Władysław Teodor "W.T." Benda was a famous mask maker (and artist) in the early 20th century. He was born in Poland but he came to California to visit an aunt and decided to stay in the U.S. He moved to New York and studied art. He was so good at making masks (for theatrical productions and other venues) that any life-like mask became known as a "Benda" mask.
In this photo, Mrs. Benda (Romola Campfield) poses in a costume (Golden Goddess) and mask, both designed by Benda.
Photo courtesy of the Library of Congress, Harris and Ewing
People in photo include: Romola Campfield Benda
Halloween probably originated with the Celtic festival of Samhain, which celebrated the end of harvest and the beginning of winter. During Samhain, the spirits of the dead, as well as otherworldly sp...
The 1930's were a decade of severe stress: the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl, the rise of Nazism. But it was also the end of Prohibition, the beginning of the change of land management (poor farm ...
Discover how fashion has changed over the years with this collection of photos.
Fashion styles & vintage clothing throughout the decades that will inspire, make you wish for those times again, or may make you ask "What were they thinking"?
Clothing styles have obviously changed ...
Explore past photos showcasing the people and places of New York.
Known for the famous New York City which is home to Wall Street and is one of the wealthiest cities in the world, New York is also well known for Ellis Island where many of our ancestors immigrated in...
I am researching Tasker, Jones, Bowen, Rees of Wales; Kroetch, Chartrand of Canada; and Boggs, Ferguson, Smith, of West Virginia and Eastern Kentucky. Also Steeples of Kansas. And on my mother's New England roots - well, too numerous to name since she descends from Mayflower passengers as well as Dutch East India captains who arrived with their families before the Mayflower landed further north than was planned. :) I'm a Founder of AncientFaces and support the community answering questions & helping members make connections to the past (thus my official title of Founder & Content and Community Director). For me, it's been a labor of love for over 20 years. I truly believe with all of my heart that everyone should be remembered for generations to come.
I am 2nd generation San Jose and have seen a lot of changes in the area while growing up. We used to be known as the "Valley of Heart's Delight" (because the Valley was covered with orchards and there were many canneries to process the food grown here, which shipped all over the US) - now we have adopted the nickname "Capital of Silicon Valley" and Apple, Ebay, Adobe, Netflix, Facebook, and many more tech companies are within a few miles of my current home in Campbell (including AncientFaces). From a small town of 25,000, we have grown to 1 million plus. And when you add in all of the communities surrounding us (for instance, Saratoga, where I attended high school, living a block from our current Mayor), we are truly one of the big cities in the US. I am so very proud of my hometown. For more information see Kathy - Founder & Content and Community Director