1920s Vaudeville Photo George Kane Max Leo Corrigan and E. F. Sefton Detroit

Original circa 1920 silver gelatin photograph featuring a seated group of vaudeville professionals inside what is believed to be Judge E. F. Sefton’s booking office at 68 University Building, Detroit and Grand River Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Notable individuals identified in pencil on the reverse include George Kane—producer of “And Tomorrow Will Be Christmas”—and Max Leo Corrigan, famed for his WWI troupe shows and later role as a White Rats union representative in Detroit.

The office setting includes framed performer portraits, a theatrical poster, a candlestick telephone, and a white lap dog seated in the arms of a costumed woman – possibly part of an act – offering a rare and authentic glimpse into the backstage world of the early 20th-century vaudeville circuit. The photograph is rich in provenance, referencing Pittsburgh performers, Detroit venues, and the elusive K. & K. Opera House.

– Original silver gelatin photograph (not printed or half-tone)
– Size: 2.5 x 4 inches (slightly trimmed at edges)
– Clear handwritten ID on reverse: Geo. Kane, Max Leo Corrigan, Hon. E & Sefton, Canter team
– Notes reference White Rats union, K. & K. Opera House, and South Side Pittsburgh
– Taken in Sefton’s Detroit office, c.1920
– Strong contrast and detail, light wear consistent with age
– Historically significant cast of postwar and vaudeville-era performers