Jane Coombs (1842-?) was an American actress who made a sensational debut during the 1855-1856 theatre season. She starred opposite Edwin Forrest at New York’s Broadway Theatre. In 1861 she starred in a production at the Haymarket Theatre in London, England. The New York Times (1864) describes a graceful tribute to “the charming actress”. The Nebraska State Journal (1894) published a very insulting article about the actress. The article reports that a man stole large packages with Miss Coombs name printed on them, from a hotel baggage room. Apparently, he was hoping to find diamonds in the packages. Upon opening the packages he found two thousand billboard portraits of Miss Coombs. The journal concludes that “Anybody who has had the doubtful pleasure of beholding Miss Coombs, will sympathize with the thief, and decide that in this case, his punishment was greater than his crime”. The author of this article, may be gifted with a sense of humor, but his description of Jane Coombs, at age 52, is certainly quite cruel. She certainly does not look unattractive in this cabinet card portrait by Napoleon Sarony. Sarony was a famed celebrity photographer in New York. Other images by Sarony can be viewed by clicking on the category “Photographers: Sarony”.
MISS JANE COOMBS: EARLY AMERICAN THEATRE ACTRESS
VERNONA JARBEAU: THEATRE ACTRESS
This cabinet card is a portrait of theatre actress, Vernona Jarbeau. Jarbeau often played comedienne roles. Performing Arts (1887) reported on the success of one of her performances. The writer states that 3,000 people crowded into Philadelphia’s Academy of Music to hear the Duff Opera Company perform Von Suppe’s “A Trip to Africa”. The cast was described as “strong” and included Lillian Russell (see her photographs in Cabinet Card Gallery), and Jarbeau. The article states that Jarbeau was the hit of opera when she performed a song in French. The audience applauded and laughed as loud as they possibly could, despite the fact that very few in the audience could understand what she was singing. This cabinet card image was photographed by celebrity photographer, Sarony. To view other photographs by Sarony, click on the category “Photographer: Sarony”.
FANNIE WARD: THEATRE AND EARLY FILM ACTRESS WHO PERFORMED IN A SEXUALLY PROVOCATIVE FILM BY DEMILLE
American stage and early film actress, Fannie Ward (1872-1952) is the subject of this cabinet card by Newsboy (New York). Ward was known for her comedic roles and her youthful appearance throughout most of her career. She also was well known for her role in “The Cheat” (1915). This film was by Cecil B. DeMille: and it was a very sexually charged silent film. Ward made her stage debut on Broadway a Cupid in “Pippino” with Eddie Foy. She went on to become a successful stage star in New York City. In 1898 she married a wealthy diamond merchant and retired from the stage. Her husbands business reversals spurred her to return to performing in 1905. She became very active in films between 1915 and 1929. Ward was one of those celebrities whose personal life often ended up in the newspapers. For example, the New York Times (1914), reported that Ward was being sued by actor John Dean’s wife. Mrs. Dean contended that Fannie Ward alienated Mr. Dean’s affections away from Mrs. Dean. Mr Dean and Fannie Ward had travelled together a great deal beginning in 1908 because they often acted together. Newsboy gave away cabinet cards, such as the one displayed here, as premiums to customers of their tobacco products. To view other cabinet cards by Newsboy, click on the category “Photographer: Newsboy”.
Geraldine McCann: Stage and Early Film Actress
This cabinet card features in costume, theatre actress, Geraldine McCann and is number 77 of a series of Newsboy photographs. These images by Newsboy served as premiums for tobacco purchases. The New York Times (1895) had complimentary comments about McCann’s dancing ability in their review of “a new musical travesty” called “A Stag Party“. Geraldine McCann also played roles in early motion pictures. She appeared in “The Cabaret Singer” (1913),” Out of the Grave” (1913), “When Duty Calls” (1913), “Girls Will Be Boys” (1913) and “Fine Feathers” (1915). To view other photographs by Newsboy, of New York, click on the category “Photographer: Newsboy”.
KATE CLAXTON: STAGE ACTRESS ASSOCIATED WITH DEADLY THEATRE FIRE
CABINET CARD 1 (SOLD)
CABINET CARD 2Kate Claxton (1848-1924) is the subject of this cabinet card portrait. Claxton was an American stage actress who made her first appearance in Chicago with Lotta Crabtree in 1870. That same year she joined Augustin Daly’s Fifth Avenue Theatre in New York. In 1872, she became a member of A. M. Palmer’s Union Square Theatre in New York. She played mostly in comedic roles. She began starring in theatrical tours in 1876. In 1876 she was performing the play “The Two Orphans” at the Brooklyn Theatre (in New York City) when a fire broke out killing 278 people. Soon after the tragic fire, she was in a St. Louis hotel when it caught fire and she made a narrow escape. After the two fires, Claxton was viewed by some audiences and theater professionals, as bad luck and a performer to be avoided. There are some interesting asides about Claxton. First, the town of Claxton, Georgia was named after her in 1911, Second, her father was Colonel Spencer W. Cone, who was the commander of the 61st New York Regiment in the American Civil War. Cabinet Card 1 was photographed by Schloss, a famous New York celebrity photographer. To view other photographs by Schloss, click on this site’s category “Photographer: Schloss”. The reverse of this card has a hand written notation stating “Empire Theatre”. Perhaps this photograph captures Kate Claxton in costume for a role she played at the Empire. (SOLD)
Cabinet Card 2 captures Claxton sitting on the ground during a snow storm. The staged scene in this image is likely from one of Claxton’s performances. This photograph is by Sarony, famed New York City photographer. To view other images by Sarony, click on Cabinet Card Gallery’s category “Photographer: Sarony”.
