Recently the Ford Conservation Center treated a large photograph from the mid-1920s. It was brought in by the descendants of Mildred Mae Moorman (nee Jacque, also spelled Jack). The photograph depicts Mildred performing onstage with Frank Cambria’s traveling show titled “Circus Week.” Three costumed dancers sit between the legs of large painted elephant set pieces.
Mildred May Jacque was born in Omaha in 1904 to K.R. and May Jacque. She grew up studying dance under Miss Adelaide Fogg, an Omaha native who trained in New York under the ballet master Stefano Mascagno. As a teenager, Mildred appeared locally in several performances and revues, then began touring on the vaudeville circuit with Stefano Mascagno in the mid-1920s.
Mildred as a young woman, likely around the time of her marriage.
In this detail, Mildred Jacque can be seen wearing a satin costume and seated under an elephant set piece.
The photograph had a number of condition issues when it arrived at the Ford Conservation Center. First of all, it was tightly rolled to the point that bag weights had to be placed around the edges of the photograph to view the image. The photograph was probably rolled up many decades ago for easier storage, which is commonly seen with family heirlooms- especially large paper items like photographs and maps that would otherwise take up too much space. The problem with rolling paper is that once it gets used to being rolled up, it often wants to stay that way. The extra heavy weight of the paper combined with the tight rolling led to several long tears and tattered edges. These kinds of damages are often the result of handling errors, and in this case, attempts to unroll the photograph.
This before treatment image shows the photograph tightly rolled.
Small losses to the emulsion, or the image layer, were found around the edges and along tears. The emulsion is the very thin layer on top of the paper that makes up the photographic image; it is composed of photo-sensitive silver halide crystals and gelatin in this photograph. In addition to the structural issues, the photograph was also affected by silver mirroring, which is a form of chemical degradation in the silver that creates a sheen or mirror-like appearance on the image. A small amount of silver mirroring could be seen along the top right edge and down the right side, mostly in the darkest areas of the photograph. Some liquid spatter was also found in the bottom right quadrant, which looked like light brown, droplet-sized tidelines on the surface of the photograph.
The first step for treatment was to reduce dust, dirt, and stains that had accumulated on the photograph over the years. Luckily, the spattered liquid stains did not penetrate the emulsion layer and were carefully removed through localized cleaning with solvents.
Following cleaning, the photograph was humidified with aqueous moisture and flattened under weights to help relax the paper fibers and reduce the overall curl. Although this process was repeated several times to optimize results, the paper still retained some of its curl at the far edges. The tears were repaired from the back using Japanese papers and conservation-grade adhesives. Media losses along the tears and tattered edges were toned with pigments to reintegrate these areas. After conservation treatment, this piece of Omaha’s early theater history is better preserved for future generations.
Left: In this before treatment image, the splattered staining is visible on the elephant and stage.
Right: In the after treatment image, the staining has been significantly reduced.
These before and after treatment images show the results of flattening and tear repairs.
In 1929, Mildred married Donald Moorman. She began a career working as head bookkeeper at the Orchard and Wilhelm Co. furniture store, and Don worked for Union Pacific.
Her family recalls “They were both huge Husker fans and had season tickets from the 30’s well into the 90’s. She never missed a home game until the late 80’s. They would walk from their home on 41st Ave downtown and take the train to Lincoln for the game. Union Pacific ran a train for every home game; she said they would drink on the train all the way down and all the way home.”
A young Mildred does the splits for a photo.
Mildred and her husband Don dressed for Omaha’s Golden Spike Days festival in 1939.
Mildred and Don did not have children of their own, but they are remembered fondly by nieces and nephews. Specifically, Mildred had a love for Beer Nuts, dessert cocktails, family road trips, and attending the ballet with her niece. Following the treatment of this family heirloom, Mildred Mae Moorman’s performance career can continue to be celebrated by her loved ones.
All non-treatment images of Mildred Jacque were provided courtesy of her family.
