Western High School - Westward Ho Yearbook (Baltimore, MD)

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On Being Photographed EsTHER BAITZ, '26. 'ONIT people go to war , some peop e l people have teeth pulled out with I out an anaesthetic while still oth :Ll ers haxe their pictures taken. By - - -' pictures, I do not mean snapshots or time exposures, or any little three by four pa- per likeness produced with the aid of a small box- like contrivance that can easily be carried from place to place with your little finger. I mean real photographs taken by an honest-to-goodness photographer, and of such a size and clearness as to have a very forcible effect upon youg pic- tures, above all, which are to go into the Senior number of the school magazine, that number which is handed down to posterity. If you do not agree that the trial of having such a picture taken could reasonably be compared with the other ordeals mentioned above you may apply to any one of the three hundred and some Seniors who have recently gone through the harrowing experience. Her reports will readily convince you that I am not at all guilty of any charges of exaggeration. In fact, you will see that I might have gone even further in my analogy. llut I shall let the matter rest as it is and at- tempt to prove to you the truth of what I have already said. .....-. ....... A L , . - - 1 1 v - p gs. g l undergo serious operations, other ?1r::,'s ' f - i 1 i ' ' 7 The fun begins, as any good Vklesternite would put it, about two weeks before the day appointed for the taking! of your pictures. The first consideration is coiffure. If you would like to have your golden locks falling into soft rip- pling waves on your photograph, you must begin at this -early date to contemplate a f'marcel. Above all, the waves must look natural, and two weeks is a good amount of time to allow for their acquiring this effect. If you are letting your hair grow, and it has now reached what some poor un- fortunates who are affected with the unhappy condition term Hthe ugly length. you must now begin to spend twice as much time as usual before the mirror. It is necessary that you expend a great amount of energy in training your hair so that straggling ends will not come peeping forth from all directions on this occasion. 'iOh, I do hope I can make my hair look respectable by that time, is a familiar expression heard in hrst-floor cloak-rooms during these picture-tak- ing days, and everybody knows without any ex- planation that by that time, refers to the day when the distressed individual, responsible for the outburst, is being photographed. The next consideration is getting rid of all the skin blemishes 'that seem to have waited until this particular time to put in their appear- ance. Vvhat cries of woe issue forth from maidens whose lips are copiously bedecked with fever blisters. or whose cheeks harbor those monstrosities-pimplesl Now hot water, salves, and antiseptics are brought into play, and in some cases doctors are even consulted to remove the offending disfigurements. Then you must begin to decide what sort of an expression you will wear when your pic- ture is taken. Movie magazies, true story magazines, newspapers, new and old, are all carefully pored over for pictures of movie stars or famous beauties, whose expressions are interesting. lVith the favorite photograph in your hand. you stand before the mirror, and labor painfully to simulate that expression. liven after you have mastered it, your task is not yet ended. In fact it has only begun. For now comes the problem of molding your features into that expression by constant prac- tice. Not infrequently, during these weeks, do you glance around you and find yourself greet- ed by the angelic Dorothy Gish on one side, and by a dreamy look suspiciously reminiscent of May Murray, on the other side, or perhaps you will find yourself staring at a replica of the petulant, coquettish mouth of Colleen Moore. In short, scores of these zealously studied ex- pressions confront you from all directions. Perhaps by this time, you have only to wait a very few days before your pictures are finally taken. Oh, the agony of it! Isnlt that wave on the right side of your head coming out? Do you just imagine that you see that horrid old pimple returning? In spite of these torturing thoughts you manage to live on, and endure the suspense. Ofne method to make the hours less wearing is to study the pictures of those who have already gone through the ordeal, and to make comments on them. As one VVestern- ite wisely remarked, now is the season when 'catsi shine forth in all their 'catty' gloryf, 'fYes, honest, that picture is perfectly ador- able, but it doesnlt look the least bit like you. icvxfelly you do look like yourself here, but I don't think itls a very elegant picture. Oh, how darling, and how very, very flattering! Such are the gentle thrusts that are' sweetly and good-naturedly flung at friends and foes alike. 5 .st I.

