All of the photos on this page reportedly came from a dismantled scrapbook. After comparing photographs, handwritten notes, and several newspaper / magazine articles, I am fairly certain this scrapbook belonged to 143rd Field Artillery Lieutenant Charles R. Fulweiler*. Fulweiler, originally an Oakland newspaperman, seems to have appeared with Mary Pickford at quite a few related military events. Indeed, the March 9, 1918 issue of
Moving Picture News notes he was Mary's personal aid during the large Camp Kearny event in February of the same year (for which copious amounts of photos are below.) Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.
On the back of the photo it is written, "This is one of the 'stills' taken at Arcadia at the adoption ceremony. It shows Col. Petersen [Fred W. H. Petersen] presenting the crop to Mary. In the immediate background are the officers of the three batteries of our battalion." On the front, it is noted, "Mary and her Ma. According the September 17, 1917 edition of the
Los Angeles Herald, the ceremony took place on September 18, 1917 at Camp Arcadia. The inscription on the silver-mounted riding crop reads, “To Our Little Godmother, Mary Pickford, from Her Fighting 600, the Second Battalion, First California Field Artillery.”
Unknown; Mary Pickford, incidentally in the Lady Duff Gordon dress she wears in The
Little American; Charles R. Fulweiler.
"Mary's Ma" [Charlotte Pickford;] Col. Petersen [Fred W. H. Petersen;] Mary Pickford.
A newspaper article by Fulweiler documenting the adoption ceremony.
On the back of the photo it is written, "This is the picture I told you about taken of Mary, myself, and the little one-armed movie [?] who knits for the [?] in her spare time. Her left arm is artificial. This photo will be in some of the movie magazines." Charles R. Fulweiler; Unknown; Mary Pickford.
The December 1917 issue of
Photo-play Journal describes the photo, “Mary Pickford [incidentally in a dress she wears in
Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm] pinning locket around the neck of Sergeant Fulwuder [seemingly a misspelling of Fulweiler], one of the 600 soldiers of which she is god-mother.” About the locket, the October 22, 1917 edition of
Artcraft Advance noted, “each man in ‘Mary’s Six Hundred’ will wear a locket about his neck containing a miniature of his petite protector. ” Photo taken at the Famous Players-Lasky Studio.
The 34 5x7 photographs below are from the large February 9, 1918 Camp Kearny, San Diego County, CA event (ceremony, football game, etc.) for the 143rd Field Artillery. I assume these were issued by the Kearny Photo Service but I can not say with all certainty. Some additional photos can be found
here.
"The Col. [R. J. Faneuf] presenting the loving cup to Mary."
Mary and her mother on the stand.
"On the stand at the review in camp in the morning." Lt. Col. Petersen [Fred W. H. Petersen;] Mrs. P [Charlotte Pickford;] [Mary;] Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf,] Me [Charles Fulweiler.]
Lt. Col. Petersen [Fred W. H. Petersen;] [Mary;] Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf.]
Lt. Col. Petersen [Fred W. H. Petersen; Mary; Charlotte Pickford;] Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf;] Me [Charles Fulweiler.]
"Mary presenting the standard." Mary; Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf.]
"In front of the Colonel's quarters." Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf;] [Mary;] Mrs. Faneuf.
"Mary kissing the Regimental flag she gave us. The Col.'s quarters."
"In the mess hall at lunch." Mrs. Pickford [Chartlotte Pickford;] The Colonel [R. J. Faneuf;] Mary; "Pete" [Fred W. H. Petersen.]
Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf;] [Mary;] Lt. Col. Petersen [Fred W. H. Petersen.]
Lieut-Col. Petersen [Fred W. H. Petersen;] [Mary;] Gen. Lyon; Mrs. Faneuf.
Lt. Col. Petersen [Fred W. H. Petersen;] [Mary;] Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf.]
"Mary meeting General Strong." [General F. S. Strong; Col. R. J. Faneuf; Mary; Charlotte Pickford.]
Mary on Dotty Dimple, an old race horse that was the "pet of the regiment." The thoroughbred mare was reportedly brought in for the occasion especially for Mary.
Mary on Dotty Dimple
Mary on Dotty Dimple; Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf.]
Mary; Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf.]
"A scene just before the review." Me [Charles Fulweiler;] [Mary;] Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf.]
Mary; Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf.]
"Mary giving out the "
Smileage Books" she bough for all the men in the 143rd." Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf;] [Mary;] Bill Moyle [William B. Moyle, who was incidentally another fellow newspaperman.]
"More
Smileage Books." [Col. R. J. Faneuf; Mary;] Bill Moyle [William B. Moyle.]
"More
Smileage Books." [Col. R. J. Faneuf; Mary;] Bill Moyle [William B. Moyle.]
"More
Smileage Books." [Col. R. J. Faneuf; Mary;] Bill Moyle [William B. Moyle.]
"The Grizzlies Goat -- a real one." The Grizzlies were the opposing football team of the 144th Field Artillery. The goat is their mascot. Mary; Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf;] Moyle [William B. Moyle.]
"Just before the game." One of the M.O's; Moyle [William B. Moyle;] Mary; Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf.]
Mary; The Col. [R. J. Faneuf;] Moyle. Mary receiving the silver whistle.
"Mary blowing the silver whistle to start the game." [Mary;] Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf,] Moyle [William B. Moyle.]
"In grandstand at the game." Lt. Col. Petersen [Fred W. H. Petersen; Mary;] Mrs. P. [Charlotte Pickford.]
Gen. Strong; [Mary;] Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf.]
Gen. Strong [F. S. Strong;] [Mary.]
Mrs. Strong; [Mary;] Gen. Strong [F. S. Strong;] Mary's Ma [Charlotte Pickford;] Ad. Shirk.
"Mary and Gen. Strong [F. S. Strong] holding the two white pigeons she loosed -- they carried red silk "143" streamers on their legs and flew over the field at the game." Gen. Strong [F. S. Strong;] [Mary; Charlotte Pickford.]
Grizzly team; Col. Faneuf [R. J. Faneuf;] The "Grizzly" captain; Mary; Our Parson and football captain [Fred Thomson, who would go on to marry Frances Marion and who would star alongside Mary in
The Love Light;] 143rd team.
"Rooting Section"
*I wanted to note the methodology of how I arrived at this. Several photos are marked "me" or "myself" in ink. The photo of Mary placing a locket around the soldier's neck, while not marked, appears to show the same soldier that is labeled "me" or "myself" in the other photos. The December 1917 issue of Photo-play Journal contains the same locket photo, with the soldier there being noted as "Sergeant Fulwuder." Considering misspellings were rampant at the time and there is no evidence of any soldier associated with the 143rd with the name of "Fulwuder," I assume this is probably a misspelling of "Fulweiler" (furthermore, he was a sergeant at the time, as evidenced by the rank insignia in the photos.) In another dismantled scrapbook that is part of this collection, there is a different photo of the same soldier receiving a locket but I have been unable to identify the source -- perhaps that one might have the correct name for conclusive proof. And finally, the newspaper article included with the photos, also showing evidence of having been glued to the scrapbook, was written by "C. R. Fulweiler." At this time, I have been unable to find any actual definitive photos of Fulweiler, but I feel this is all evidence enough.
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