Ad for POLICE, June 1st, 1916

I don't recall seeing this pose before.

Oakland Tribune, 6/1/1916

Rarely-seen Hartsook photo, c.1916

Another rare find from Dominique. See more in my Hartsook collection here.

Photo by Hartsook, c. 1916

Another pose I have not seen before.

Photo from Motion Picture News, 1916

I've never seen this particular shot before. It appears to be from the Hartsook session of c. 1915. Charlie is doing his famous gag where he turns his hat sideways to look like Napoleon (he was still doing this as an old man). 

Charlie by Hartsook, c.1916

On this day 100 years ago...

Chaplin signed a one-year contract with the Keystone studio for $150 per week. The contract was signed September 25th, 1913 in Portland, OR where Chaplin was performing with the Fred Karno Company. Not wanting to quit until the Karno tour was finished, he didn't report to Keystone until the end of November. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Photos by Witzel & Hartsook, 1914-1915

The Witzel (top) and Hartsook (bottom) sessions are unique because they are, to my knowledge, the only times Chaplin posed at a professional photographer's studio in his Tramp costume.

Photo by Hartsook, c. 1915

Ad for Chaplin-Mutual Specials, 1918

Moving Picture World, Feb. 1918. Photo by Hartsook.

Photo by Hartsook, c. 1915

Photo by Hartsook, c. 1915

The Tramp In Pictures

               

During his long career, Chaplin rarely posed for professional photographers in his Tramp costume. Most were taken on sets with studio stills photographers. The Hartsook and Witzel sessions from c. 1914-1915 are unique because they were both done in a photographer's studio and were not connected to a certain film. To my knowledge, Chaplin never posed in costume at a photographer's studio again.

 

There are two other non-film related sessions that were done at the Chaplin Studios in 1918 & c. 1926. These photos were probably taken by a studio stills photographer:

 

Charles Zoller took a series of autochrome photos during the filming of A Dog's Life in 1918:

Another series of posed photographs were taken during the filming of A Dog's Life for an article for  Motion Picture magazine:

Chaplin occasionally engaged professional photographers to take publicity portraits for some of his films. James Abbe was used for The Pilgrim (although he is not in his traditional Tramp costume) & Max Munn Autrey for Modern Times.

Around 1920, Chaplin studio cameraman Jack Wilson, who had ambitions of being a portrait photographer, took a series of photos of Charlie. One of the images, which had never been used for any purpose & was sent to Wilson's family in Scotland, was later found by Chaplin biographer David Robinson and used on the cover of his book Chaplin: His Life & Art in 1985:

Autographed photo, 1917

The inscription reads:
"Feby, 22nd 1917,  To my little friend, Palmer Dawes, Chas Chaplin.''

Photo by Hartsook, c. 1915. 

Photo of Chaplin by Hartsook, c. 1915.