Chicago Socialite with Flower: Marjorie or Rosepha P. Chisholm

Fashion, Flowers, Hats, Portrait: Woman

Dimensions

Image Dimensions: 23.8 x 18.1 cm
Support Dimensions: 26.7 x 20.1 | 27.1 x 20.3 cm

A grouping of four platinum studio photographs taken by Eugene Raymond Hutchinson (1880-1957) in 1908 and 1910 was acquired by this archive in early 2017. Based on the learned identity of Dancer Marjorie Chisholm (1887-1967) for one of the photos, we are tentatively assigning attribution to other Chisholm family members for these remaining three photographs.

Family background: Marjorie Chisholm

Her father was Samuel Sidney Chisholm, (born Ontario, Canada: 1841-1901) believed to be an industrialist who manufactured excavating equipment in Chicago but who died in New York City. Her mother was Rosepha Blanche (Pratt) Chisholm. (1857-1935)

Marjorie had an older sister, Rosepha P. Chisholm; (1886-1970) an older brother Sidney L. Chisholm; (b. 1885) and a younger brother: Donald Chisholm. (b. 1892) Rosepha, Marjorie’s older sister, was described in one 1918 account as an authority on publicity stunts, advertising methods and poster advertising, and was at the time treasurer of the Phoenix News Publicity Bureau headquartered in New York City. A Broadway database additionally lists her that year as a performer in the play Electra.

Marjorie’s husband, at least later in life, whom she is buried with along with her mother and older sister at Marshfield Hills Cemetery in Massachusetts, was  Almeron Whitehead “Barry” Bacon. (1870-1936: “A. Barry Bacon” & Marjorie C. Bacon inscribed on gravestone) One year before his death, Bacon was elected president of the mother church, First Church of Christ Scientist of Boston. His career had been spent as the oriental rug buyer for Boston’s Chandler & Co. (in business since 1817) during the early 1910’s. He went on to become a director there in the 1920’s, and in 1930, the firm’s president upon the death of his brother Charles.

print notes recto: signed HUTCHINSON 1910 in lower right corner
print notes verso: tertiary mount lacking, with corner adhesive remnants