Silent film stars

The fascinating stories and photos of the most beautiful actresses of the silent movies.

photographs

Armed with Franz Hessel’s cult guidebook, Walking in Berlin, published in 1929, Vanessa Thorpe is transported back to the city’s decadent period

Born 1894 in Wilmington, Delaware, American actress, singer, and model Estelle Taylor began appearing in small roles in World and Vitagraph ...

Evelyn Nesbit (1884–1967) was known to millions before her 16th birthday in 1900. She was the most photographed woman of her era, an iconic ...

Born 1894 in Wilmington, Delaware, American actress, singer, and model Estelle Taylor began appearing in small roles in World and Vitagraph ...

Have you ever wondered why the makeup in movies of the 1910s looks so garish and pallid compared to those in the 20s? Note (after you stop laughing) how dark Buster's hands are compared to his face. The secret lies in the type of film stock. Not all black and white film was created equal! Before 1922, almost all motion pictures were shot on orthochromatic, or blue-sensitive, film: The film stock was sensitive to the blue-violet end of the visible spectrum but insensitive to the yellow-red…

Anita Page! My favorite Silent Film Star! So beautiful

The silent era was rich in many ways, its finest films offering beautiful cinematography and exquisite lighting as well as talented actors and poetic storytelling. It was also supremely unique, pre…