Less Than The Dust - Stanley Theatre (Philadelphia) Program 1916

 

4-page Stanley Theatre (Philadelphia) program, Vol. 1 No. 84 for week November 6, 1916. The big feature for the week was Mary's first picture produced by the Mary Pickford Film Corporation and the first distributed by Artcraft, Less Than The Dust -- a picture that Mary ultimately hated, having said "I made two pictures of which I have tried sedulously to wipe from my mind. One was entitled Less than the Dust and I remember how heartily I agreed with the woman who walked up to me in the street and said 'Oh, Miss Pickford. I loved you in the picture Cheaper than the Dirt.'” The second page of the program has a nice photo by Ira L. Hill that was notably used as the basis for a painted portrait of Mary that hung at Pickfair.

Mary Pickford - Ira L. Hill Photos

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.

Mary Pickford - Ira L. Hill - Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm - postcard - 1917

3.25 x 5.25 postcard / theatre card from 1917 featuring a 1916 photo of Mary by Ira L. Hill. The card advertises a children's matinee of Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm--among other films--at the City Opera House (city unknown at this time.)

The Eagle's Mate (1914) - Ira L. Hill - Princess Theatre Handout - 1919

4 1/8" x 7 1/4" Princess Theatre (city unknown at this time) handout featuring a painting of a portrait of Mary by Ira L. Hill and advertising a showing of The Eagle's Mate (1914) on Monday-Tuesday, March 10-11, 1919. It's interesting to see that film still making the rounds nearly 5 years later.

Mary Pickford - Ira L. Hill Photo - North American Sunday Supplement

Mary Pickford Ira L. Hill Studio photo featured on the first "Photoplay Favorites" supplement to the North American, Sunday, Jan. 14 1917. The North American was a Philadelphia, PA newspaper from 1835 to 1925. Not in the greatest condition, but the right amount of wear and tear to show its age.

Mary Pickford RPPC Postcard / Photo by Ira L. Hill

Not the nicest RPPC depicting Mary Pickford in an almost vampy rendition of a photo by Ira L. Hill (the original photo being much nicer.)

Mary Pickford - Beagles / Rotary / Valentine Postcards

Beagles Postcard depicting Mary eating an apple. Photo by Muriel Straithmore. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Beagles Postcard depicting Mary with a cow. Photo by Ira L. Hill. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Beagles Postcard depicting "Mary Pickford as Pollyanna" (but is it really?) Photo by Evans. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Rotary Postcard depicting "Miss Mary Pickford." Photo by Moody. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.

Valentine postcard depicting "Miss Mary Pickford." This portrait is from one of Mary's many trips to Europe however the photographer is unknown at this time. Gifted from the Pamela Short Collection.