled in glass: "I like a pretty bedroom," Sabrina said. "I just can't sleep anyway, so I might as well have a lovely room to lie awake in..."

"If you can find a cure for insomnia, let me know," Sabrina said. "I sometimes lie awake all night. I design clothes in my mind: by the morning I've designed a whole wardrobe.."

Photo Shows: Sabrina - sleepless in a luxurious bedroom. 16 Sept 1958

A Plaque for the Fabulous Sabrina
Yesterday, two soldiers from Stockport, Lancashire, journeyed specially to London to meet the famous variety girl Sabrina who is now appearing and the Price of Wales theatre, and present her with a plaque in admiration of her splendid fight against adversity and for winning through to high success. Sabrina was struck down with polio in her early teens, and was in hospital for three years. The men were from the 7th Battalion, Cheshire regiment, the men of whom are keen to "adopt" Sabrina again.

Photo shows: Sabrina is kissed as she was presented with the plaque by Company Sgt. Major F. Lonsdale (on left) and Color Sgt William Eckersley before she went on stage at the Prince of Wales last night. 29 May 1957

Thanks to The Guy From the Netherlands for the massive VIP scan!

22 April 2011 - Sabrina in her dressing room -bidding has already reached $91 in its first day!

IT'S FALSE, SAYS SABRINA

Sabrina sat in her dressing room at a West End London theatre last night and radiated hate waves towards "an unknown person who linked my name with John Kennedy."

Now Mr John Kennedy is Tommy Steele's manager and according to rumour the man to whom Norma Sykes (otherwise Sabrina) has given her heart.

But last night, her famous statistics loosely clad in a scarlet negligee, Sabrina said: "My heart's my own, thank you very much. I've got lots of boy friends and John Kennedy's one of them. He takes me out. But doesn't mean I'm going to marry him". 16 July 1957.

BRITISH MADE

Sabrina, the girl with the so obvious silent charm, visited the British Industries Fair at Olympia yesterday and tried her skill the the "Sterling" sub-machine gun which is being produced for the British army and 33 other countries.

Sabrina set her sights on the target which consisted of tiny figures of Sabrina being chased by servicemen. 23 April 1956.

This is the one I grabbed before the Sabrina world went crazy. Steve helps Sabrina with her coat in 1957.

SHAPING UP
ROME: Getting the proper perspective on his work, Bulgarian-born sculptor Assen Peikov compares bosomy British actress Sabrina with the bust of her he's just created. Many stars of stage and screen visit Peikov's studio to have themselves "immortalized" in clay. 21 November 1958.

SABRINA INSURED FOR £100,000 pounds
SABRINA, the girl with the most vital "vital statistics" in British show-business, flew to Alexandra Park, London, today in a helicopter to open a gala fete. She was insured for £100,000 pounds by the organisers.
PHOTO SHOWS: Sabrina about to board the helicopter for the trip to Alexander Park. 7 June 1958

The photograph sold for $US100 in April 2011

British Starlet and American Ranch Heir:
SABRINA AND MARIO COSTELLO
British Starlet Sabrina photographed in Hollywood with Mario Costello, heir to the King Ranch in Texas.
(Handwritten annotation on the caption reads: "1950s")

When she came to Derby in April 1963 on an "exclusive engagement", she was billed as "an added attraction" to the animals and clowns who were performing for the crowds at Billy Smart's Circus, which was visiting The Meadows, Nottingham Road, Derby. Her appearance was said to be "direct from her sensational London Palladium show and tour of the United States".

A shot of Sabrina during her Palladium show - fetched $152 on eBay in April 2011

Confusion on television

Not even the actors knew if they were rehearsing for the Royal Variety
Show or just for a normal regular broadcast.

This evening the Queen will view a colourful show in the Palladium
Theatre, and afterwards well-known performers will be introduced to
her.

Yesterday evening a number of colourful performances were broadcast on
the economic news TV channel, which were supposedly to have been part
of the program for tonight.

In reality however, only one performance, by a choir, was among them.
Since everything was to be kept somewhat hush-hush, the real
rehearsals had been included as well.

The photo shows Sabrina, who wanted to wear a new pink dress, but had
to listen to the following request: either cover yourself up more, or
"flatten yourself [i.e. your chest] down". The dress displays too much
cleavage for this occasion. "Naturally" Sabrina was quite put out -
how are you supposed to flatten yourself down? Then you'd be nobody.

Thanks to Herr David for the translation.

Sabrina demonstrates

6th Feb 1957 - Some publicity (for once not focused on herself) that challenges Sabrina with coffee, ink and tomato sauce on her dress. Soon the highly paid London model will no longer have any need of that!* No, Sabrina is demonstrating here dresses made from a novel cotton product manufactured in Lancashire that is water and stain resistant.

Picture shows: Sabrina demonstrates dresses made of a water-resistant cotton material. Mary Dunkin (left) and Marigold Russell put the new material through a test with tomato sauce, ink and coffee.

Thanks to Herr David for the translation of the caption. The meaning of the second sentence is rather cryptic!

Related pictures

16 July 1958 - Shy of Sabrina? Naval officer cadets Paul Holland and Michael Stag were too shy to kiss Sabrina last night. "I don't think", said 21 year old Paul, blushing slightly, "that we'd be acting as officers

Sabrina - an attraction even for the youngsters

Big attraction at the 25th Radio and Television Show at Earls Court, London was that bosomie bombshell Sabrina.
Yet for a chance it wasn't the men visiting the show who went hounding after her. Instead it was the kids who got the big look-in.
With the girls pushing their young male opponents to one side in a battle to obtain her autograph.

