FRANK SCOTT CLARK    PAGE 7
FEMALE PORTRAITS FROM THE WOODWARD AV STUDIO
(1906-1915) BY THOMAS YANUL

THE FOLLOWING GROUP OF TEN PORTRAITS WERE ALL MADE AT THE WOODWARD AVE. ADDRESS IN DETROIT DURING THE YEARS 1906 TO 1915, WHICH IS WHEN CLARK OPERATED ON HIS OWN AT THIS ADDRESS.  SAYING WHAT CLARK'S WORK LOOKS LIKE IN THIS CASE IS SORT OF LIKE THE PROVERBIAL BLIND MAN WHO IS TOLD TO TOUCH THE TRUNK OF AN ELEPHANT ANDTRY AND DESCRIBE THE ANIMAL. TEN OR 15 PRINTS FROM ONE ARTIST'S LIFE DOES NOT PROVIDE A SUFFICIENT EXHIBITION - BUT FOR NOW ITS WHAT WE HAVE.
BUT IF WHAT IS SHOWN HERE IS INDICATIVE OF HIS STYLE AT THIS TIME, IT CAN BE SAID WITH CERTAINTY THAT HE DOES HAVE A STYLE.  WOMEN ARE ALWAYS DRESSED IN WHITE, THERE ARE NO BACKGROUNDS, NO ACCOUTREMENT, JUST SIMPLE HIGH QUALITY RECORDING WITH A SOFT LIGHT, PRINTED ON TONED PLATINUM PAPER.   THEY ARE FIVE TO SIX INCH OVALS AND RECTANGLES, MOUNTED ON A WHITE DECKLE-EDGED ART PAPER WITH A PRESSED CENTER MOUNTING, PROVIDING A SIMPLE YET EFFECTIVE BORDER. ALL ARE THEN PLACED IN A 7 1/2X11"TAN PAPER FOLDER, THE OUTSIDE OF WHICH BEARS A SIMPLE PRINTED PIECE OF HIS NAME - THE ADDRESS - AND THE STATEMENT OF "PHOTO-ATELIER".   IT SEEMS STYLISTICALLY SIMPLE AND ELEGENT.
THIS IS A PERIOD WHEN MANY PHOTOGRAPHERS STILL USED BUSY BACKGROUNDS, NUMEROUS ACCESSORIES SUCH AS TABLES,  DECORATIVE CHAIRS AND PAINTED BACKGROUNDS TO ADORN AND OFTEN DETRACT FROM THE SITTER'S PORTRAIT.   WHY EXACTLY CLARK CHOSE THIS ROUTE IS OBVIOUSLY UNKNOWN...  MAYBE IT WAS A REACTION TO HIS HAVING WORKED FOR LAFAYETTE SEAVEY AND NAPOLEON SARONY; THE FORMER CREATED IN ESSENCE THE BUSINESS OF PAINTED BACKGROUNDS EN MASSE, WHILE THE LATER DID HIS WORK WITH THEATRICALITY.  MAYBE CLARK FELT HE NEEDED TO SEPERATE HIMSELF FROM HUNDREDS OF OTHER PHOTOGRAPHERS WHO APED THESE ONCE ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHIC ENTREPRENEURS.
IF THATS THE CASE THEN CLARK DID IN FACT PRODUCE A QUITE DIFFERENT PRODUCT, AND HIS NAME RECOGNITION AT THE TIME OBVIOUSLY REACHED FAR AND WIDE WITHIN THE MIDDLE AND UPPER CLASSES WHOM HE COURTED AND COULD AFFORD HIS SERVICES.
UNTIL GROUPS OF HIS LATER WORK, COVERING ROUGHLY THE PERIOD 1916 TO HIS DEATH IN 1937, I WON'T KNOW IF THE "STYLE" AS SHOWN CONTINUED.  THE 1915-16 TIME IS WHEN CLARK MOVED HIS STUDIO TO THE CASS AVENUE ADDRESS WHERE HIS REPUTATION CONTINUED TO GROW AND FLOURISH.  
ALTHOUGH THE SCANNED ELECTRONIC IMAGES ARE SUFFICIENT FOR SHOWING WHAT STYLE CLARK DID, THE QUALITY OF THESE IMAGES IS DIFFICULT TO JUDGE AND ENJOY ON AN ELECTRONIC SCREEN. THEY ARE TRULY LITTLE GEMS OF THE PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS.

ALL OF THE ABOVE IMAGES ARE FROM ORIGINAL TINTED PLATINUM PRINTS COLL. OF  THE AUTHOR.

EACH CAN BE VIEWED LARGER BY CLICKING ON THE PHOTO.
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ABOVE IMAGE

HIGH QUALITY
SCAN

1910 PORTRAIT OF YOUNG WOMAN, AN  EXCEPTION TO THE RULE. I WAS SURPRISED TO FIND THIS PORTRAIT WHICH HAS A DECORATIVE  OVERLAY.

IT SEEMS TO  BE AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE OF MOST OF THE CLARK PHOTOS I HAVE SEEN. IT IS VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT  HIS FRIEND M.J. STEFFENS USED IN CHICAGO. AND THE USE OF THE IBIS BIRD IMPRINT IS ALSO UNUSUAL. AS AN EARLY MEMBER OF  THE DETROIT SCARAB CLUB, IT MAY HAVE BEEN AN INTEREST IN EGYPTIAN LORE THAT LED TO THIS SYMBOLISM..BUT UNLESS SOMETHING CONCRETE TURNS UP WE SHALL PROBABLY NOT KNOW WHY THIS SYMBOL WAS USED.

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PAINTING DONATED TO THE CHURCH ON MANATOULIN ISLAND DONE BY CLARK FROM HIS SICK BED IN DETROIT
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