Orval Hixon

Rita Gould was a Hollywood actress born in the Kherson Governorate of Russia. She was known for her roles in "Girls' Dormitory" (1936), "He Couldn't Say No" (1938) and "Kiss and Make-Up" (1934). In this portrait, Hixon captures Gould in an elegant pose, turning her cheek to the camera with one index finger resting on h...

This portrait of Lawrence Newman, depicts a very dapper figure. Newman attired in a very distinguished fashion wears a dark suit accentuated with a light colored pocket square. He wears a white button up shirt, black tie, and dark fedora. Newman is centered in this photograph gazing intently at the viewer, with his...

John and Winnie Henning were early vaudeville performers who comprised the Kill Kare Kouple. They adopted this name with a popular act they performed together wherein Winnie would play various instruments while John danced his famed "Grasshopper Dance", the two exchanging comedic banter all the while. They toured overs...

Nan Halperin appeared on the vaudeville stage at the age of fifteen performing impersonations and comedic musical numbers. Over the course of her career, she became known as America’s “Famous Satirist” for her impersonations of the life stages of ordinary American women as well as the "Wonder Girl" because of how fast...

Jack Clifford, born Virgil James Montani, was originally from Geneo, Italy. Clifford’s vaudeville fame came from his live performances, both as an actor and dancer. Clifford was noted for his marriage to Evelyn Nesbit in 1916, and after a fifteen year separation ended in divorce in 1933. Clifford died on November 10...

Maurice Barrett staged, produced, and performed in a number of Broadway productions in the early 20th century. Notable productions included: Smooth As Silk (1921), The Hindu (1922), Straight Thru the Door (1928), and The Traitor (1930). Barrett was best known for his roles portraying a Hindu character in "The Master o...

The photograph depicts the young woman Joan Archer. She stands in profile showing her from the waist up. She gazes upward toward the left corner of the pictorial space. She is dressed in a lace top with floral motif and wears a glass beaded necklace. A striped scarf with flowers and faux grapes adorn her short hair. He...

In this portrait, a gentleman by the name of Rolla looks down at the saxophone in his hands. He was purportedly a member of the Clyde McCoy band and has signed the photograph over the breast of his tuxedo "To Clyde. Sorry I couldn't sell you a house. Rolla". It is unclear what this message means or what it has to do wi...

Miss Egan, born with the name Mary Florence Cecilia Egan, was a violinist and bandleader during the 1920s through the 1930s. Her career started from the pit orchestras of Hollywood productions until she formed her own all-female orchestra in 1924 called Babe Egan's Hollywood Redheads. The group played in vaudeville alo...

The figure in this study is speculated to be Grace Darling. Grace Darling was a silent film actress best known for her leading role in "Beatrice Fairfax" (1916) as Beatrice herself, the editor of a love advice column. The film's significance comes with it being inspired by "Ask Beatrice Fairfax" the first newspaper adv...