Joan Crawford in Mannequin, 1937 via
Joan Crawford in Mannequin, 1937 via
Category Archives: Joan Crawford
A Collection of Photos Of Famous Women Wearing the 1920s Popular Cloche Hat
Old Hollywood Film Stars by Edward Steichen
Edward Jean Steichen (1879 – 1973) was an American photographer, painter, and art gallery and museum curator.
Steichen was the most frequently featured photographer in Alfred Stieglitz’ groundbreaking magazine Camera Work during its run from 1903 to 1917. Together Stieglitz and Steichen opened the Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession, which eventually became known as 291 after its address.
His photos of gowns for the magazine Art et Décoration in 1911 are regarded as the first modern fashion photographs ever published. From 1923 to 1938, Steichen was a photographer for the Condé Nast magazines Vogue and Vanity Fair while also working for many advertising agencies includingJ. Walter Thompson. During these years, Steichen was regarded as the best known and highest paid photographer in the world. In 1944, he directed the war documentary The Fighting Lady, which won the 1945 Academy Award for Best Documentary.
After World War II, Steichen was Director of the Department of Photography at New York’s Museum of Modern Art until 1962. While at MoMA, he curated and assembled the exhibit The Family of Man, which was seen by nine million people
Gloria Swanson by Edward Steichen, 1924 via
Anna Mae Wong by Edward Steichen, 1931 via
Marlene Dietrich by Edward Steichen, 1932 via
Joan Crawford by Edward Steichen via
Lillian Gish by Edward Steichen, 1934 via
Greta Garbo by Edward Steichen, 1928 via
Joan Crawford as Billie Brown in Our Modern Maidens (1929)
Our Modern Maidens is a 1929 American silent drama film directed by Jack Conways, the spectacular Art Deco set is by Cedric Gibbons and gowns are by Adrian. The film is a sequal to “Our Dancing Daughters”.
In the film real life couple Joan Crawford and Douglas Fairbanks Jr. were teamed together, which made for a clever studio marketing campaign. The public had a fascination with Hollywood’s new “golden couple”, and the studio ensured that Joan’s last silent film was a success.
The story was a controversial for the times.
Joan Crawford stars as heiress Billie Brown who is engaged to marry her longtime sweetheart, budding diplomat, Gil Jordan, played by Fairbanks.
When Billie goes to see senior diplomat Glenn Abbott about ensuring that Gil gets a favorable assignment, Billie and Glenn are undeniably attracted to one another. Gil is likewise attracted to Kentucky Strafford, Billie’s houseguest, who becomes pregnant by Gil.
Gil finds that he loves Kentucky, but marries Billie instead. Once Gil finds that Billie really loves Glenn and Billie finds that Gil loves Kentucky, their marriage is annulled and both are paired up with the people they truly love.
Joan Crawford as Bille Brown for “Our Modern Maidens,” 1929 via
Joan Crawford as Bille Brown for “Our Modern Maidens,” 1929 via
Joan Crawford as Bille Brown for “Our Modern Maidens,” 1929 via
Joan Crawford as Bille Brown for “Our Modern Maidens,” 1929 via
A Collection of Old Hollywood Portaits by Ruth Harriet Louise
Ruth Harriet Louise (1903 – 1940) ran Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s portrait studio from 1925 to 1930.
When Louise was hired by MGM as chief portrait photographer in the summer of 1925, she was twenty-two years old, and the only woman working as a portrait photographer for the Hollywood studios.
In a career that lasted only five years, Louise photographed all the stars, contract players, and many of the hopefuls who passed through the studio’s front gates, including Greta Garbo, Lon Chaney, John Gilbert, Joan Crawford, Marion Davies, and Norma Shearer. It is estimated that she took more than 100,000 photos during her tenure at MGM.
Today she is considered an equal with George Hurrell Sr. and other renowned glamour photographers of the era.
Joan Crawford by Ruth Harriet Louise for Dream of Love, 1926 via
Anita Page by Ruth Harriet Louise via
Dorothy Sebastian by Ruth Harriet Louise via
Greta Garbo by Ruth Harriet Louise for “The Temptress”, 1926 via
Marceline Day by Ruth Harriet Louise via
Ruth Harriet Louise (self-portrait) via
FROM THE BYGONE 