University of Chicago Library Guide to the Motion Picture Stills Collection 1920-1934 © 2006 University of Chicago Library Table of Contents Descriptive Summary 3 Information on Use 3 Access 3 Citation 3 Scope Note 3 Related Resources 5 Subject Headings 5 INVENTORY 6 Series I: Actors and Actresses 6 Series II: Motion Picture Stills 171 Series III: Scrapbooks 285 Subseries 1: Scrapbooks; Individual Actors and Actresses 285 Subseries 2: Miscellaneous Scrapbooks 296 Series IV: Vitaphone Stills 297 Series V: Large Film Stills and Marquee Cards 300 Series VI: Coming Attractions, Glass Lantern Slides 302 Series VII: Duplicate Film Stills 302 Series VIII: Index Cards 302 Descriptive Summary Identifier ICU.SPCL.MOTIONPICTURE Title Motion Picture Stills. Collection Date 1920-1934 Size 87.5 linear feet (139 boxes) Repository Special Collections Research Center University of Chicago Library 1100 East 57th Street Chicago, Illinois 60637 U.S.A. Abstract Contains approximately 30,000 black and white photographs of movie stills, production shots, and portrait photographs of actors. Includes 8" x 10" photographs, 187 scrapbooks devoted to individual film stars, marquee cards, and glass lantern slides announcing coming attractions from Pathe and other movie studios. Information on Use Access No restrictions. Citation When quoting material from this collection, the preferred citation is: Motion Picture Stills. Collection, [Box #, Folder #], Special Collections Research Center, University of Chicago Library Scope Note The Motion Picture Stills Collection features a group of approximately 30,000 black and white photographs of movie stills, production shots, and portrait photographs of actors. The first half of this collection consists of these 8" x 10" photographs. The second half of this collection includes over 180 scrapbooks devoted to individual film stars, a group of marquee cards, and a set of glass lantern slides announcing the "Coming Attractions" from Pathe and other movie studios. These materials are all dated between 1920 and the mid-1930s. The collection is divided into seven series. SERIES I: ACTORS AND ACTRESSES This series includes portrait photography for publicity, as well as film stills highlighting approximately 2800 individuals. The majority are professional actors, but they also include 3 performers such as dancers and singers, as well as European aristocracy, American debutants, and other members of formal society. These items date primarily from 1924 to 1934. Each performer is represented by a separate file. These files contain newspaper and magazine clippings, black and white publicity shots, portrait photographs, and movie stills featuring the actor or actress. An asterisk (*) at the end of the name indicates that the file contains at least one original film still or studio publicity photograph; some files consist exclusively of clippings. Most major film stars, such as Tallulah Bankhead, Gary Cooper, or Mary Pickford, are represented in this collection, as are many more minor studio actors. Folders are organized alphabetically according to the individuals last name; in the case of groups, the folder is alphabetized under the leaders last name (Tal Henry and his North Carolina Orchestra is filed under "Henry.") Formal titles such as "Princess," "Duke," etc., follow the name in parentheses. In the case of teams (for example, "Gamby and Doug," "Lang and Healy"), the list should be checked under the last names of each actor. See Index Card Boxes A-D for additional biographical information on each actor. SERIES II: MOTION PICTURE STILLS This series consists of 8" x 10" black and white photographs taken from the sets of approximately 1700 films made between 1924 and1934. Most films are represented by multiple stills, which are organized alphabetically according to film title. Information written by the original collector on each folder indicates the director, cast, crew, and studio responsible for the film; in some instances, this notation also includes running time and date of release. Most major studios are represented in this group, including Columbia, Metro- Goldwyn-Mayer (M.G.M.), R.K.O., and Warner Brothers. See Index Card boxes E-F for additional production information concerning each film. SERIES III: SCRAPBOOKS This series features 187 scrapbooks, each of which contains black and white portrait photographs and film stills, along with magazine and newspaper articles tipped or pasted in. Most major actresses of the period between 1920-1930 are represented, many by multiple scrapbooks; Clara Bow has three; Betty Compson has four; Corinne Griffith has five; Marion Davies has six; Dorothy Mackail has eight. Only one male actor, Chester Morris, is represented in this group. This series is divided into two categories- Subseries 