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.
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