Life, 1889-06-27 · page 7 of 17
Life — June 27, 1889 — page 7: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Mary Anderson - Life Magazine Feature This page presents a biographical profile of actress Mary Anderson rather than political satire. The main photograph shows Anderson posing with a donkey, illustrating her versatility as a performer—the accompanying text notes she appeared in various theatrical roles including *Camille*, *Lady Macbeth*, and *Fioretti*. The article chronicles Anderson's career trajectory: born in Sacramento in 1850, she moved to Kentucky, eventually performing in theatrical companies. She's noted as having made successful London tours and receiving marriage proposals from "impecunious suitors" seeking her money. The piece emphasizes her devoutness (she's "a devout Catholic") and her superstitious nature regarding calendar days for work. There's no apparent political commentary—this is straightforward entertainment journalism profiling a notable Victorian-era actress.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
7 MARY ANDERSON. hich CS the 28th day of July, 1859, the saw people of Sacramento, Cal noticed a remarkable meteorological phenomenon, The day had been hot, and although the sun was still blazing fiercely, the thermometer naps suddenly dropped foi rene y-three degrees without any apparent cause. Upon inquiry it was learned that Mary Anderson had just been born, For and and ity. six months the people of Sacramento ially endured the frigidity engendered by iped Mary's presence among them, and ings then fearing for the good name of the glorious climate of California induced her parents to remove to Louisville, Ky., and take Mary with them, Here she lived uneventfully edy Smit put for the next sixteen years. It is not recorded that any brand of Kentucky whiskey was named after her, or that cule nan, only she was the cause of any decrease in the population of Kentucky colonels con- by suicide or duel. t to In 1875 Mary Anderson and several afid thousand other women of various nar- ages and sizes made up their minds that they were fitted to shine upon the stage. Some of them thought arns they would like to appear as Camille, old others as Lady Macbeth, and still 1 his others as Portia, but Mary, more modest in her ambitions, only s to play Jadiet. Owing to the pr ture disbandment of a Negro minstrel company, there happened to be an evening vacant at one of the Louis- ung th alton. LIFE'S GALLERY OF BEAUTIES. No. 22. MISS MARY ANDERSON, ville theatres. The manager of the theatre agreed to let her appear after receiving from her relatives a guarantee that the gas bill would be paid, and that they would make good any damage which might be inflicted on the theatre by an infuriated audience, She was comely and statuesque, and althou the hoar-frost could be seen on Xomco's moustache after each embrace, most of the audience stayed through the performance. Then she took to the road and secured a dramatic education at the expense of rural audiences, who have to take what they can get in the way of dramatic entertainment After three or four years she appeared in New York and played before large audiences of senti- mental young couples. Since then she has made two successful trips to London, and expects soon to be knighted by the Queen. She is in receipt of a handsome income and numerous proposals of marriage from impecunious gentlemen who are willing to supplement her ability to make money by their ability to spend it, She is also very fond of being photographed, in which weakness she is Mr, Finn : No, THANKS, VM NOT — encouraged by mercenary photographers. She is a devout Catholic, and never eats meat without FOND OF STRINGED INSTRUME afterwards looking at a calendar to see if it is Friday. comicbooks.com