SANDISON COLLECTION
ID#:
X.3219.000203
Description:
J. W. Sandison's most famous photograph, taken with his Banquet camera, is this one of a Charlie Chaplin look—alike contest at the Liberty Theatre, 132 W. Holly, on November 5, 1921. A promotion for Chaplin's then—latest film The Idle Class, the event was the idea of Al Finkelstein, the Liberty's manager, who often hired Sandison to take the theater's PR photos. Sandison's studio was right next door at 126½ W. Holly. As a testament to Sandison's compositional skills, he only took this one shot of the contest. This image has since appeared in numerous books, magazines and documentaries.
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