The publishing company Ross had already started in the summer of 1928 to distribute high quality memorabilia in form of oversized art sheets dedicated to German and international actors/actresses. Those products didn't look like regular postcards anymore. They were enlargements of existing negatives and were carefully produced on selected materials such as bromine silver, in sepia brown, light, chamois or even high gloss. They had a different paper thickness and could look like paper boards. Various sizes of those art sheets were available, from 13 x 18 cm till 20 x 30 cm which can be compared to little personality posters. The issue prices ranged between 35 German pennies and 1 Mark 25. That was a lot of money for that time and explains the low circulation of all art sheets which were perfectly suited for getting framed.

It goes without saying that Ross was also distributing Garbo art sheets presenting Greta and her divine beauty alone without partner(s).

The first art sheet appeared in winter 1931 and showed Greta in WILD ORCHIDS and sepia brown layout. The number of that sheet was K 1258, sized 18 x 24 cm and cost 90 German pennies. The same motif had also been distributed as regular Ross card 4255/1 before.

The next art sheet followed in the same year and portrayed Greta in ROMANCE. Size, layout and issue price were the same, listed as K 1274. The motif had also been used before as regular Ross card 5286/2.

All together Ross produced 13 different K-cards in the period between winter 1931 and spring 1939 dedicated to Greta Garbo. They all carry the K number on the lower left edge of the art sheet- mostly at least. Ross produced K-cards as well without the identification letter K infront of the number (you can see one example here, K 1320 is such an exception, having a faksimile autograph print pictured).

Another sheet was produced with number K 5923/2 as enlargement of the regular Ross card 5923/2, an INSPIRATION motif in size 20 x 25 cm.

Besides there is only  o n e  Greta Garbo Ross sheet in the entire inventory which doesn't have a number. It's the motif of Ross card 9961/1 (CAMILLE) sized 18 x 24 cm.

As I mentioned already, the art sheets had a low circulation because of their high issue prices up to 1 Mark 25. That's why those articles are very rare and hard to find. I don't know anybody who can be proud to posess all 13 art sheets. I was lucky enough to find 6 different sheets at least within 20 years of collecting and I am still looking for the remaining 7 ones.

The subject itself is a little bit mysterious. It took me many years to discover all details about the 13 particular issues the company has published. Ross didn't edit any lists regarding their inventory. All new articles were introduced in German movie magazines (such as Filmwoche or Film im Bild) when the new spring, summer, fall and winter card collections came out.

Without the wonderful help and fantastic assistance of big card collectors and Ross experts (special thank to Werner Mohr from Berlin and Dieter Pludra from Hoyerswerda among others) it wouldn't have been possible to research such a complex subject.

A little mystery remains. Whereas I do know a lot of characteristics regarding the 13 Ross Garbo art sheets, even about the missing ones, up to now the motifs of the two sheets

K 3 and K 9 (sized 20 x 30 cm)

couldn't be clarified..

HELP WANTED! Do you happen to know something about the two particular issues? It would be so great to get a scan or a copy of the 2 uncertain motifs. Then I could complete the entire Greta Garbo Ross card list. Every info related to those 2 art sheets K 3 and K 9 is highly appreciated. Please, be so kind as to contact me by email if you can help in this matter.
Thank you very much in advance.

P.S.: It is uncertain if the two mentioned art sheets K 3 and K 9 have been published by Ross. We only know that the issues have been announced in an advertisement to come out in winter 1931!