Little Mary of the IMP Company - Empress Theatre RPPC / Postcard - 1911

"'Little Mary' of the IMP Company" RPPC / postcard produced in 1911 by the Empress Theatre which once "catered to the intelligent" at 416 9th Street NW in Washington, DC. The front of the card features a nice portrait of Mary that was often used by IMP during her somewhat brief and largely subpar stint with the company (photographer unknown and incidentally, with Mary in a dress that she wears in her first IMP, Their First Misunderstanding (1911.))

Regarding the postcard, the May 6, 1911 issue of The Moving Picture News noted, "Manager [Marcus] Notes, of the Empress, is issuing postals to his patrons of 'Little Mary,' of the Imp Company. These are artistically gotten up and form an attractive souvenir. This house makes a practice of advertising in its lobby its program for the week, arranged not by the photoplay to be seen, but the manufacturer of the film. In the way Manager Notes is furthering the cause of the Independents in a most unique manner, calling attention more to the producer of the film rather than to the subject." Or perhaps, we can assume, in some cases advertising not by the photoplay to be seen or the manufacturer of the film, but the star.

Perhaps one of my personal favorite pieces in the collection. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford - Muriel Straithmore Photos c. 1913

Portrait of Mary ca. 1913 by Muriel Straithmore -- whose most well-known, albeit still underused works featuring Mary are the "Votes for Women" and Mary "testing a luscious apple"(as described in the October 15, 1914 issue of Leslie's Weekly Illustrated Newspaper) photos. Handwritten on verso is the hyperbolic "Mary Pickford knitting for the soldiers. She is the famous moving picture star. A Toronto girl." I would imagine that caption was concocted some time after the photograph was taken. Incidentally, Mary wore this particular dress in In the Bishop's Carriage (1913.) Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Another portrait by Muriel Straithmore ca. 1913, here interestingly showing Mary with crock and a bowl of potatoes. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford inked handprint by Alice Denton Jennings - 1939

Perhaps one of the most unique pieces in this collection is this Mary Pickford inked handprint by palmist Alice Denton Jennings. Jennings offered "character analysis and vocational guidance" based on the lines and measurements of one's hand. She was a renowned expert on the "science" and in 1942, wrote a book on the subject: Your Hand Tells All: A Manual of Simplified Palmistry. This handprint reportedly originates from Jennings' own collection and probably adorned the walls of her Atlanta, GA studio, where hung the handprints of many great people, from political figures to movie stars and in between. It is also signed in ink by Mary herself and dated 1939.

Mary, not at Jennings' studio but on a set that spared no expense and featuring a palmist print on the wall, in the 1911 IMP The Mirror. (Courtesy of the Mary Pickford Foundation.)

Mary Pickford Pillow Top - Stanbury - 1916

Photo pillow tops, popular in the early-1900s, were an easy way to dress up your boring couch pillows. One could have any photo printed on a sheet of fabric (typically an 18"x18" sateen square) which would would then be sewn onto a dull pillow and embellished however one's heart desired. R. K. Stanbury, seeing a way to cash in, printed the portraits of early stars on pillow tops and sold them, along with other photos and the like, via advertising in an assortment of publications. This Stanbury pillow top, cut down to 15"x15", trimmed with fringe and a back added, features a photo of Mary Pickford by White Studio.

An advertisement for the same. This ad is for reference only and is not part of the collection.

This pillow top on display at the Barrymore Film Center's 2023 exhibit, Power Couple: Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford in Hollywood, albeit erroneously noted as being produced by B.K. Stanbury. 

Cinderella - Die cut Ad - 1914

 

A rather scarce Cinderella die-cut ad from 1914, additionally stamped for a March 12 NEW Theatre screening in a city unknown, issued by the Famous Players Film Company. What is most interesting and somewhat amusing is, yes, it shows Mary as Cinderella, but also as Queen Anna Victoria from her now-lost film Such a Little Queen (1914.) In any event, I am uncertain just which Famous Players films made use of similar advertising, but I can say that I have also seen die-cuts for Poor Little Peppina (1916) and Madame Butterfly (1915.) 

And redundantly, an ad for an ad. This scan comes from an issue of Moving Picture World magazine and is not part of the collection.

Fanchon the Cricket - Herald - 1915

A herald for my personal favorite Mary Pickford film, Fanchon the Cricket. 1915 - though this particular piece is stamped for a December 5, 1916 screening at an unknown theatre.

Less Than The Dust - Stanley Theatre (Philadelphia) Program 1916

 

4-page Stanley Theatre (Philadelphia) program, Vol. 1 No. 84 for week November 6, 1916. The big feature for the week was Mary's first picture produced by the Mary Pickford Film Corporation and the first distributed by Artcraft, Less Than The Dust -- a picture that Mary ultimately hated, having said "I made two pictures of which I have tried sedulously to wipe from my mind. One was entitled Less than the Dust and I remember how heartily I agreed with the woman who walked up to me in the street and said 'Oh, Miss Pickford. I loved you in the picture Cheaper than the Dirt.'” The second page of the program has a nice photo by Ira L. Hill that was notably used as the basis for a painted portrait of Mary that hung at Pickfair.

