Title
William S. Hart Paramount Studio Portrait
Date
Not after 1920
Description
Perhaps attracted by the theatrics of Wild West shows, the early film industry enthusiastically embraced the Western genre. William S. Hart (1870-1946) was a Shakespearian stage actor who became a celebrity of Westerns in the silent film era, writing, directing, and acting in them. Hart was sensitive to issues of authenticity and strove to keep his productions simple and evocative of the "real" West. The portrait here could have been used to advertise such films as Square Deal Sanderson (1919) or Wagon Tracks (1919).
Format
Gelatin silver print
Source
Theatre Collection, Department of Rare Books and Special Collections.