The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1952-01-01
Before be
Camera

IfIrave about rare Caruso al
bum, don't think you wandered into
thesiumc department by mistake.
I'm talking about personal Caru-
so photo album that reveals the
worlds greatest tenor was Gamer
tan for many years before his
death In 1921. This photo album.
along with costumes and other per-
sonal effects, has lain Grated for
/ thirty years. Recently, all the items
were turned over to RCA Victor by
Mrs. Dorothy Benjamin Caruso, his
j widow. With the current re-issulng
of immortal Caruso recordings, the
! album and other personal memen-
los viii be on display and tour the
country shortly
The Carus0 photo album has
proved to be revealing, human
document of a great man. 1t defin-
| itely proved, too, the virtues and
! shortcomings Of caruso as a came
Ira fan. For posterity, the main vir-
tue is that Caruso posed willingly
/ almost eagerly :. for came
ra almost anytime, anywhere. And
he was not above the corny tricks
that we see in almost any family
album -Napoleonic gestures,
tongue out at camera, mugging
and improvising costumes.
AS . world figure. the pictures
show the retinue that surrounded
him in Europe, America, and Mex
leo. In public appearances he was
the man of fashion, fitted and p0-
.ished. He had few private mo-
ments. but we do see him with his
coat off, relaxed. As loving hus-
band, there's tender, revealing
photo of Mrs. Caruso leaning over
him. As a gregarious friendmaker
everywhere, we see innumerable
snapshots of people of all ages
and stations in life that no one to-
lay can identify.
His Puckisil personality left fit
ting last-page picture in the album.
After some dignified poses, pic
ture of sartorial splendor, he
couldn't resist pulling the living
room drapes together, through
which he poked him head. II i'm
piled, CURTAIN $. THE END"
From the pictures we see that
Caruso personally used at least
three types of cameras in the years
between 1910 and 1919, the period
roughly covered by this album. He
had a folding, postcard size K0-
dak, a box camera and panora-
mic camera in which the lens
swung in an arc. However, his own
picture taking results can only be
classed as record shots and fall
| far short oil. the artistic success he
enjoyed as a caricaturist, to men,
ton another hobby.
| The csruso album, is a graphic
example Of the Dos and Don'ts in
present day album making. Physi-
cally it has stood the test of time
after 40 years, proving that we'll
made, leather covered book is a
long term investment. Lesson mum.
Der one, therefore, is that any al
bum is better than no album, and
a good album is best in the long
run, since you invest time, trouble
and pictures.
Lesson number two, I'd say, Is
the need for IDENTIFICATION,
something caruso sadly failed to
take care OF throughout the book.
Page after page of people. places
land events that were written only
in his memory :. literally buried
treasure. Not that he didn't know
better, for the first few pages start.
ed out on the right key: "Enrico a,
Atlantic City, 1910, - "Enrico in Sal.
somaggiore, 1910, . with Georgette
Cohan daughter of George Cohan)
and Mrs. Schubart in Vienna. :
Here the date was left off, then
Salsomaggiore Italy was shorten.
ed 10 rSafsp' add after that names
/ andsdstes disappeared.
| | blame the fraditlQnal Alaek ph0s
ID album pages for good part OF
this Identification failure. II was.
and is too much of a nuisance
to get. and write, in the proper
kind of white ink. There's no rea-
son why album pages shouldn't be
light enough to take standard inks
or pencil. But the important thing
is TO write dates, names and com
ments Immediately, while il is
fresh in your memory. Do IL on the
white margin Of the photos, il ne
cessary, But do IL!
! of course, all album pictures
| should be properly fixed and wash
ed. The average is good in the Car
uso album. Out of the $50 photos,
about a dozen show Objectionable
fading and another dozen show
slight fading. There are some nat.