Celebrity photographer, Sarony, of New York City, produced this head and shoulders photograph of actress, Leslie Chester. The actress is wearing an incredible hat. A review of one of Ms Leslie’s performances appeared in Life (1886). The review states that “Miss Leslie Chester is so pretty that her dramatic sins can be magnanimously pardoned”. The review goes on to report that Ms Chester “appears (in a role) as an ambitious amateur, who has no idea of acting and the part is distinctly appropriate.” Hopefully, Ms. Chester was as thick skinned as she was beautiful.
MISS LESLIE CHESTER: A THEATRICAL ACTRESS WHOSE BEAUTY COMPENSATED FOR HER LACK OF TALENT
GEORGIE COOPER: CHILD ACTRESS PLAYING “LITTLE LORD FAUNTLEROY”
Georgie Cooper (1882-1968) appears in this cabinet card by Rose & Company of Denver, Colorado. Georgie Cooper was born in Battle Creek, Michigan. Her mother was an actress, Georgie Woodthorpe (1860-1927). Cooper started as a child actress and appeared as “Little Lord Fauntleroy” with her mother at the Burbank Theatre in Los Angeles, California. She later married actor, Landers Stevens and both were active appearing in films. She appeared in 47 films from 1928 through 1944. The photographer of this cabinet card is John K. Rose. He later took on a partner and started a studio named Rose & Hopkins. This partnership was dissolved in 1901. It is interesting to note that “Little Lord Fauntleroy” had much impact in cabinet card photography. In addition to the existence of a number of portraits of child actors portraying the character; many children’s attire and hairstyle in cabinet card images were based on the clothing and appearance of the “Little Lord Fauntleroy” character. “Little Lord Fauntleroy” was the first children’s novel written by English-American author Frances Hodgson Burnett. It was published in 1885. In regard to fashion, the classic Fauntleroy Suit was a velvet cut-away jacket and matching knee pants worn with a fancy blouse with large lace or ruffled collar. It became a major fad in formal fashion for American middle class children. Most commonly, boy between 3 and 8 years of age wore these suits and a minority of these children also wore ringlet curls. ADDENDUM : I have been informed that that this photograph was taken at a performance in Denver that occurred in November, 1889. The source reports that this information comes from an article appearing in the New York Clipper on 12/7/1889. (SOLD)
SOPHIE EYRE: STAGE ACTRESS SUFFERS AN UNFORTUNATE DEBUT
Sophie Eyre (1853?-1892) was a moderately successful stage actress. She was successful enough for the New York Times to publish a detailed obituary upon her death from heart disease while traveling in Naples, Italy. Eyre was born in Tipperary, Ireland. She married an English Army officer and went on the stage after his death. In 1884 she took the place of Rose Coghlan in the company at Wallach’s Theatre. In 1885 she appeared in New York in a “feeble and speedily forgotten” piece called “In His Power”. The debut was unfortunate “for the part was bad and the play was worse“. The debut was further spoiled by the “extraordinary stupidity of her maid” who followed her mistress on the stage bearing the train of her gown wrapped in a sheet”. Other New York appearances included “Valerie”, “Diplomacy” (by David Belasco), “She Loved Him”, “Home”, “Central Park: or the House with Two Doors”, and “The Palace of Truth”. During her stay in the United States, she was the subject of much gossip in the newspapers. This cabinet card was produced by Falk, a well-know celebrity photographer in New York City. Additional Cabinet Card Gallery photographs by Falk can be seen by clicking on the category “Photographer: Falk”. (SOLD)
CAROLINE MISKEL: AMERICAN STAGE ACTRESS WITH “NOBLE FORM AND FEATURES”
Caroline Miskel (1873-1898) was born in Kentucky. Her father was a newspaper editor and state legislator. She began her acting debut season with John Augustin Daly’s theatre company. She played in comedies and classic revivals. In 1894 she married Charles Hoyt, a popular playwright of the “gay nineties”. She starred in his production of “A Temperance Town”. In 1895 she was named America’s most popular actress and was awarded with “a nickel plated bicycle with a solid silver searchlight lantern”. Miskel was considered one of the most beautiful of all American stage actresses. One writer described her as a beauty with “light auburn hair, creamy complexion, bright sapphire eyes, and noble form and features”. The writer added that she was “as intellectual as she was beautiful”. Miskel’s life was cut short when she tragically died at age 25 after giving birth to a son. This cabinet card was published by Newsboy as part of a series of premium cards to be given away with the purchase of Newsboy tobacco products.