Mary Pickford - Photoplayers Portrait Co. White Photo Print - 1914

11x14 colored print, issued by the Photoplayers Portrait Co. of New York in 1914, featuring a Mary Pickford portrait by White Studio. It's worth noting that "this richly colored portrait on heavy art photo-board to stand on your bureau will not require a frame, as embossed design frames it. A new pose-rich in color. The most beautiful and artistic colored photograph of this popular star ever made." All for 25 cents! Incidentally, the dress Mary is wearing is the same one worn in the oddly-placed opening shot of one of Mary's greatest films--Tess of the Storm Country (1914.)

This ad is for reference only and is not part of the collection.

Mary Pickford - Moody Photos - 1915

Photographer Rufus Porter Moody, perhaps best-known simply as R. P. Moody, was born in Kentucky in 1873. For some time, he ran a photography studio in Nashville, TN, but in 1913,  found his way to New York where he opened a studio on 42nd Street to cater to the theatrical crowd. There, he took some of my personal favorite Mary Pickford portraits which were well-used around 1916 in magazines, on ads, on postcards, and beyond. Undoubtedly, Moody is best know for his amazing use of light and shadow which often times created an ethereal atmosphere well suited for Pickford. In 1916, the studio was moved to Broadway, but by then, his business was already in decline. He died in 1922.

Mary Pickford in an inventive portrait by Rufus P. Moody. Stamped in gold ink "Mary Pickford, appearing exclusively in productions of the Famous Players Film Co., Adolph Zukor, Pres." Stamped Moody on verso 1915. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford in an exceptional portrait by Rufus P. Moody. Stamped signature. 1915. My personal favorite Moody portrait in the collection. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford in Rufus P. Moody photo. Stamped in silver ink "Mary Pickford, appearing exclusively in productions of the Famous Players Film Co., Adolph Zukor, Pres." 1915. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford in Rufus P. Moody 8x10 photo. 1915. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford Rufus P. Moody 8x10 photo. I suspect this photo is most recognizable from the cover of the April 1915 issue of The Ladies' World magazine. 1915. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford Rufus P. Moody 8x10 photo. I suspect this photo is most recognizable from the cover of the April 1915 issue of The Ladies' World magazine. 1915. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford and a cat in a portrait by Rufus P. Moody. 1915. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Belasco's A Good Little Devil (1913) Republic Theatre Postcards

"An interesting scene from David Belasco’s great production of the Rostand fairy play at the Republic Theatre, New York, with Ernest Truex, Mary Pickford and Henry Stanford. Arthur Hill impersonates Rab, the dog."

"Juliet sits by the wishing-well in her wonderful garden and makes her wish: 'I want to be Charle's wife.' The fairies hear it and smile their approval." --From David Belasco's fairy play triumph at the Republic Theatre, New York." The victorian figures flanking the photo are illustrations by Kate Greenaway.

Postcards for David Belasco's theatrical performance of A Good Little Devil (1913) at the Republic Theatre in New York. Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Ernest Truex, et al. can be seen on stage in photographs by White Studio. 

I've seen at least two other designs out there: One depicting a photograph of “Rosemond Gerard (Madame Edmond Rostand) and her son, Maurice Rostand, authors of ‘A Good Little Devil.’” And the other with “Ernest Truex who plays the boy, Charles MacLance, in David Belasco’s remarkable production of the Rostand fair play for grown-ups.”

While I would have assumed they were issued by the Republic Theatre, as evidenced by the theatre being explicitly noted on one of the designs, I have seen a case where they were given away at the performance at a different theatre in a different city -- meaning perhaps they were generically made by Belasco for the production (or there were simply a bunch left to dispense elsewhere.)

A Good Little Devil (1914) - Postcard

A Good Little Devil (1914) "The tortured, beaten boy becomes a lord" Famous Players postcard manufactured by the Krauss Mfg. Co. This production, actually taken in 1913, was produced at the Famous Players 26th Street Studio in NYC while the stage performance was still running at the Republic Theatre. Mary recalled that the troupe filmed at the studio during the days there were no matinees, and then ran the performance again on the theatre stage at night. The film was generally a flop as it was essentially just the theatrical performance, sans sound, but it was the start of a fantastic relationship between Mary and Adolph Zukor which played an important part in the movie history. This postcard is additionally marked on verso for a Saturday, April 25, 1914 screening at the Town Hall Theatre in Orange, MA.

A Good Little Devil (1914) "Mr. Belasco visualizing a scene in 'A Good Little Devil'" Famous Players postcard manufactured by the Krauss Mfg. Co. This postcard is likewise additionally marked on verso for the same Saturday, April 25, 1914 screening at the Town Hall Theatre in Orange, MA. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

The Poor Little Rich Girl - Glass Slide - 1917

Magic lantern glass slide made by the Excelsior Illustrating Co. for Maurice Tourneur's The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917.) Interiors for the film, including that depicted, were taken at Paragon Studios in Fort Lee, NJ. Not that it means much, but this is the first piece I ever acquired!

The Poor Little Rich Girl - Photographs - 1917

A peppered The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917) Artcraft publicity still from NZ.

