Buster Keaton's hero: Lon Chaney Sr!

[typhooforme]

My comedy hero is silent AND talky genius, Buster Keaton.  I recently added these two photos to my Keaton collection and thought they'd fit in just fine here.  Obviously from the same photo shoot--Buster is shown leaning on an elaborate makeup kit and admiring a photo of Lon:

And having applied some grease paint, Keaton shows us his version of clown makeup.  The ever-sadfaced Buster seems even sadder than usual.  Maybe he's thinking his makeup doesn't stack up to Lon Sr's in HE WHO GETS SLAPPED or LAUGH, CLOWN, LAUGH.

[mike c]

Really remarkable images. Nice acquisitions, Elder Robert!

[monsterphile]

It's neat that even Hollywood admired the work of Chaney.  Can you tell what the items are that Keaton is holding in the 2 photos?

Rob

[typhooforme]

In the top photo, Keaton is holding what appears to be a large "reel" (a flat wooden framework) of crepe wool, which was used as false hair--if you have not seen it, its appearance was like very thick yarn, and you could separate it and pull out thin strands, or build up thick ones for beards and mustaches, any kind of added hair.  As he's also holding a pair of scissors, the crepe hair makes sense.  In the second photo, he has a small folding mirror in his right hand--the metal folding part allowed it to be used as a hand-mirror or stood up on a flat surface at any angle.