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 - Bachrach - Portrait ca. 1913

Exquisite, lightly-tinted, personalized and hand-signed portrait of Mary Pickford by Bachrach, presumably taken in Washington, DC. Trimmed. ca.1913. While it was almost certainly just advertising, the studio claimed, at least back in 1914, to have taken Mary's personal favorite portrait photograph. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford - Melbourne Spurr Photos

“Mary Pickford,” says Melbourne Spurr, “always comes back to me, so I guess she thinks I’m not a bad photographer.” 

Mary Pickford herself helped launch Melbourne Spurr's Hollywood photography career having been so impressed with his work shooting her for Fred Hartsook studio. It can be said that any photographer's career would get a boost if they shot Mary as that in itself was rather marketable at the time, but for Spurr, the quality of his Pickford portraits created a feverish interest -- so much so, that sittings would have to be booked months in advance. He would go on to photograph many stars in the 20s for his own studio, but branched out to other subjects by the decade's end.

Mary Pickford by Melbourne Spurr c. 1923. Photographer's studio stamp on verso and embossed at lower right. Personalized and hand-signed by Mary in purple ink. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford posing for Melbourne Spurr. Photographer's stamp on reverse. 1922. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford posing for Melbourne Spurr. Photographer's stamp on reverse. 1922. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford - Correspondence Card - 1914

Fairly scarce (I've seen one other,) hand-signed Mary Pickford correspondence card. "Miss Mary Pickford wishes to express her thanks for your charming letter of appreciation of her work. She trusts you will continue to enjoy her pictures and she encloses her photograph with best wishes and kindest regards. Mary Pickford. 108 St. Andrews Place, Los Angeles, California." 1914. Part of NZ Photo Album. 

As a side note, Mary and her mother leased the property for 6 months in early-1914. They were subsequently sued, for $111.44, by the owner of the property, Florence S. Porter, for skipping out one month's rent, allowing her dog “to sleep on some costly tapestried cushions,” damaging a brick column with her car, and damaging the hardwood floors -- the plaintiff's lawyer also noting, “Late revelries and orgies.” Mary argued the house was unsafe due to sewer gas, her wardrobe was ruined by leaking plumbing, she contracted a cold when the furnace out of commission due to a flooded basement, and she “missed an important engagement when her automobile was held by a cavein of the cement driveway.” Mary ultimately won the suit but her mother had to pay a $6.40 water bill. 

The house was located at 108 South St. Andrews Pl. and has since been demolished. There are several photos of both the inside and outside of this house out there in the world, often erroneously noted as being a supposed house at 1403 N. Western Ave. (which itself is a mystery... but that is whole other story.) The two photos seen here from AMPAS are for reference only and not part of this collection.

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. 

Mary Pickford - Signed Royal Atelier Photo - 1920

Not the greatest condition, but it's Mary Pickford in fur and hat posing for an unusual portrait by Royal Atelier. This 8.25" x 11.8" photograph is personalized / hand-signed in ink along the bottom. Stamped "Credit Royal Atelier New York" on verso. 1920.

Mary Pickford - M'Liss - Photograph - 1919

Graflex publicity still for M'Liss (1918.) Marked "OK MP" on verso in Mary's own hand. From Mary's Estate. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford - K.O. Rahmn Photos

Knut Olaf Rahmn (better known as K.O. Rahmn) was initially an actor / cameraman for the Kalem company before becoming Mary Pickford’s personal photographer sometime around 1918 - 1919, photographing both her private and professional life.

Mary in her "water lily dress" by Jeanne Lanvin. Photo by K.O. Rahmn c. 1921. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection. Snipe reads "Miss Pickford calls this her "Water Lily" dress and it seems to describe it better than any words we can find. It is all of shimmery silver green silk with bands of silver lace and a silver ribbon around the waist tying in a bow at one side and hanging nearly to the bottom of the uneven hem line. And speaking of hem lines, this is the Parisian verdict of the length of evening gowns as set for by Madame Jeanne Lanvin, most famous designer of youthful frocks. Note: This picture is released for publication with the understanding that Madame Jeanne Lanvin, celebrated French modiste, be given credit as designer of these exclusive gowns. Madame Lanvin makes all of Mary Pickford's dresses. While abroad, the little star ordered forty-nine frocks, most of which will be used in her pictures."

Another shot of Mary in her "water lily dress" by Jeanne Lanvin. Photo by K.O. Rahmn c. 1921. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary in a dress by Jeanne Lanvin. Photo by K.O. Rahmn c. 1921. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary in a dress by Jeanne Lanvin. Photo by K.O. Rahmn c. 1921. Signed and dated 1921. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary in a dress by Jeanne Lanvin. Photo by K.O. Rahmn c. 1921. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary poses with a candle and jack-o-lantern in this oversized Halloween themed print by K.O. Rahmn.  One of many of the holiday-themed series taken of Mary by Rahmn in 1924.

