Constant Muse - photographs of Billy Justema by Margarethe Mather

 

1922.

"Semi-Nude - Billy Justema in a Summer Kimono", 1923.

Circa 1921.

Circa 1930. (Two images.)

"Hands, B.J.", circa 1925.

Circa 1925.

1922.

 Billy Justema and Al Chan, circa 1922.

Circa 1922. (Four images.)

Circa 1923.

1931.

1927.

Circa 1930-31. (Two images.)

Rudolf Abel and Billy Justema, circa 1935.

Circa 1927-43. (Five images.) The posted dates on these portraits vary wildly, but they were clearly taken at the same time or, at most, during two separate sessions.

William Justema (7 December 1905, Chicago - 7 January 1987, San Francisco), artist, writer, and actor. He moved to California at an early age and, after spending several years as a monk in a monastery in Oregon (?), he studied art under Xavier Martinez and Stanton MacDonald-Wright; as a fine artist, his painting style evolved from modernism into what he referred to as "magic realism." After living in Los Angeles and San Francisco, he relocated to New York, where for forty years he designed wallpapers and fabrics for the home furnishing industry. 

1944.

The author photo is the same one taken by Mather and shown above.

Portraits of Justema by other photographers.

Carl Van Vechten, 1937. (Three images.)

Judy Dater, 1980.

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Margrethe Mather (née Emma Caroline Youngreen; 4 March 1886, Salt Lake City - 25 December 1952, Los Angeles), American photographer. One of the most prominent female photographers of the early twentieth century, she had an intense and mutually influential, decade-long artistic and professional relationship with Edward Weston. At her death at the age of sixty-six, she was all but forgotten, while Weston is, of course, a legend in the world of photography. But in the words of another legendary photographer, Imogen Cunningham, who knew them both:

"In artistic matters Margaret [sic] was, of course, the teacher, Edward (Weston) the pupil."

But her story is much too interesting for one of my stripped-down biographies. Please read more about her HERE.

Tough guy, prettied-up face - early images of James Cagney

As concerns his coloring, Mr. Cagney was what we'd now call "ginger". I don't think his hair was actually red - more sandy than auburn - but he had the pallor and freckles, the light eyebrows and eyelashes of the archetypal redhead. Which caused a problem when it came to stage or film work: his face read as a blank. Hollywood, especially in the first years after his explosion as a movie star, remedied his facial indistinctness with a cosmetic vengeance. Mascara, sometimes eyeliner, frequently a little lip color, and always penciled in eyebrows; his eyebrows were naturally thick, but they drew on thin-ish but quite visible brows, and at an expressive angle. I adore Cagney as a actor and as a cinematic legend, but I also love seeing how dolled-up he is from film to film.

From 1931's "The Public Enemy", of course, the film that made him a star.

For "Footlight Parade", 1933.

Publicity for "Picture Snatcher", 1933.

Uncharacteristically moustachioed. Actually, he wore one in several films, including "Lady Killer", 1933", and "He Was Her Man", 1934.

I believe these two portraits were publicity for "Torrid Zone", 1940.

Three portraits for "Here Comes the Navy", 1934.

For "G-Men", 1935.

From "Blonde Crazy", 1931.

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And without the painted-in enhancement:

Portrait by Edward Weston, circa 1933.

Portrait by Imogen Cunningham.