The Evans Signatures

One of the more interesting facets of the Evans story is the signature that appeared on his (and his studio's) portraits.  While 2 particular signatures are most common, there are a few variations that are worth looking at.  Note that my research into the signatures is still very much ongoing and what follows contains a bit of conjecture on my part.

The 1917 - 1920 Signature

This is the original Evans signature and lasted until sometime in the middle of 1920.  Unlike that of many other Hollywood photographers of the time, it is simple, yet distinct.  The signature also appears on portraits taken as early as 1914, although not added until Evans established his studio and could better exploit them.








The 1920 - 1922 Signature

In mid-1920, Evans changed his signature to this slightly fancier version.  The E is very similar to Evans' actual signature, but much more neatly written.




The Honeymoon Signature

At the beginning of 1922, Evans married Rosalie Knight and spent the next 6 months on a honeymoon trip to the continent.  Of course, during this time the studio continued with business as usual.  To indicate that the portraits taken at this time were done by other photographers, an Evans Studio signature was used.  It's possible it was also used briefly after his death.      



Post-1922 Signatures

After Nelson's death, the official studio logo was used on photographs.  It may have also been used on prints of earlier photos that were sold by the studio during this period.  





Sometime in the mid 20s, the studio changed its name to Nelson Evans Studio.  By this time, the studio clientele included fewer and fewer actors, so this signature is fairly rare.  It, too, may have been added to earlier photos. 



 
Odd Variations

I've come across 2 signatures that I still can't quite fit into the picture (excuse the pun).

This one I've only seen twice, both on portraits of Viola Dana.  However, I've also seen one of the photos with his regular signature.  The photo was published early in 1922, so it could be a replacement signature as Evans was away on his honeymoon. 

This one is a true mystery.  I've seen it appear on photos that I've also seen with one of his other signatures.  It's possible that this is the signature that was used while he was serving in the military in 1918.  Or it could be another post-1922 signature, used exclusively on earlier photographs.

Note that the E is very similar in style to the signature of George Cannons.  Cannons was a British photographer who came to Los Angeles around 1924 and worked for Mack Sennett.  There's no evidence that he ever worked for the Evans Studio, so we may never know why the signatures are similar.  Perhaps it is just coincidence.






As I had said earlier, this is a work in progress.  I am still looking for a signature that would fit into Nelson's brief time in the military between late 1918 and early 1919.  Expectation is that it would be similar to the one used during his honeymoon.  I am also looking into the signatures of another photographer in hopes of proving that Evans did an apprenticeship before opening his own studio.  Hopefully, I will find enough positive evidence that I can share something soon.