Spotted these rather trumpetty Mary Jane shoes on a chorus girl in a publicity photo for Town Topics, a 1915 Broadway show. The photo was clipped and pasted into an album by an Australian stage fan just over 100 years ago. The scrapbook, now with stiff, crinkly yellowing page, is now held at @national_library_of_australia. It is a truism that we should remember to look up from our phones - sometimes it’s worth looking down, too. IMBD says performers in the 68 performances of Town Topics included Hazel Frisbie, Ethel Tennis, Fannie Kidston and Ethel Bletterman but frankly I like to think these shoes belonged to Trixie Friganza.