1: Scrapbooks; Individual Actors and Actresses Scrapbooks dedicated to individual actors. These are arranged alphabetically by last name. Subseries 2: Scrapbooks; Film Stills 4 Scrapbooks containing miscellaneous actors and various film stills. Due to the mixed content, these are unsorted. Two movies-"Gentlemen Prefer Blondes," and "The Sign of the Cross"-each have a separate scrapbook, and are located at the end of this series. SERIES IV: VITAPHONE STILLS This section contains 8" x 10" black and white photograph stills from 48 motion pictures produced by the Vitaphone Company, from the mid-1920s-mid 1930s. Each film is represented by multiple stills. See Index Card box D for additional production information concerning individual films . SERIES V: LARGE FILM STILLS AND MARQUEE CARDS small number of film stills and portrait photographs are 11" x 14" or larger. These include movie stills from American movies as well as stills from three French movies. One item is an oversize scrapbook, "The Desert Song." group of over 100 11" x 14" marquee cards in color, representing 55 films, are included in this group. SERIES VI: "COMING ATTRACTIONS" GLASS LANTERN SLIDES A set of approximately 160 glass lantern slides announcing "coming attractions," arranged alphabetically by title. About half of these are comedies produced at Pathe; the rest represent coming attractions from other studios. Some slides are duplicates. SERIES VII: DUPLICATE FILM STILLS SERIES VIII: INDEX CARDS A set of index card files accompany the collection. The divisions in the card files correspond to the current divisions of the collection, although the correspondence is not exact. These card files appear to have been prepared by the original collector and sometimes include extensive biographical and career information on individual actors. These boxes have been alphabetically identified as boxes "A" through "F," in order to distinguish them from the regular boxed collection. The index card files are located at the end of the main collection. They are available for consultation upon request. Related Resources The following related resources are located in the Department of Special Collections: http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/e/spcl/select.html Subject Headings 5 • Actresses • Actors • Motion picture actors and actresses-United States • Photographic prints • Scrapbooks INVENTORY Series I: Actors and Actresses Box 1 Folder 1 Aaronsons, Irwing, (and the Commanders)* Box 1 Folder 2 Abbet, Ursula (Lady) and daughter Juliet Box 1 Folder 3 Abbott, Al* Box 1 Folder 4 Abdy (Lady) Box 1 Folder 5 Ackerman, Jean Box 1 Folder 6 Adair, Alice Box 1 Folder 7 Adair, Janet* Box 1 Folder 8 Adair, Kathryn Box 1 Folder 9 Adams, Claire Box 1 Folder 10 Adamson, Victor (Mrs.) Box 1 Folder 11 Adoree, Renee* Box 1 Folder 12 Agar, Amy (Lady) Box 1 6 Folder 13 Agnew, Robert Box 1 Folder 14 Agniel, Marguerite Box 1 Folder 15 Aherne, Will and Gladys* Box 1 Folder 16 Alba, Maria Box 1 Folder 17 Albertson, Frank* Box 1 Folder 18 Albright, "Oklahoma Bob"* Box 1 Folder 19 Alcaniz, Luana* Box 1 Folder 20 Alcorne, Olive Ann Box 1 Folder 21 Alcorta, Noëmide Box 1 Folder 22 Alda, Frances* Box 1 Folder 23 Alden, Joan Box 1 Folder 24 Alden, Mary Box 1 Folder 25 Alexander, Katherine Box 1 Folder 26 Alison, Agnes Box 1 Folder 27 Alison, May Box 1 Folder 28 7 Allan, Elizabeth* Box 1 Folder 29 Allard, Bee Box 1 Folder 30 Allen, Adrienne Box 1 Folder 31 Allen, Betty Box 1 Folder 32 Allen, Diana Box 1 Folder 33 Allen, Edith Box 1 Folder 34 Allen, Fred* Box 1 Folder 35 Allen, Martha Bryan Box 1 Folder 36 Allen, Monica Box 1 Folder 37 Allen, Sarah Box 1 Folder 38 Allen, Winifred Box 1 Folder 39 Aloma Box 1 Folder 40 Alvarado, Don* Box 1 Folder 41 Amato, Pasquale* Box 1 Folder 42 Ames, Adrienne* Box 1 Folder 43 Ames, Robert* 8 Box 1 Folder 44 Anderson, Judith* Box 1 Folder 45 Anderson, Mignon Box 1 Folder 46 Anderson, Sally Box 1 Folder 47 Anderson, Violet Box 1 Folder 48 Andre, Gwili* Box 1 Folder 49 Andrus, Marguerite Box 1 Folder 50 Angel, Heather* Box 1 Folder 51 Angus, Mary and Marguerite Box 1 Folder 52 Aoki, Tsuru Box 1 Folder 53 Apollon, Dave, (and his Russian Stars)* Box 1 Folder 54 Ardath, Fred* Box 1 Folder 55 Ardell, Kathleen Box 1 Folder 56 Ardine* Box 1 Folder 57 La Argentinita Box 1 Folder 58 Arlen, Betty Box 1 9 Folder 59 Arlen, Richard Box 1 Folder 60 Arliss, George Box 1 Folder 61 Armstrong, Robert* Box 1 Folder 62 Armida Box 1 Folder 63 Arenette, Lucille Box 1 Folder 64 Arnaud, Yvonne Box 1 Folder 65 Arnheim, Gus* Box 1 Folder 66 Arnold, Dorothy Box 1 Folder 67 Arnold, Erik Box 1 Folder 68 Arnold, Lucille Box 1 Folder 69 Arnst, Bobbe* Box 1 Folder 70 Arthur, George Box 1 Folder 71 Arthur, Jean* Box 1 Folder 72 Arthur, Johnny* Box 1 Folder 73 Arthur, Mary Box 1 Folder