Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-09-29
Professional Beauties.

"No, fne-looking people do not ALWAYS
take the best pictures. | have had magnifi-
centlooking women come to me for their
pictures, and they have not taken good photo
graphs. 1t needs prominent features and an
expressive countenance. A clean-cut nose
and chin can make any picture attractive.
have noticed also, that in some people, the
simple turn of the head will make so great
a difference in picture, that it will render
it unrecognizable even to the most intimate
friends of the original This is what has
given rise to the flattering photograph you
have no doubt heard condemned. The only
correct picture is the full face. and is the
most difficult one to take. Persons who
have the most classical profles are very
often cursed with the most meaningless and
doughy full faces, that one could imagine.
''The popular opinion that some people
actually support themselves, by having them
selves photographed and selling their pic
lures, is in many cases, entirely erroneous
The custom is to find professional beauty.
either actress or otherwise, and propose that
she have her picture taken free of charge
giving her, as a remuneration, certain num-
Der of photographs. This is all. do not
know of any one at present who derives the
smallest income from these pictures. ''There
Is one exception. however to this rule-that
w
the privilege of taking her photographs, and
controlling the entire sale Of them. No, she
was not a good object; she was always in
too great hurry. and it was always with the
greatest difficulty that We could persuade
her to remain before the camera when
her first negative was taken She takes fair
picture, but we depended more on her popu-
arity than on her beauty. We disposed of
several hundred thousand of her pictures of
all sizes, but the cd7te-de-r riSite was the best
selling. She made a very fair full length por-
trait. but her head was not good. BY the by,
might mention here an incident which oc-
cured not many days ago to me. A Califor-
mia lady came to me to have her photograph
taken, and she wore a magnificent dress.
She told me TO pay more attention TO the
dress than to herself. did So few DAYS
after she came again with another dress,
which she told me cost $4,000. She had her
picture taken again: the next day she came
with another dress. and so on throughout the
week. The value Of the clothing that wo-
man wore must have aggregated $50 900 OF
$40, coo.
''You have no doubt seen pictures Of Maud
Branscombe, and have gone into raptures
over them. Well, that shows what differ
ence the position and the attitude of an object
makes in the makeup Of a photograph. II
you saw her on the street. you would not no
tice her. She is nsignifcant-looking, and
not at all pretty, and is the last one in the
world one would suppose to be professional
! sitter. But she is. and she goes everywhere
She is not paid now for her sittings. She
| used to be, it is true. but in very small sums
She is now given certain number of pictures
and she derives an income from the sale oi
| them. She makes up extremely we'll, and j:
| fair object. She is becoming passee now
and is not nearly as popular as she once was
| / couldn't tell you how many Branscombe;
we have sold. but were to tell you the num-
Der, you would be astoDisbed. The person.
who buy her photographs are youths who
hang around the square. or sentimental girl,
who like the pose.
''The best selling pictures we ever bar
were those Of Fanny Davenport. They sole
very rapidly at one time--in fact, they ID
now. but not as formerly. Her features wer,
very handsome, and she took an excelen
photograph. The greater portion of Fam,
Davenport's popularity is due to her pictures
for there is no doubt but that she was once al
extremely beautiful woman. The favoTite o