The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917) Artcraft A4-47-A publicity still (not sure what the trailing "A" means.) from NZ.

The Poor Little Rich Girl (1917) Artcraft A4-9 publicity still from NZ.

Moving Picture Sales Agency - Biograph Postcards - ca. 1910

Biograph Masterpiece “Ramona” postcard issued by UK’s Moving Pictures Sales Agency (AKA M.P. Sales Agency AKA MPSA.) This RPPC shows Mary and Henry Walthall as seen in the film directed by D.W. Griffith.  ca. 1910.

It can be assumed that the two postcards below, while not conclusively identified as being issued by MPSA,  were in all probability, likewise issued by the agency. While they are printed as opposed to being RPPC, the similarities in design, wording, etc. are undeniable and of course, the MPSA was the UK distributor of these Biograph titles.

Biograph Masterpiece “The Call to Arms” postcard presumably issued by UK’s Moving Pictures Sales Agency (AKA M.P. Sales Agency AKA MPSA.) This printed card shows Mary as seen in the film directed by D.W. Griffith. ca. 1910.

The Arcadian Maid (or An Arcadian Maid) postcard presumably issued by UK’s Moving Pictures Sales Agency (AKA M.P. Sales Agency AKA MPSA.) This printed card shows Mary and Mack Sennett  as seen in the film directed by D.W. Griffith. ca. 1910.

Mary Pickford - Moody Photo - Cincinnati Enquirer Supplement

Mary Pickford newspaper supplement featuring a photo by Rufus P. Moody. Produced by The Water Color Co.,  NY., these were issued in 1916 by a variety of newspapers nationwide, this one being from The Cincinnati Enquire. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford - Ira L. Hill Photos

Ira L. Hill opened his 5th Avenue studio in 1907 — specializing in society and fashion photography and quickly building a name for himself. In 1914, going with the idea that Broadway is associated with NY society, he broke into theatrical portraiture. For much of the teens and up to the mid-20s, Hill was a leading photographer of the subject. In the late 20s, he essentially abandoned theatrical photography to once again focus primarily on high society. Hill died in 1947, but the studio name continued until the late 60s.

Mary Pickford photo by Ira L. Hill. Signature in negative. Part of NZ Photo Album. That was notably used as the basis for a painted portrait of Mary that hung at Pickfair.

Mary Pickford photo by Ira L. Hill. Photographer's studio on negative. Signature on negative. c. 1915. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford photo by Ira L. Hill. Photographer's studio on negative. Part of NZ Photo Album. One of my personal favorites by Hill as it seems to exude an almost ghostly-atmosphere of the time period, in my mind at least.

Mary Pickford photo by Ira L. Hill. Photographer's studio on negative. Signature on negative. Part of NZ Photo Album.

 

Mary Pickford photo by Ira L. Hill. Photographer's studio on negative. While the photo seems to be hand-signed in ink at the lower right, it is likely not signed by Mary herself. The signature seems to match those "signed in the negative" on other Ira L. Hill photos, but that signature does not appear to be simply traced in ink here (though it very well could be.) Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford photo by Ira L. Hill. Photographer's studio on negative and stamped on verso. While the photo is hand-signed in ink at lower right, it is very clearly not signed by Mary herself. Part of NZ Photo Album.

P.W. Ellis & Co., Ltd. Sterling Clothes / Hat Brush

This sterling clothes / hat brush, featuring a gold-toned single-letter P monogram, was manufactured by P.W. Ellis & Co., Ltd in Mary's hometown of Toronto. I am unsure of exactly when this is from, but I can at least say that it must date prior to 1928 as that is when P.W. Ellis & Co., Ltd. ceased operations. In recent history, this piece was sold as part of a vanity set in the 1981 Mary Pickford Estate auction which, unfortunately, has since been pieced out. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Postcard - Photo by White? - 1914

Postcard featuring a Mary Pickford portrait by what I believe to be White Studio but I can be wrong about that. (Or maybe Gould & Marsden? Apeda?) The reverse advertises a July 24, 1914 screening of Never Again (1910) and When We Were In Our Teens (1910) at Marcus Loews' Royal Theatre at Pearl and Willoughby in Brooklyn, NY. Incidentally, those two shorts are among my favorites of Mary Biographs as she truly excelled at comedy and played best alongside Billy Quirk. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

The Little American (1917) Parasol

As part of the 1981 Mary Pickford Estate auction, this exquisitely made, extremely delicate aqua, peach, and cream parasol was erroneously noted as having been used in her film Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1917.) A simple comparison of this piece with that seen in Rebecca... shows they are very different. After a bit of research however, I have determined this parasol can be seen in the opening shots of Cecil B. DeMille's The Little American (1917,) as well as publicity stills associated with the film, and even at least one portrait by Melbourne Spurr. While it has certainly seen better days—being somewhat tattered as well as having lost the ribbon and most of the decorative tip that once adorned the handle—it is nice to know that this parasol still exists and here it is today. Gifted from the Pamela Short collection.

Mary posing with the parasol in a The Little American publicity still.

Mary with the parasol in The Little American (1917) (Courtesy of the Mary Pickford Foundation)