"'Little Mary' of the IMP Company" RPPC / postcard produced in 1911 by the Empress Theatre which once "catered to the intelligent" at 416 9th Street NW in Washington, DC. The front of the card features a nice portrait of Mary that was often used by IMP during her somewhat brief and largely subpar stint with the company (photographer unknown and incidentally, with Mary in a dress that she wears in her first IMP, Their First Misunderstanding (1911.))
Regarding the postcard, the May 6, 1911 issue of The Moving Picture News noted, "Manager [Marcus] Notes, of the Empress, is issuing postals to his patrons of 'Little Mary,' of the Imp Company. These are artistically gotten up and form an attractive souvenir. This house makes a practice of advertising in its lobby its program for the week, arranged not by the photoplay to be seen, but the manufacturer of the film. In the way Manager Notes is furthering the cause of the Independents in a most unique manner, calling attention more to the producer of the film rather than to the subject." Or perhaps, we can assume, in some cases advertising not by the photoplay to be seen or the manufacturer of the film, but the star.
Perhaps one of my personal favorite pieces in the collection. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.