SABRINA SETS THEM ALIGHT
1 Nov 1957

Thanks to Google Translate for trying to decode the German caption:

The Olympic torch similar to that of the Blackheath Harriers runners from the National Gallery, London, for stirring up a 15m high halloween-fire contributed to the Crystal Palace. Not only the runners were in a hurry, but Sabrina in her pretty tight-fitting equipment that returned by the fastest means of the torches to the Prince of Wales theatre, where Pleasures of Paris is playing.
Halloween night goes back to the time of the Druids, when the evil souls of Saman, the lord of death were summoned. Throughout the centuries, the custom has survived to end on this night (31 October) made a bonfire in which one could supposedly drive away ghosts and witches. The tradition is most strongly preserved in Scotland and Wales.

Sabrina and Marty Wilde, father of Kim Wilde, 7 October 1957

Sunday School Girl or Sabrina? Marty Chose Sabrina.

Again, thanks to Herr David for the translation of the German caption:

He who is spoilt for choice has, as is well-known, a tough time making that choice.

Here a new rock ‘n’ roll star, Marty Wilde, is agonising over it. While he sang “Honeycomb you’re my baby” to Sabrina at a rehearsal, his girlfriend Rosemary Reid (19) was teaching at Sunday School. She had made him choose between fame and her friendship.  For the time being he’s decided in favour of his stage career and a salary of DM 1800 instead of DM 72, and Sabrina was very impressed by him. But deep in his heart Rosemary does remain the best, who, as he puts it: “is a simple girl and fears losing me to the star-crazy girls. But I am just a simple guy and don’t want to be famous.
Picture: Marty serenades Sabrina – nevertheless his mind's more on Rosemary.

A version of the caption in English appeared on a photo found in 2012. It reads:

Sunday School Girl or Sabrina - Marty chose Sabrina

Yesterday, while 19 year old Rosemary Reid took her usual Sunday school class, her ex-boy friend Marty Wilde, was serenading Sabrina.
Why? Well Rosemary told Marty, the newest rock-and-roll star: "Choose me or the stage" and Marty has chosen the stage.
"Honeycomb you're my baby," he bellowed at Sabrina, beating the brains out of his guitar during a rehearsal yesterday.
Sabrina threw back her shoulders. "I like him," she breathed.
But Marty turned away and sighed. "I just don't know what to do about Rosemary. She's a simple girl, and is afraid she'll lose me to the girls who mob singers/ You know what girls are. But I'm a simple guy too. I don't want glamour. Rosemary's my number one girl."
Who'd blame Marty? With his first stage appearance next month, his labourer's pay jumps from £6 to £150. [English pounds]

Photo shows: Marty serenades Sabrina, but it's still Rosemary he's thinking about.
7 Oct 1957

Sabrina plays Maid Marian during her visit to Thoresby Hall on 28 March 1957

Herr D kindly provided the translation of the caption on the back...

Maid Marian Sabrina sets all eyes a-popping in Sherwood

Thoresby Hall, one of the many stately homes of England – former country homes and palaces of the aristocracy, which are now opened to the public for viewing – was made available to the public yesterday.

The press had been invited to a special first viewing. There was even a champagne breakfast in the old chambers.

However the biggest attraction of the day was Sabrina, the London model, who had come to Thoresby Hall near Mansfield in Nottinghamshire to turn the opening into “something special”, and to give the photographers an opportunity to use their flashes.

Picture: Sabrina, as Maid Marian, in front of Thoresby Hall and the statue of Robin Hood. 30th March 1957

Sabrina and Steve Cochran partying in 1957

White sausages – not for Sabrina!

A few days ago Sabrina, a TV star from England, came to Munich to:
1) immerse herself in the action of Munich's carnival season;
2) to see mountains up close and real for the first time in her life, and
thirdly to meet her future director, Steve Cochran, who came from Hollywood.

Our picture: Sabrina and Steve Cochran have managed to immerse themselves in the Munich Carnival scene. While Steve gets some refreshment from a "Flaschenbier" [bottled beer], Sabrina waits for the famous Munich white sausages.

Picture 2: the sampling turns out very awkwardly/unfavourably/inauspiciously – for the white sausages!

(Thanks, Dave!)

One Amongst Many

The only woman guest at the Variety Club of Great Britain's luncheon at the Savoy hotel today was Sabrina, the girl who says little but 'looks a lot.'

Photo shows. Sabrina at the luncheon today... and if you think the empty plate is a clue to Sabrina being on a diet, you're wrong. She was just missing the first course because it wasn't to her taste. Next to her is Not Cohen, chief barker of the Variety Club, and on his right, Lord Mancroft, undersecretary of State for Home and Welsh Affairs. Paul Popper Photo. 10 April 1956.

Other references:

When she was guest of honour at the Savoy Luncheon of the Variety Club of Great Britain in April, it was announced: GREAT NEWS OF 1956— SABRINA SPEAKS! Then she stood up and announced to a hall full of men, "This is my maiden speech." (Modern Man, Aug 56)

When she was the guest of honor at the Savoy Luncheon at the Variety Club of Great Britain, it was announced: "GREAT NEWS OF 1956- SABRINA SPEAKS!" (Surprisingly similar! From Bombshells)

According to the Weekly Sporting Review: "At a Variety Club luncheon this dumb blonde astonished the listeners by making a well-worded speech and conducting herself with the dignity of a lady of high standing."