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.
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