Beatrice Tonnesen – Photographer & Artist

Collectors treasure the beautiful color prints found on advertising calendars of  the early twentieth century, known as “The Golden Age of Illustration.”  But, as we know, many of those beautiful illustrations started as equally beautiful black and white photos by Beatrice Tonnesen and others.  Unfortunately, because the calendar companies that published the color prints usually discarded the original photos, we rarely see the two together.  Now, thanks largely to the recent discovery of an archive of Tonnesen’s original photos in her hometown of Winneconne, WI, we can match many of them with the color prints found in my collection and the collections of others. Sumner Nelson has scanned the original photos and restored them for display in the Beatrice Tonnesen Catalog.   Here, for your enjoyment, is a true “before and after” presentation of vintage calendar art .  See the accompanying slideshow, and match each photo with its resultant color print.

This is the eye of a beautiful, happy young woman photographed by BT around 1910. When I have the opportunity to do a proper scan on an image produced by a high quality camera, such as BT usually used, I can get to this level of digital detail. It’s far greater detail than can be seen on the web slideshow, and even far greater detail than most people would casually see on the original image itself.

In many cases the lens of the camera catches details that are hidden behind imperfections in the development solution and printing process. Often, as in this eyeball, you can see the reflection of what appears to be the natural studio lighting with possibly some added lights, and the shadow of the camera and photographer in the middle. [Click on the image for an even closer view.]

The eyes are always special to me. I try to give them extra attention, because I know that I’m the only one who has looked into these eyes from so close in maybe 100 years. And nobody may ever look again. While I don’t give the whole image as detailed of a cleaning for basic web and preservation prep, out of respect I give the eyes special attention. It’s my way of saying “Hello and thank you.”

I doubt that someone will be able to look into my eyes at this close distance in 100 years.

[update edited 07/15/10]
These images represent the complete group of the scans that I did on my second visit to the Winneconne Historical Society. The entire contents of the Winneconne Historical Society collection of Beatrice Tonnesen images has now been digitized and is displayed in large versions in Album 15 of the Catalog on this site. Lois will be adding some information to each image that is viewable by rolling the cursor over the image.

Around 1922, Beatrice Tonnesen photographed a dark-haired beauty in Native American dress against a neutral background.  Photographs such as this one were in high demand for use by prominent illustrators who added backgrounds and details, producing the romanticized depictions of exotic and adventurous women that had caught the imagination of the calendar-buying public.  Best sellers featured Indian maidens paddling canoes near waterfalls, or standing dreamily amid forest or mountain landscapes.  Also popular were scenes of women in far-off places, costumed in pirate, gypsy or Egyptian garb.  Neither the costumes nor the women who wore them seem to have been authentically Native American or Egyptian.  Nor is it likely any real pirates or gypsies were involved!

Presumably, the subjects were simply local women, supporting or helping to support themselves by posing for artists and photographers.  And Tonnesen’s backgroundless Indian maiden photo, which ultimately became a woodsy calendar print by artist Homer Nelson, may have featured a Chicago beauty queen named Mary Simmonds. In 1921, Mary Simmonds (1896-1976) entered a beauty contest for residents of the midwest. Sponsored by The Chicago Tribune, it offered a total of $20,200 in prize money.  Simmonds didn’t win the big prize, but she was named “Chicago’s Most Beautiful Girl,” winning $1,000 and considerable publicity.
Continue Reading »

It appears to me that Ziegfeld Follies dancer Eva Grady, sometimes known professionally as Eva Brady, appeared in some of Beatrice Tonnesen’s work ca. 1918-20.  Of course, barring documentation from someone associated with either the model or Tonnesen herself, I’m never completely certain about these things.  But here’s how I came to believe that Tonnesen photographed one of Ziegfeld’s glamorous performers.

From about 1915 until about 1920 or so, fashion shows, known then as “style shows,” were very popular in Chicago and in communities throughout the mid-west.  I’ve discovered that photos of some of the era’s top artist models, including some whom I believe posed for Tonnesen, as well as famed illustrators such as Henry Hutt, Zula Kenyon, C. Allan Gilbert and others, can be found in the press coverage attendant to these events. A Chicago-based troupe of models would tour the mid-west, modeling each season’s fashions amid much fanfare including lavish parades, talent shows and speeches by local dignitaries. The events often lasted for several days, with daily, photo-filled newspaper features trumpeting them.  Several months ago, while searching an online newspaper archive, I came across an item in the September 27, 1919 issue of the Fort Wayne Journal Gazette titled “Fort Wayne’s Great 1919 Style Show.”  Beneath the headline were photos of three of the featured models.  Two of them were models I’d seen and read about before – Adelyne Slavik and Mae Burns – women I believe to have modeled for Tonnesen.  The third model was identified as “Eva McGrady”, and though I’d never run across her name before, her face looked familiar!  She looked to me exactly like the woman gazing from a framed portrait that sat on a table in a 1920 photo I’d seen of Beatrice Tonnesen’s studio.  A follow-up story on the Fort Wayne Style Show corrected the model’s name to “Eva Grady.”  I routinely made a note of both names, attached it to the corresponding Tonnesen photo in my files and forgot all about Eva Grady.

Continue Reading »

It was shortly after receiving the March issue of Chicago Magazine in his mail that David Lloyd made a startling discovery. A photo of his wife’s grandmother, Beulah Clark Dunn, was prominently displayed on page 96. Alerted by her husband, and a bit skeptical, Rose Lloyd opened the magazine and immediately recognized the photo, by Beatrice Tonnesen, as identical to one she had stored safely among her family memorabilia.

I am deeply grateful to Rose for what she did next! With lightning speed, she rounded up nearly forty photos of her beautiful grandmother, scanned them and emailed them to me. She also provided biographical information, documents and news clippings that allow us a fascinating glimpse into the world of calendar and advertising art in the 1920’s. (See accompanying slideshow.)

Continue Reading »

The March 2010 Chicago Magazine article on BT is now posted online here.