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Time now to look back at the pioneering work of Albert Witzel, portrait photographer to the Hollywood stars of the silent age!
Photo: Melva Cornell
Photo: Melva Cornell
Albert Witzel was born in Deadwood in 1879. In 1886 he started work in George Stekel’s California photography studio.
Photo: Theda Bara
Photo: Theda Bara
Learning his craft from Steckel, Albert Witzel opened his own portrait photography studio in 1902 in Los Angeles.
Photo: Jane Novak
Photo: Jane Novak
At first Albert Witzel worked on publicity stills for actors based in California, a lucrative market in the early 1900s.
Photo: Nora Kerin
Photo: Nora Kerin
In 1913 Albert Witzel began specialising in publicity photos for the early Hollywood studios. His fame soon spread.
Photo: Lottie Pickford
Photo: Lottie Pickford
The quality of Albert Witzel's work is astounding. It's no surprise that Hollywood flocked to his doorstep!
Photo: Marguerite De La Motte
Photo: Marguerite De La Motte
The Albert Witzel studios continued long after their founders death in 1929, and long after the silent movie era ended.
Photo: Bessie Love
Photo: Bessie Love
The quality of Witzel's work is astounding, particularly when you consider the technical challenges of portrait photography at the time.
Photo: Lillian Gish
Photo: Lillian Gish
More from the Silent Era another time...
Photo: Jewel Carmen
Photo: Jewel Carmen
