Accession Number

2023.003.011

Description

One sepia-toned studio photographic postcard of Edith Day in a theatrical costume consisting of a lightly-coloured sheer dress with contrasting light and dark coloured fur trim at its bottom. Over top of this is a more darkly-coloured coat or robe. Around her neck is a very long striped fur scarf. Her left hand is on her hip and her body is twisted and leaning forward. Her eyes are gazing above and to the right of the camera. At the bottom in upper-case printed font is: EDITH DAY AS “IRENE”. Beneath this is a long line of printed text that has been obscured with a long squiggly line of black ink applied by hand. Across the bottom of the image, hand-written in black ink is: “To Joan – All my love – Edith Day”. The back of the card has printed words and lines indicating its purpose as a postcard.

Narrative

Edith Day was a professional actor, and also the first wife of Patrick Somerset Holme-Sumner, a great grandson of Robert and Joan Olive Dunsmuir of Craigdarroch. They co-starred in the London production of “Irene”, which opened in 1920. The “Joan” who received this autographed photographic postcard was Edith Day’s sister-in-law, Joan Holme-Sumner. A brief biography of Edith's career can be seen here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Day (last accessed July 9, 2023).

This photograph was collected to aid in the understanding and presentation of the Dunsmuir family story. 

History of Use

This postcard was created in Britain in about 1920 and given by Edith Day to Joan Holme-Sumner. Sometime later it became the property of Joan’s sister, Georgiana Holme-Sumner and her husband Robert Dunlop Stewart, and then by their son, who donated the photograph to Craigdarroch Castle in 2023. He had been using it at his home in Scotland. 

Date

circa 1920

Dimensions

14.7 x 10 cm

Artwork Title

EDITH DAY AS "IRENE"

Subject/Image

Edith Day

Support

Paper, Photographic paper

Country of Origin

England