Mack Sennett

The photograph series of the Mack Sennett papers spans the years 1912–1933 and encompasses 84 linear feet. The series consists of over 50,000 photographs and negatives. Sennett’s initial donation to the Academy in May 1951 included the bulk of photographs and negatives contained in the collection, but material prior to 1915 was sparse. In 1992 the Margaret Herrick Library acquired a group of Keystone Film Company photograph albums from 1912, 1913 and early 1914, all of which were added to the collection. In addition, several Triangle Keystone publicity photograph albums from 1915 and 1916 were dismantled and integrated into the collection as loose prints. The photographs are grouped into motion picture production photographs, biography photographs, and subject photographs.

The motion picture production photographs span the years 1912–1933 and consist of scene stills and publicity portraits. The material is arranged alphabetically by film title, and more than 800 films are represented. There are also many off-camera, set reference and location reference photographs. Titles range from The Beating He Needed (1912), the earliest title in the collection, to The Barber Shop (1933), one of the last films Sennett produced. There is virtually no photographic material for films featuring Charles Chaplin.

The biography photographs are arranged alphabetically by name and contain files on nearly 300 actors, directors, writers, and other studio personnel who worked for Sennett, including the Mack Sennett Bathing Beauties. The files are rich in material depicting Sennett stars such as Mabel Normand and Ben Turpin, as well as those who worked briefly with Sennett early in their careers, such as Gloria Swanson and Carole Lombard.

The subject photographs consist mostly of casting and reference photographs. The casting photographs consist of hundreds of portraits submitted to the Sennett studio, primarily during the 1920s, by men and women hoping to break into motion pictures. Most carefully noted their names, addresses, phone numbers, and special talents on the reverse. The reference photographs include images of automobiles, trucks, airplanes, animals, and theaters. There is also a group of photographs depicting exterior views of the Sennett studio over the years.

Gift of Mack Sennett, 1951.