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6 WESTXVARD I-IO After you have looked over so many photo- graphs that you begin to dread the sight of them, you awaken one bright morning with the realization that this is f'the day. Tomorrow at this time it will be all over. And you deny yourself your usual pleasure of lying abed to dream and meditate for about half an hour after you awaken. This particular morning you must allow yourself plenty of time to choose from your wardrobe a dress with a becoming collar, to put it on with unusual care, and to take special pains in arranging your hair. Small wonder that when one complaining Senior, who had had the date for the taking of her pictures postponed without previous notice, was asked, what difference it made to her, re- plied sullenly, 'fOh, T don't especially like the idea of getting up at six-thirty twice during one week. S Though you might agree with this young lady perfectly, you do not take time at such a critical moment to give the matter any consid- eration. You must concentrate with all your might and main on thevbusiness of getting dressed. After snatching hastily a bit of break- fast, and invoking the blessings of your family, you start off to school. Somehow or other the day passes, and the two-thirty bell sounds to you like the ringing of a death-knell. There is a grand scramble for the mirror, and combs and puffs are brought into vigorous play. Nevertheless all know per- fectly well that they will again arrange their hair, powder their noses, and adjust their col- lars to their satisfaction studio, when they reach the walk from school to The ride, or even the the studio is a short one, and by three oiclock you reach the scene of your severe trial. If the reader has been tempted, throughout the fore- going paragraphs, to repeat the world-famous expression Vanity, thy name is womanln she may now relieve herself of all restraint. At this point, if ever, does it apply perfectly. The small dressing-room becomes a virtual battlefield. All are anxious to monopolize the mirror at the dressing table. There is another reason, besides the mere desire to make your- self look your best, underlying your attraction to that dressing table. Cn it are two softly shaded lamps, so ingeniously contrived as to produce an effect that is very flattering to in the mirror. Your eyes more brilliant, your hair has and sparkle, and your skin of health and youth. f'The you sigh rapturously you whomever looks seem larger and an unusual gloss seems to breathe Magic Mirror! behold your transformed image. But there is no time to do much sighing. Through the thin curtains, draping the door which leads into the photographers room you shudderingly ob- tain a glimpse of the executioner herself, and her tools-an ominous looking camera, and some blinding lights. Someone is already seated on the bench there, struggling in vain to don that expression which she had so care- fully studied, and thoroughly mastered. Soon you, too, must face the ordeal. Your hair is finally arranged to your satis- faction, and apparently to the satisfaction of your friends. But what can your friends tell about your appearance? They are too busily engrossed in the task of making themselves look their best to give you a momentls con- sideration. Nevertheless, you take their word with innocent confidence, when without so much as a glance in your direction they fling the adjectives Hgreatf' Hadorablef' 'fdarlingu at you to satisfy your craving for their approba- tion. lt is four o'clock. Your head and shoulders ache from holding them in one position for so long 3 time, for who can tell what havoc may have been wrought in your appearance, if you had moved your head a hair's breadth. Your collar may have come out of position, or- heaven forbid l-your hair may have become disarranged. And now you march to the ordeal like gt martyr. The photographer smiles sweet- ly at you as you take your place before that awful black box. 'fVVhat ironyli' you say to yourself. Smiling at a time like this! But you do manage to smile back. You look to- ward the curtains for some sign of encourage- ment from your friends, who said they would be watching you from outside the door. You cannot see them, however, for the curtain is so arranged as to permit a clear view from the outside, but not from the inside of the studio. You resign yourself to your fate. The lights glare at you with unmerciful intensity. They seem to have driven from your mind all the pointers which you had gathered for this mo- ment,-your expression, the angle at which your head was to be turned. the proud tilt of the shoulders which you thought would look well in a picture. VVhy, T actually believe Tim frightened, you shamefully acknowledge to yourself. The photographer is uttering something about look- ing over in a certain direction, about keeping your left hand in your lap, and about forget- ting the nightmare that you seem to be think- ing of. In a surprisingly short time, you hear a click. It is all over, as the pleasant voice be-- hind the camera informs you. Yes, it is true. Your picture has been taken.