HIGHLY RATED FRENCH PROSTITUTE, ALICE MAROT ON A WINDOW SILL IN PARIS, FRANCE
This cabinet card captures Alice Marot sitting on a window sill in Benque’s photographic studio in Paris, France. Alice Marot was a high class prostitute. She appeared in “The Pretty Women of Paris”, a privately printed guide to Paris’s best courtesans and prostitutes. The guide provided names, addresses, qualities, and faults for each women. According to the directory, Marot could be found a 4 Rue de Marigan. The guide describes Marot as a “sprightly fair, little whore” who had been quite lucky to rise above a checkered career on the provincial stages. When she came to Paris, she utilized the Palais Royal Theatre to enlarge the circle of her lovers. She was considered by other members of “the army of cupid” to be a threat because she had a propensity to “tumble on her back” at all hours of the day and night. Benque’s studio was located at 33, Rue Boissy D’Anglas. M. M. Benque was a well known celebrity photographer.
PAULINE MARKHAM: TURN OF THE CENTURY BURLESQUE ACTRESS
This risque (lots of cleavage shown for this era) cabinet card is a portrait of Pauline Markham (1847-1919), a singer and burlesque dancer during the civil war period in the United States. She was born in England where she made her stage debut as a child. She came to New York and appeared in “Black Crook” and “Pinafore”. She was a member of the Lydia Thompson troupe (British Blondes). After the civil war, she had relations with Northern Generals and Reconstructionists In the 1870’s she formed her own stage company and in 1879 she took her company on a tour of the West during which they performed Gilbert and Sullivan. A member of that troupe was Josephine Marcus, who later married lawman, Wyatt Earp. She retired from the stage in 1889 after breaking her leg. She must have taken the old show business saying of “break a leg” literally. This cabinet card was photographed by Fredricks, of Brooklyn, New York. It is possible that the photographer is Charles DeForest Fredricks (1823-1894) who was an innovative American photographer. Fredricks learned the art of daguerreotypes from the great photographer , Jeremiah Gurney (see category “Photographer: Gurney”). Fredricks worked in South America through the early 1850’s and then he operated out of Charleston, South Carolina; and Paris, France. He was the first photographer to make life-size portraits, which he then hired artists to color them using pastel. He then returned to New York City and rejoined Gurney. In 1854 he developed a new enlarging process and in 1855 he ended his association with Gurney. In the late 1850’s Fredricks ran his studio in Havana, Cuba, and in the 1860’s he opened a studio on Broadway, in New York City. He retired in 1889. Research has not confirmed that Fredricks ever had a studio in Brooklyn, so it is quite uncertain whether the Fredricks who photographed Markham is actually Charles D. Fredricks.
PRETTY DANCER PHOTOGRAPHED BY SARONY IN NEW YORK
This cabinet card is a photograph of a young dancer/actress photographed by the famous celebrity photographer, Sarony of New York. She seems to be in a dancers pose and costume. The reverse of the card has a handwritten identification of the subject. The name listed is Sara Belle; and preliminary research has revealed nothing about her. In fact, the existence of an actress/dancer by that name has not yet been confirmed. Interestingly, Napoleon Sarony’s daughter was named Belle. In regard to the date of this photograph, Sarony opened his Broadway studio in 1866 and moved to 37 Union Square in New York City in 1871. Therefore this photograph was taken between 1866 and 1871. Perhaps a visitor to this site can shed some light on the identity of the woman in this photograph. Additional images by Sarony can be seen by clicking on the Cabinet Card Gallery’s category of “Photographer: Sarony”.
STAGE STAR, DOROTHY DONNELLY IN “SOLDIERS OF FORTUNE” (1902)
Dorothy (Agnes) Donnelly (1880-1928) was an actress, lyricist, and a librettist. She was the daughter of the manager of New York City’s Grand Opera House. She made her acting debut in the stock company of her brother, Henry V. Donnelly at the Murray Hill Theatre in New York City. She became a well known performer in 1903 when she played title roles in Yeat’s “Kathleen ni Houlihan” and Shaw’s “Candida” in their first American performances. Her most celebrated performance was in the title role of “Madame x” (1910). She acted for another decade but after the success of her book and lyrics for Sigmund Romberg’s adaptation of Schubert’s melodies in “Blossom Time” (1921), she gave up performing and concentrated on her writing. Donnelly was married to Sigmund Romberg. The photographer of this cabinet card was celebrity photographer, Schloss. The photograph captures Donnelly in costume for “Soldiers of Fortune” (1902); so the image is a portrait representing the very early part of her theatrical career. The cabinet card comes from the Oral M. Heffner Theatrical Collection and was formerly the property of the Franklin County Historical Society. To learn more about the Heffner collection, click on the Cabinet Card Gallery category of “Oral M. Heffner Theatrical Collection”.
PAOLA MARIE: FRENCH OPERA STAR, NEWS OF HER IMPENDING DEATH PROVES FALSE
Paola Marie was a well known and talented French opera star. She was the sister of opera star Irma Marie. The publication “Every Saturday” (1874) tells an interesting tale about the performer. She was appearing in Bordeaux, France when an oversight or practical joke occurred in the printing of a notice advertising that her engagement was about to come to an end. The sign said that “Mlle Paola Marie was expiring on “friday next”, and there would be only four more performances of “The Perichole”. The notice should have said that the performance of the opera was about to expire. Upon reading about the star’s impending death, her faithful fans came out in mass, carrying many bouquets of flowers, to pay their “last homage” to the popular actress. The photographer of this cabinet card, Mora, was a celebrity photographer located on Broadway, in New York City. To see other photographs by Mora, click on the category, “Photographer: Mora”.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 