A joyful but anonymous chorus line in Gertude Lederer’s collection. It may include Laura Vail (3rd from right) and Gertrude Lederer (4th from right), performers in Frank W Healy’s San Francisco Opera Company, in 1906-7.
Several years ago, I purchased a small group of photographs that came from the estate of a Gertrude Lederer in the USA. I was told that Gertrude M. Lederer had been born in Illinois, USA, in 1884. She appears to have been a very young performer in Frank W. Healy’s San Francisco Opera Company from early 1907 and amongst other things she collected a number of photos of fellow performers. Through changing ownership, the collection found its way to an online auction. Having purchased them, it occurred to me that while I love them, the collection needs to be available online for US theatre historians. So here are some of them. Most images have been cropped to fit.
Many of the photos are signed and dedicated to Gertrude, who appears not to have pursued a long term stage career.
Photos of some of these performers can also be found in the J. Willis Sayre Collection of Theatrical Photographs at the University of Washington Library.
In any use, please make an attribution to forgottenaustralianactresses.com . Please note that copyright may still be held by third parties.
Top row: Frank W. Healy; Minnie Estella Clayton; Maud Beatty (New Zealand born performer and sister of May Beatty)
Middle row: Leona Rogers; The incomparable Daphne Pollard; Frank Bertrand
Bottom row: Carl Haydn (as Robin Hood); Laura Vail; Freda Wisher
Top row: Corrine Hewlette; Teddy Webb; Brownie Browning
Middle row: unnamed (possibly Gertrude Lederer); Gertrude Lederer; Four unknown artists (picture mounted on card with a hook on the reverse – perhaps for a dressing room door?)
Bottom row: Stella Grey; Carl Haydn; Laura Vail
Top Row: Joe Miller; Joe Miller (without makeup); Jack Farrell
Middle Row: Joseph W. Smith; unknown artist; unknown artist
Bottom Row: Artist named Coujuer; A mysterious request – what was going on!?
Left: Artists unknown. Right: Artists unknown – may include Laura Vail (3rd from right) and Gertrude Lederer (4th from right)
I recently discovered that the once beach cottage at 774 35th Street San Francisco (built 1907) was a hang out for opera singers on their time off. Perhaps these talented singers spent time there. Unfortunately, I don’t have any more information than that. The cottage has been owned by my cousin and her late husband for many years, however is currently being prepared for sale. As a side note, our great grandfather, George Septimus Read was from Australia.
Thanks for your comment Emily. Yes – could be. The cottage looks very cute on google maps!