Ruth Harriet Louise, First Female Staff Photographer in Hollywood

Ruth Harriet Louise was the first female photographer hired by a Hollywood studio for the all-important portraits of the movie stars featured in the 1920s. Her work brought a heightened sense of glamour to the photos coming out of the studios at that time.

Early Days

Ruth Harriet Louise was born Ruth Goldstein (1903-1940) in New York City. Her father was a rabbi, and the family lived in Manhattan before settling in New Jersey. (The original family name in Europe was Sendreich. Her father changed it to the more common “Goldstein” on coming to the United States.

Louise started taking photographs while still living at home. She connected with the Hungarian portrait photographer, Nickolas Muray (1892-1965), whose studio was on MacDougal Street In Greenwich Village. Muray became a sought-out photographer by people in the arts. When Ruth Harriet Louise began apprenticing for him, he was getting regular work from Harper’s Bazaar.

The Lure of Los Angeles

Ruth’s brother and a cousin who was making her way as a silent film actress moved to Los Angeles. They encouraged Ruth to join them on the West Coast, but Louise was only 22. Young women of the day could not live alone and maintain a decent reputation. Her first job was to find someone respectable with whom she could live.

Fortunately, her brother, Mark Sandrich (he simplified the spelling of the family’s original name) had recently married. Ruth was able to move in with them. Sandrich went on to direct movies starring Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Ruth opened a small portrait studio near Hollywood and Vine, and at that time, she took a professional name: Ruth Harriet Louise.

Move to MGM

To her great good fortune, her portrait work was seen by Louis Mayer. He was starting a new film studio, MGM, and he hired her to set up her portrait studio there. They were hiring and promoting new stars (Greta Garbo among them). Ruth Harriet Louise became an important part of the team.

The Importance of Portraiture

Film studios of that day relied heavily on still photography.  Budding stars were not sent for screen tests. They were sent to the portrait studio to see what image they would project. Could they project allure in the photos taken of them?

The studio had tight control over the images sent out to promote a star or a movie. This was long before the paparazzi could snag quick candid shots. Fan clubs were extremely important to stars and to film studios. A lot of effort was put into creating the right image for a star.

The movies and publicity machine that these photographs supported shaped the basic notions of stardom, glamour, and fashion in the 1920s.

Close Working Relationship

Movie stars and photographers developed working relationships. Once a bond was established with a staff photographer, the studio’s stars were quick to request that they only be photographed by “their” photographer. 

Among those who favored Ruth Harriet Louise were Greta Garbo, Buster Keaton, Lon Chaney, John Gilbert, Joan Crawford and Marion Davies.

Other Work, Too

Shortly after Herbert Hoover was elected, Louise was selected as the right photographer to capture the president-elect at his home in Palo Alto. 

In 1929 she was the photographer in charge of shooting Nina Mae McKinney, known as the Black Garbo. She was to star in the first all-Black film by a major studio.

By 1930, the world of portrait photography was changing.  Rising star Norma Shearer selected George Hurrell to be her personal photographer. Shearer liked the sexy glamour shots Hurrell produced. Louise’s elegant photos were not as desirable as they once were. Her MGM contract was not renewed.

Family Life

In 1927 Louise had married the writer and director Leigh Jason. She wanted a family. She gave birth to a son in 1932 and a daughter a few years later. Tragically, their son died of leukemia while still young. Louise got pregnant a third time (1940). She and the baby both died of complications during a premature birth.

To read more about other photographers of the era, see Pittsburgh’s Black photographer Charles “Teenie” Harris or animal photographer Harry Frees.

And on the East Coast, Gertrude Kasebier was also making a name for herself in portrait photography. Her background was in painting so she brought a different sensibility.

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