American Art Collaborative

Katharine Cornell’s father managed a theater in Buffalo, and when Katharine was a child she wrote and performed plays for her family and friends. In her twenties, she wrote a play, and the director suggested she try acting. Her career flourished and she toured the United States several times, drawing large audiences and critical acclaim. She favored dramatic roles and had a “fiery” stage presence, which she credited to her stage fright, claiming it caused her to work even harder. Here, Malvina Hoffman shows Cornell with an intense downward gaze and voluminous, manelike hair, capturing the dramatic flair the actress was known for