Mary Pickford in a dress by Jeanne Lanvin. "Cordially" stamped signature. Photo by K.O. Rahmn. 1921.

Mary Pickford in Little Annie Rooney dress with Puppies 6.5x8.5 photo by K.O. Rahmn with "Cordially" stamped signature. 1925. Part of NZ Photo Album.

 

Little Annie Rooney promo photo by K.O. Rahmn. Photographer's stamp on reverse. 1925.

Mary Pickford as Dorothy Vernon of Haddon Hall portrait with "Cordially" stamped signature. Photo by K.O. Rahmn. 1924.

"Mary Pickford gives an imitation of a hard-working man. Little Mary believes that nothing depicts the spirit of labor more truthfully than the genial hod-carrier, with his quick wit and stubby clay pipe." Photo by Rahmn. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection. 

Amarilly of Clothesline Alley (1918) Photograph

Amarilly of Clothesline Alley (1918) rejected graflex photograph. Hand-marked "N.G. M.P." on verso. From Mary's Estate.

Amarilly of Clothesline Alley (1918) graflex  photograph. From Mary's Estate. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford - Hesser Photos

A very nice deckled-edge, oversized portrait of Mary by Edwin Bower Hesser from her Estate. Stamped Edwin Bower Hesser Art Study Series with Mary's personal handwritten OK on verso. The print itself is unfortunately damaged (though cleaned up a bit here.) From Mary's Estate. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford portrait by Hesser (very nice photo but has somewhat bad exposure on this print) from her Estate. Stamped "Mary Pickford" "Hesser" on verso.

Mary Pickford portrait with stamped signature by Edwin Bower Hesser c. 1930s. Donated to MPF.

Mary Pickford portrait with stamped signature by Edwin Bower Hesser. c. 1930s. 

Mary Pickford 6x8 portrait with stamped signature by Edwin Bower Hesser. c. 1930s. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Stella Maris - Photographs - 1918

Mary Pickford and Conway Tearle pose for a Stella Maris (1918) publicity still at the original Busch Gardens (lower garden) in Pasadena, CA. Photo presumably taken by W. S. Finn. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Stella Maris (1918) Artcraft A22-37 publicity still from NZ. Hand-signed on verso, however, I do not believe it to be a genuine due to the fact it clearly looks like someone trying to carefully -- that is very slowly -- imitate Mary's handwriting. Photo presumably taken by W. S. Finn.

Adolph Zukor - Signed White Photo - 1918

Not Mary Pickford, but it's part of the NZ Photo Album and it could be said that he played more than just a little part in making Mary Pickford who she was. Adolph Zukor hand-signed 9.75 x7.75 photo by White. 3/27/1918. Zukor founded Famous Players Film Company, which in my opinion, produced some of Mary Pickford's best films. When Famous Players merged with Lasky to form Famous Players-Lasky in 1916, Zukor co-founded Paramount Pictures to distribute their productions. Part of NZ Photo Album.

The Little American - Photographs - 1917

Mary Pickford as "The Little American" but an unknown photographer. 1917. On verso it is typewritten, "Courtesy Artcraft Pictures.  MARY PICKFORD IN HER NEWEST SUMMER FROCK. This photo shows one of the reasons why Mary Pickford purchased a round trip ticket from Los Angeles to New York and consumed ten days of her two weeks' vacation in behalf of her summer wardrobe. The picture also offers a striking contrast to the Mary Pickford of the days of '49 as will be disclosed on the screens shortly in her forthcoming Artcraft Picture, "A Romance of the Redwoods." Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

The Little American (1917) Artcraft A7-84 publicity still from NZ.

The Little American (1917) Artcraft publicity still from NZ.

Mary Pickford with a box of chocolates in The Little American (1917.) This graflex photo is hand-signed in ink, but was it Mary that did it? I do not believe so. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Mary Pickford in Secrets - Signed Photo - 1933

Mary Pickford in Secrets 6.5x8.75 photo. Hand-signed in ink. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Mary Pickford - Autographed Russell Iredell Sketch Photo - c. 1930s

Mary Pickford sketch photo by Russell Iredell. She once noted that this photo was her "favorite" -- though that distinction probably changed like the wind. Hand-signed. ca. 1930s. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Envelope that contains the above photo. Part of NZ Photo Album.

Lightly tinted Mary Pickford sketch photo by Russell Iredell. She once noted that this photo was her "favorite" -- though that distinction probably changed like the wind. Hand-signed in ink. This print is smaller than the more common one seen above. I am unsure if it was a postcard or just a different sized print. ca. 1930s. From Mary's Estate. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.