America's Sweetheart Mary Pickford at the Clemmer - pinback button - ca. 1915

1.25” souvenir pinback button manufactured by the Whitehead & Hoag Co. of Newark, NJ and distributed to theatregoers by the Clemmer Theatre. After scouring many newspaper articles and ads, I have been unable to conclusively determine 1. Which Clemmer Theatre gave these away (as there was one in Seattle and one in Spokane) and 2. When exactly they were given away. With that said, I think ca. 1915 is fair based on the lovely photo by Apeda (assuming it’s really by Apeda) which was most used around then. A similar button was likewise issued by the Popular Theatre.

Mary Pickford - Signed Apeda Studios Photograph c. 1914

Lightly-tinted Mary Pickford 5.75x7 photo, stamped Apeda Studios (which is Art Photography Etchings Drawings and Architecture -- run by Alexander W. Dreyfoos Sr.) on reverse. Even still, was the photo taken by Apeda? It may actually be by White Studio. Hand-signed in ink. It's clear that Mary's handwriting changed like the wind, but this variant of her signature is seen around 1913/1914. Part of NZ Photo Album. 

Such a Little Queen - Tally's Theatre (Los Angeles) The Tallygram Program 1914

The Tallygram program--issued by Los Angeles' Tally's Broadway Theatre--for Such a Little Queen (1914) the week of Monday, September 28, 1914. The back cover features a nice, and often used, photo by Apeda (or at least, it seems to be Apeda.)

Mary Pickford - Campbell Studios Photos

Campbell Studios was founded in the 1800s by photography pioneer and inventor Alfred S. Campbell in Elizabethtown, NJ, but it was essentially a whole different entity by the time of its stint on 5th Avenue in New York City. Under the management of Rudolf Eickemeyer in the early 1900s, the studio moved towards theatrical portraiture and photography which continued under Arthur Rice’s direction through the late 1920s. Many of the Mary Pickford’s Campbell Studio portraits are somewhat well-recognized, though the name doesn’t seem to be as easily recognized as some of the other studios like Hartsook.

Mary Pickford poses in Campbell Studios Photo. Embossed photographer stamp at lower left. c. 1920.

Mary Pickford portrait by Campbell Studios c. 1917. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford poses in Campbell Studios Photo. Embossed photographer stamp at lower left. c. 1920. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford in Campbell Studios Photo. Stamped signature. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford poses in Campbell Studios Photo. Embossed photographer stamp at lower left. c. 1920. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford poses in Campbell Studios Photo. Embossed photographer stamp at lower left. c. 1920. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford poses in Campbell Studios Photo. Embossed photographer stamp at lower left. 1920. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford poses in a creased Campbell Studios Photo. Embossed photographer stamp at lower left. 1920. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford in Campbell Studios portrait (Walturdaw Pictures photo.) c. 1917 (print c. 1919.) Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford in Campbell Studios portrait 2 (Walturdaw Pictures photo.) c. 1917 (print c. 1919.) Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford Campbell Studios portrait (Walturdaw Pictures photo.) c. 1917 (print c. 1919.) Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford in photo by Campbell Studios but printed and marked as Apeda Studios on thin glossy stock. This photo shows a somewhat shady practice (whether intentionally seedy or not, I don't know) by Apeda where, besides shooting their own photos, the studio would also obtain copies of non-copyrighted photos and print their own, but not before removing the original studio's trademark and adding their own. In fact, White Studio even sued them... and lost! With that said, portions of Campbell Studio remain visible at the lower right. "Mary Pickford appearing exclusively in Artcraft Pictures." "Mary Pickford in Artcraft Pictures" on back. c. 1917. There is also a glass magic lantern slide in the collection with the same shot. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford Campbell Studios portrait (Walturdaw Pictures photo.) c. 1917 (print c. 1919.) Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford Postcards by Apeda

Mary Pickford postcard featuring a photo by Gould & Marsden? White? Apeda? It is marked Apeda Studio, but that doesn't necessarily mean much. The reverse is blank. c. 1913.

Mary Pickford postcard featuring a photo by White though marked Apeda. The reverse is blank. c. 1913. Incidentally, the dress she is wearing can be seen in Behind the Scenes.

Mary Pickford - Glass Negatives - c. 1916

Two Mary Pickford glass negatives.  The cut glass is roughly 2.5 x 1.75 and has clearly added white borders. The one photo was supposedly taken by a Photoplay magazine photographer for the February 1916 issue of Photoplay Magazine. The other, unfortunately damaged, negative depicts an illustration that was used on number of things including postcards, magazines, and sheet music. If anyone definitively knows what these were used for let me know. I can't imagine the rather mundane photo of MP reading on a couch could have been used for much. c. 1916.

Mary Pickford Tinted Print - Photo by Apeda

 

5"x7" tinted Mary Pickford print, photographer seems to be Apeda. I would suspect the photo is roughly 1913 but this print is roughly 1915 (though I have no evidence to back that up.)

Mary Pickford - Photo by Apeda - Postcard c. 1915

A fairly common photo used on many early pieces, including this postcard. Photographer seems to be Apeda. I would suspect the photo is roughly 1913 but this print is roughly 1915 (though I have no evidence to back that up.) Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.