Hal Phyfe
Herold Rodney Eaton "Hal" Phyfe (1892–1968) was a Broadway photographer famous for his theatrical portraits of the 1920s and 1930s. His photos have been described as "competent, but not in the Cecil Beaton or Edward Steichen league". • Illustration — Anna Q. Nilsson by Hal Phyfe, 1924
Also recorded as Hal R. E. Phyfe · Herold Rodney Eaton Phyfe
Hal Phyfe
Hal Phyfe (drawing) · The Film Daily (Volume 14-16) (Jan. - Jun. 1921) at the Internet Archive · Public domain
- Born
- 1892 · Nice.
- Died
- 1968 · Florida.
- Nationality
- United States
- Occupation
- photographer · illustrator
- Fields
- portrait
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Herold Rodney Eaton "Hal" Phyfe (1892–1968) was a Broadway photographer famous for his theatrical portraits of the 1920s and 1930s. His photos have been described as "competent, but not in the Cecil Beaton or Edward Steichen league". • Illustration — Anna Q. Nilsson by Hal Phyfe, 1924
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wikidata · Q80971121 · wikipedia · Hal Phyfe
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Biography
Biography
Hal Phyfe was born into an American family based in Nice, France. He is a descendant of the American furniture designer Duncan Phyfe. He opened a New York photography studio in 1926. He photographed a range of celebrities including Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., Anna Q. Nilsson and Carveth Wells. He became known as "the official photographer to high society" and "one of the best amateur cooks in Manhattan". He asked his subjects not to smile as they were being photographed.
Advertisement for the American film serial The Avenging Arrow (1921) with Ruth Roland, from the insert after page 10 in the March 19, 1921 Exhibitors Herald.
Pathé Exchange / Hal Phyfe (artist) · Exhibitors Herald (Jan. - Mar. 1921) on the Internet Archive
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- “Hal Phyfe”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
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- Wikidata, structured authority record Q80971121: Hal Phyfe
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 17 August 2026.
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- Hamish FultonIllustrator
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