Leone Cass Baer photographs collection, 1910-1923

Overview of the Collection

Collector
Baer, Leone Cass, b. 1886
Title
Leone Cass Baer photographs collection
Dates
1910-1923 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.8 cubic feet, (73 photographs in 1 document box and 9 oversize folders)
Collection Number
Org. Lot 367
Summary
The collection consists primarily of autographed publicity portraits of music, theater, and movie personalities, given to Leone Cass Baer, ca. 1910-1921, when she was drama editor and critic for the Oregonian. A few are unsigned, including a photographic print on postcard stock of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Houdini, and a few are movie stills and scenes from theater productions.
Repository
Oregon Historical Society Research Library
1200 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR
97205
Telephone: 503-306-5240
Fax: 503-219-2040
libreference@ohs.org
Access Restrictions

The collection is open to the public.

Languages
English.
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.

Biographical NoteReturn to Top

Leone Cass Baer (b.1886) was a drama critic, editor and feature writer for the Oregonian newspaper at Portland, Oregon, from about 1911 to 1920. She was born in Bloomfield, Iowa, to George Franklin and Catherine Beckley. After graduating from the University of Missouri, Baer attended the Chicago Art Institute. She moved to Portland and became the drama editor and critic for the theater section of the Oregonian. Quickly gaining a reputation for her impartial critiques of Portland stage events, Baer also became popular for her wit and clever comments. In 1919, she married Harve Wagner Hicks, who had moved from Chicago to Portland. Hicks worked for the Oregon-Washington Railway & Navigation Company and was a member of the Multnomah Athletic Club. Leone Cass Baer lived in Portland for 18 years.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The collection consists primarily of autographed publicity portraits of music, theater, and movie personalities, given to Leone Cass Baer, ca. 1910-1921. A few are unsigned, including a photographic print on postcard stock of Mr. and Mrs. Harry Houdini and a few movie stills and scenes from theater productions.

In addition to Houdini, prominent performers whose autographed portraits are featured in the collection include Douglas Fairbanks, Sr., Ernestine Schumann-Heink, Mary Pickford, Lillian Russell, Laurette Taylor, and Sophie Tucker, among many others. The collection includes several portraits of Julian Eltinge, one of the most prominent female impersonators of the 1910-1920 period.

Some autographs are dated; other dates listed are the dates the photographs were made. The photographers represented include many studios specializing in publicity portraits of performers throughout the United States.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The Oregon Historical Society is the owner of the materials in the Research Library and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the Research Library prior to any reproduction use. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners.

Preferred Citation

Leone Cass Baer photographs collection, Org. Lot 367, Oregon Historical Society Research Library.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

The photographs are arranged alphabetically by last names of the performers.

Acquisition Information

Library accession no. 17017 and Photo accession no. 1984D161.

Separated Materials

A letter from Harry Houdini to Leone Cass Baer is located in the Oregon Historical Society Research Library Manuscript Collections, Mss 1500.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection.

Container(s) Description Dates
Box/Folder
1/0 Background information undated
1/1 Baker, Mary Edgett circa 1915
A/1 Barker, Corinne R. 1919
1/1 Buzzell, Eddie [Edward] and Ona Munson [Mrs. Eddie Buzzell] circa 1915
A/1 Carson, Frances April 1917
1/1 Cowl, Jane circa 1915
B-1/1 Creel, Blanche Bates [children of] circa 1915
1/1 Drew, John 1911
1/2 Edeson, Robert 1910
Box/Folder
1/2 A/2 Eltinge, Julian—in street clothes 1912, 1917
B-1/1 Eltinge, Julian—as a female impersonator 1918, undated
1/2 Evans, W.H. circa 1915
B/1 Fairbanks, Douglas, Sr. 1920
1/2 Figman, Max and family (Lolita Robertson) circa 1915
1/2 Forbes-Robertson, J. [Sir Johnston Forbes-Robertson] circa 1915
A/2 Foy, Eddie [Eddie Foy and the Seven Little Foys] 1913, 1915
1/2 Gable, Clark with Norman Shearer
Film still.
circa 1915
A/2 Galli-Curci, Amelita 1920
A/2 Gentle, Alice circa 1915
1/2 Guinan, Texas circa 1915
1/3 Hampden, Buford 1911
B-1/2 Heather, Josie 1911
1/3 Hedman, Martha circa 1915
1/3 Hickman, Nance O'Neil circa 1915
A/3 Hite, Mabel circa 1915
1/3 Horton, Edward Everett
Includes signed portrait and Horton with Lois Wilson in a scene from a stage production.
circa 1920
1/3 Houdini, Harry
Includes autographed portrait and a postcard portrait with Mrs. Houdini.
1923, undated
A/3 Howard, Eugene and William Howard 1915
A/3 Irwin, May 1914
A/3 Howard, Eugene and William Howard 1915
1/4 James, Louis 1910 February 7
1/4 Lackaye, Wilton circa 1915
1/4 Loftus, Cecilia circa 1915
B-1/2 Lloyd, Alice circa 1915
A/3 Lynne, Felice 1914
A/4 Mantell, Robert B. 1910
A/4 Miller, Harry 1911
A/4 Monterey, Carlotta 1916
A/4 Morton, Harry K. 1921
A/4 Munson, Ona circa 1915
1/5 Muratore, L. [Lucien] 1914
1/5 Olcott, Margaret circa 1915
1/5 Pangborn, Franklin J. [Franklyn] 1921
1/5 De Pasquali, Bernice circa 1915
B/1 Pickford, Mary 1920
1/5 Powell, Maud March 25, 1919
B-1/2 Rice, Fanny circa 1915
1/6 Roberts, Florence 1910
A/5 Roberts, Theodore
Composite with formal portrait and 8 portraits in costumes for roles played.
circa 1915
Box/Folder
1/6 A/5 Roland, Ruth 1917, 1922
1/6 Ruegger, Elsa circa 1915
1/6 Russell, Lillian circa 1915
A/5 Russell, Marie Booth 1910
A/6 Samuels, Rae circa 1915
1/6 Scheff, Fritzi 1916
B-1/2 Schumann-Heink, Ernestine 1910
A/6 Sothern, E.H. [Edward Hugh] 1912
1/6 Steele, William circa 1915
1/6 Stone, Fred 1923, undated
1/7 Taylor, Laurette circa 1915
1/7 Tellegen, Lou
Touring with "Mme. Sarah Bernhardt and Her Company."
1913
A/6 Terry, Ellen [Dame Ellen Terry] 1917
A/6 Russell, Thaw 1916
1/7 Tucker, Sophie 1912
A/6 Vanderbilt, Gertrude circa 1915
1/7 Walsh, Blanche circa 1915

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Actors--Photographs.
  • Actresses--Photographs.
  • Entertainers--Photographs.
  • Female impersonators--Photographs.
  • Motion picture actors and actresses--Photographs.
  • Musical theater--Photographs.
  • Opera singers--Photographs.
  • Vaudeville--Photographs.

Personal Names

  • Eltinge, Julian, 1883-1941--Photographs.
  • Fairbanks, Douglas, 1883-1939--Photographs.
  • Gable, Clark, 1901-1960--Photographs.
  • Houdini, Harry, 1874-1965--Photographs.
  • Pickford, Mary, 1893-1979--Photographs.
  • Russell, Lillian, 1861-1922--Photographs.
  • Schumann-Heink, Ernestine, 1861-1936--Photographs.
  • Taylor, Laurette, 1884-1946--Photographs.
  • Tucker, Sophie, 1884-1966--Photographs.

Form or Genre Terms

  • Performing Arts
  • Photographic prints.