American playwright, theatrical producer, director and impresario David Belasco (1853-1931) is shown in this portrait taken by the English sisters Lilly & Emily Selby, who operated their New York photographic studio at 292 5th Ave. at the time it was taken. The photograph dates to at least 1908 or possibly the year before, as a variant from the sitting appeared that year in Everybody’s Magazine in the March issue, (p. 378) illustrating the article “The Actor and the Manager” by Hartley Davis.

Belasco apparently liked this photo so much he had it copyrighted in 1909, with a cropped version later appearing in the September, 1913 issue of The Theatre magazine as part of the article “Stage Realism of the Future-Illustrated” by Arthur Hornblow. (p. 86)

Although the photo has been inscribed by Belasco two years before his death, (1929) the print is likely much older as his celebrity necessitated him keeping a certain amount on hand to satisfy that fame and the public.

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British photographers Emily & Lillian Selby began taking photographs together while operating their first American portrait studio at 292 Fifth Avenue in New York City beginning in 1900. Collectively signing their work as The Misses Selby, the sisters, (Emily: b. 1868-1915? | Lillian: b. 1866-1964)  (1.) according to Jane C. Gover:

…were seeking an artist’s studio in New York when they happened to be offered a photographer’s studio with all its equipment. Relying on Emily’s business experience and Lillian’s degree in science, the sisters established a portrait studio and quickly became well known in Manhattan.  (2.)

1. Death dates vary for Emily. It’s believed she died “Emily Fisk”, after marriage at unknown date. Trowe’s New York City Directory lists her as late as 1915 along with sister Lily under Photographers: “The Misses Selby”. The 1916 Trowe’s directory omits her. Lily Selby died in 1964. The GenealogyBank Historical Newspaper Obituaries, 1815-2013 (United States) index shows death date of 14 October, 1964, listing her occupation as “Society Photographer”. The New York Times also has a short obit: “Selby, Miss Lily, of 1295 Shippan Ave., Stamford, Conn., on Wednesday, Oct. 14, 1964 daughter of the late John and Elisa Tuppin Selby. Funeral and interment will be held privately.”
2. The Misses Selby: in: Ambassadors of Progress, American Women Photographers in Paris, 1900-1901: edited by Bronwyn A.E. Griffith: Musée d’Art Américain Giverny, France In association with the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.: 2001: p. 170

The  American character actor Porter Hall (1888-1953) is perhaps best known as “the nervous, ill-tempered Granville Sawyer, who administers psychological tests to Macy’s employees (including Kris Kringle), in Miracle on 34th Street.” (1.)

Original copy for this entry posted to Facebook on September 17, 2012:

Miracle on 34th Street, one of my all-time favorite movies as a kid, came back to me in an unexpected way after I had purchased this platinum print of the important theatrical producer and playwright David Belasco a while back. That’s because it had been personally inscribed to Porter Hall, the American character actor who some may remember as the devious Macy’s employee Granville Sawyer, who managed to get Kris Kringle committed to Bellevue before the court room scene in the movie declared him the real Santa Claus.

1. Porter Hall: Wikipedia accessed: September, 2012