Looking For: Mary Jane Regis

Who is She?

Found this picture in a flea bin among unsorted photos and ephemera. Can anyone here determine who she is? 

Archival Record: Mary Jane Regis Studio Portrait

New York Found Photo — Provenance & Preservation Analysis

Object Type: Vintage Silver Gelatin Studio Portrait Print with Handwritten Inscription

Origin: United States (Discovered in flea market ephemera bin)

Date Inscribed: c. 1940–1950

Acquisition / The Object

• Source: Rescued from an unsorted box of photographic ephemera and portraits at a local flea market.
• Item: A vintage black-and-white silver gelatin portrait print featuring a formal half-length studio pose, complete with an explicit handwritten caption along the lower margin.
• Condition: The photographic emulsion is sharp with strong high-contrast tonal range. The paper support exhibits minimal corner wear and clean borders, with stable ink adhesion on the handwritten inscription.

Physical Evidence

• Photographic Subject (Recto): A young woman with dark, styled curls, wearing a gingham patterned short-sleeve blouse with ruffled shoulders, a multi-strand pearl necklace, and a link bracelet. She rests her folded arms on a studio prop box while looking directly into the camera lens.
• Manuscript Inscription (Recto): Written directly in dark ink across the bottom white margin is a self-deprecating or playful inscription: "Ugly Mary-Jane Regis / In the flesh_".
• Verso Characteristics: Standard photographic paper stock backing typical of mid-century commercial portrait studio processing.

Research & Provenance

• Reframing the Narrative: The presence of the handwritten name and humorous caption elevates this item from a generic commercial studio portrait to an intensely personal artifact. It captures mid-century vernacular humor, personal self-expression, and individual identity preserved directly on the physical object.
• Contextual & Material Culture: The subject's attire—gingham fabric, pearl choker, and rolled hairstyle—strongly points toward the 1940s or early post-war era. The ironic juxtaposition of a formal studio sitting with the self-deprecating label "Ugly" highlights period wit and peer gift-giving customs.
• Archival Significance: Serves as a compelling specimen of vernacular portraiture where manuscript annotations on the recto redefine the relationship between the subject, the photographer, and the eventual viewer.

Preservation Strategy

• Physical Housing:
  
  
  Immediate Action: House the photograph in an archival-grade, unbuffered polyester (Mylar/Melinex) sleeve to protect both the emulsion and the delicate ink inscription from abrasion.
  Long-term Storage: Place the sleeved print inside an acid-free, lignin-free archival document box, maintained in a temperature- and humidity-controlled environment to prevent silver mirroring or paper embrittlement.


• Handling: Handle exclusively by the extreme outer edges using clean, dry cotton gloves to prevent skin oils from transferring to the photographic surface or accelerating ink degradation.


• Digital Capture & Metadata:
  
  
  High-Resolution Scanning: Digitize the recto and verso at a minimum of 600 PPI on a calibrated flatbed scanner to capture fine details of the photographic grain, print texture, and ink handwriting nuances.
  Metadata Integration: Record comprehensive transcription of the handwritten inscription, estimated date range, stylistic dress analysis, and acquisition context in digital asset management metadata.