This Cabinet Card is a portrait of theatre actress, Hope Booth. This actress seems to have had a propensity for trouble. The New York Times (1896) reported that at age 23, after appearing at the “Casino Roof Gardens” in a sketch entitled “Ten Minutes in the Latin Quartier; or A Study in the Nude”, she was arrested along with the manager of the theatre. She was charged with violating public decency because of her scant costume and daring poses. Five years later, her husband, actor, James E. B. Earll was arrested after his opening appearance in a vaudeville act at Koster and Bials. Before her arrest, she appeared in George Bernard Shaw’s first play, “Widowers Houses” in 1892. A review described her as a “fetching but hopeless” actress. Shaw had seen her in an earlier show and had described her as a “young lady who can not sing, dance, or speak, but whose appearance suggests that she might profitably spend 3 or 4 years in learning the arts which are useful on stage”. Other news stories and books report that she was born in Canada, was once married to a Canadian member of Parliament, she was a distant relative of the theatrical Booth family, and that she went bankrupt bringing a play to England. She clearly led an interesting life. The Cabinet Card is part of the Newsboy Series and was used as a premium for the sale of Newsboy Plug Tobacco.
HOPE BOOTH: “FETCHING BUT HOPELESS THEATRE ACTRESS”
KATE STOKES: THEATRE ACTRESS WEARING SNAKE SKINS
Kate Stokes poses for this cabinet card photograph for Newsboy of New York. She is wearing snake skins on her arms and has quite an interesting veil. It would be interesting to discover what play her costume is from. The costume appears to be very middle eastern or Indian. More research or comments from visitors to this site will hopefully provide further biographical information about Kate Stokes. Newsboy cabinet cards were used as a premium to help tobacco sales for Newsboy plug tobacco.
DALLAS TYLER: THEATER AND FILM ACTRESS AND NEAR MURDER VICTIM
Theater and film actress, Dallas Tyler is seen in this Cabinet card by Newsboy of New York. She is quite beautiful and has remarkably expressive eyes. The photograph is copyrighted by B. Falk in 1894. Dallas Tyler (1880-1953) was a theater and film actress. She appeared in seven films between 1914 and 1916 including Jane Eyre (1914). She also wrote the film, The Devils Playground (1917). The New York Times reported in April, 1896 that Ms Tyler’s husband, actor George Bethel, fired four shots at her at the hotel she was residing in while performing in Hartford, Connecticut. Fortunately, he was quite intoxicated and all four shots missed their target. The actor denied trying to kill his wife. He stated that he was despondent about the breakup of his marriage and blamed his mother-in-law for marital interference.
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 