This week we are taking a look at a photograph of what was, presumably, a Mount Vernon theater production. That educated guess was made by noting the name of the photographer credited on the photo, and his identification as being in Mount Vernon.
Granted, Mount Vernon is not the only such town in the country, so beyond that clue, we have little to go on other than the fact that a local collector of period photos and postcards was the one who discovered this item.
But the name of the photographer does appear to nail it down locally, for the name on the photo, Wagoner, does match up to a prominent Mount Vernon photographer of the early 20th century. His name was embossed on either a small version of this photo, or on the original negative, because the embossing in only printed on this large blowup, which is about 11 by 14 inches in size.
Ira E. Wagoner was born in Pennsylvania in 1888, but moved to Ohio in young adulthood. In Carrollton, near Canton, he met and married his wife, Ada. They soon had six children, as reported by Ira’s 1917 draft card during the First World War. At the time, he was making his living as a grocer, but he must have had aspirations for a more creative life.
By 1920, Wagoner had moved to Mount Vernon and opened Wagoner’s Studio & Art Store. He began advertising as a photographer, and was a prominent fixture on the Mount Vernon scene for years to come. Wagoner lived until the late 1940s.
What dates our photo to the Roaring Twenties? Well, the immediate thing is the hairstyles of the ladies in this picture. We see here a number of textbook examples of the sort of “bob” cut popularized by flappers. If it were a later play that called for a setting in the 1920s, everyone would have more uniformly bobbed hair.
There’s a level of informality here that suggests these may be the ladies’ regular hair styles.
Additionally, many of the women sport the narrow, dark lipstick style made hugely famous by Clara Bow in the 1920s. Bow was one of the first movie stars, and she became known as the “It” Girl, which was a euphemism for “sex appeal,” which was a little racy to be discussed in polite company.
I found a photo of her to run with this article that proves that gender-bending glamor is nothing new, Clara Bow having pioneered the look a hundred years ago. Doesn’t look like it has caused society to collapse yet.
Also, the fact that many of the men are wearing bow ties also dates this photo to the 1920s, as bow ties rapidly fell out of fashion in the 1930s. The upright piano is pretty standard, so no real clues there, and the resolution of the blown-up photograph is not high enough to make it possible to read the sheet music lying on top of the piano.
To the immediate right of the piano, though, is what looks like an old, ornate music stand. Do those braces on the stand end in candle holders?
That’s what it looks like to me. If so, that’s another clue to the early date of this photo.
Does anyone recognize the theater itself? My first thought was the Memorial Theater on High Street, except I don’t recall venting in the front of the stage from the times I’ve worked there.
On the other hand, I had my attention focused on people on the stage, not the stage itself, so I can’t say for sure. I don’t recall if there is an orchestra pit structure there.
The picture features a proscenium stage with a slight forward thrust beyond the proscenium. Teaser curtains hang high, or that may be a grand drape. If so, then this is definitely a large theater with fly space, such as the Memorial Theater.
If not the Memorial, could it be the old high school? Judging by the age of the majority of the participants, this could be a high school production. There are a few older figures, but they could be directors and production coordinators.
The pair of children front and center, though, appear younger than high school age. That would point toward the possibility of this being a community theater production instead of a school show.
The painted backdrop does not give any real clues to what the show could be. With a fairly generic backdrop and costumes, it could be some sort of musical revue, without a real plot. The backdrops could be from older productions.
Anyone with insights is invited to share them on the Facebook posting of this story. Reader input often provides new clues.