STAGE ACTRESS: MAI ESTELLE IN COSTUME FOR AN UNKNOWN PRODUCTION
This cabinet card photograph features stage actress Mai Estelle in costume for an unknown production. Her given name was Mai Twiggs Wynkoop. Preliminary research yields little information. In 1889-1990 she starred in the New York production of “Myrtle Ferns”. She performed on Broadway in “Maternity” (1915). The photographer of this image is William Mckenzie Morrison (1857- ?). Morrison was a well known celebrity photographer who housed his studio in the Haymarket Theatre Building between 1889 and 1899. He then moved his studio to the Champlain Building. Morrison was quite successful. He had a ranch in South Dakota and a summer home in Palisades, New Jersey. The Cabinet Card Gallery includes other photographs by Morrison. The images can be seen by clicking on the category “Photographers: Morrison”.
BEAUTIFUL AND FLAMBOYANT GERMAN WOMAN: BOUDOIR CARD PHOTOGRAPH
A very pretty and flamboyantly dressed woman poses for her photograph at the studio of E. Bieber. Bieber had two locations in Germany; Berlin and Hamburg. Emilie Bieber was a female German photographer who ran her Hamburg studio from 1852 through 1872 when she was joined by her nephew, Leonard Berlin-Bieber. Emilie Bieber died in 1884. The beautiful woman in this image is dressed to the hilt. Her dress and hat are covered with flowers and feathers. Perhaps she is an actress which judging by her expression, pose, and dress; is a likely possibility. This photograph is not a standard sized cabinet card but instead is known as a Boudoir Card. The card is 8 1/2 x 5 1/4 inches. To view other photographs by the Bieber studio, click on the category “Photgrapher: Bieber”.
MAUD GRANGER: BROADWAY STAGE ACTRESS
Maud Granger (c 1851-1928) was a popular nineteenth century actress who belonged to a number of east coast theatre touring companies. She played in 17 Broadway productions between 1879 and 1924. She also became an early cinema screen personality. This cabinet card was photographed by the studio of Gilbert & Bacon of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This studio was one of the best known photographic studios in Philadelphia and produced portraits of many celebrities. To view other photographs by this studio, click on the category “Photographer: Gilbert & Bacon”.
MARIE BURROUGHS: AMERICAN STAGE ACTRESS
Marie Burroughs (1866-1926) is the subject of this cabinet card portrait by Newsboy. Newsboy used this cabinet card as a premium to boost sales of their tobacco products. Marie Burroughs was born in San Jose, California and after completing her convent education, she was invited to join the Madison Square Theatre Company (c 1883). She appeared in many productions including “Saints and Sinners” (1885,1887) and “Foregone Conclusion” (1886). She was a prominent leading lady but wasn’t considered to have enough star power to carry a production by herself. In 1890 she married actor Louis Massen who had helped train her to become an actress. They separated within two years and she went on to have two other marriages.
LINDA DEITZ: STAGE ACTRESS INSULTED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES (1879)
Linda Deitz poses for this cabinet card portrait by famed celebrity photographer, Sarony of New York City. Deitz was a well known American actress in the 1870’s and 1880’s. She was photographed a great deal but her theatrical career was of only about ten years duration. She made her stage debut replacing actress Fanny Davenport in a production at Daly’s 5th Avenue Theatre. View Ms Davenport’s cabinet card image under the category of Actresses located on this site. In 1879 a theatre column in the New York Times announced that Deitz was being cast as a leading lady. The critic reported that the decision “does not strike us as very happy”. The article goes on to describe her as a respectful actress within a limited range of parts but “she can scarcely hope to fulfill worth the severe duties of a leading lady”. Later that year, Linda Deitz left New York to join the Hare and Kendal theatre company at St. James Theatre in London. Deitz died in 1920.
RISQUE THEATRE ACTRESS SYLVIA GERRISH
Sylvia Gerrish (1858-1906) is the subject of this Cabinet Card published by Newsboy. The photograph of the noted comic opera actress and singer was a premium given to users of Newsboy Tobacco products. Sylvia Gerrish was a stage beauty noted in the United States as well as England. She was born in California, sang in her church choir and came to New York and pursued the theatre life. Millionaire Henry Hilton became enamored of her and sacrificed his marriage and fortune to be with her. The story of their relationship was extensively covered by the newspapers of the time. Gerrish ended up dying in poverty.
