Born in New Orleans and the son of a producer and stage manager, Robert Edeson spent nearly 30 years on Broadway and became one of the first stage performers to embrace film and move to Hollywood. The beloved character actor first appeared in a series of silent shorts in 1912 and 1913 and went on to forge an association with the famed director Cecil B. DeMille. Among their films were 1923's "The Ten Commandments", 1925's "Volga Boatman", and 1927's "King of Kings". In this portrait, Edeson appears unaware of the camera as he looks pointedly to his right with a grave expression.