Library Features Bannister Babies Display   Clifton Forge, VA (Dec. 12, 2019) - The Clifton Forge Public Library is pleased to showcase the display, “Are You a Bannister Baby?” featuring memorabilia from the private collection of John Moser. Constance Bannister was considered one of the nation’s premier baby photographers, whom Jack Paar, host of the “Tonight Show,” called the “world’s most famous baby photographer.” Photographing primarily during the 1940s and 1950s, Ms. Bannister is reported to have left a legacy of more than 100,000 pictures of babies in the care of her daughter, Lynda Hatcher. The second of 17 children, Ms. Bannister has local ties to the area in her nephew, John Moser, who not only was photographed as a Bannister Baby but who also resides in Clifton Forge. From his genealogy research, Mr. Moser notes that, “People from Alleghany County are related to her from both the Arthur Thomas Gibbs and Bessie Serena Jackson sides of the family.” Born on a Tennessee farm, Ms. Bannister moved as a teenager to New York in the 1930s. Having received a camera from a boyfriend, she enrolled at the New York Institute for Photography. Hired by the “Associated Press” in 1937 as a society photographer, Bannister’s assignment was to shoot high society photos in Palm Beach, Florida. Later she returned to New York where she opened a studio in Central Park South. Working for the “Chicago Tribune,” Miss Bannister photographed Broadway plays. She was also the photographer for the New York City Ballet and for the Ice Capades. During this same time she had an inspiration. “She went into Central Park and just started photographing babies,” says Lynda. “She ended up going back the next day with prints, sold some to a mom, and the career was born.” Ms. Bannister quickly gained a reputation as the best baby photographer in the city. “She was the first person in America to introduce the African-American mother and child into advertising,” Mr. Moser adds. “She had a way of communicating with the baby and would get them to do the craziest things,” says Lynda. “She just knew exactly when to snap that shot and get that perfect picture.” While Bannister’s portfolio included fashion, children, cats, dogs, and entertainment, it was her amusing stills of infants that continued to receive the most attention. “The New York Times” reported that “those whimsical images were frequently featured in print advertising campaigns [including billboards and posters], calendars and magazines, including ‘The Saturday Evening Post.’ Ms. Bannister also created humorous captions for her most animated subjects and compiled the captioned photographs into themed booklets.” The captioned Bannister Babies became her signature. For the November 29, 1941 issue of the “Saturday Evening Post,” Bannister illustrated the story, “Glamour Goes to War.” Included was a bathing suit photo of Bannister titled “Not Unglamorous Herself.” Lynda explains further, “’Look Magazine’ commissioned a series of kiddie beach photos for a feature called ‘Pin-up Babies.’ Next to her photographer’s credit the magazine published a shot of Constance in her bathing suit. Service men wrote from all over the world asking for a signed 8 x 10 for their foxhole or bunker.” The Constance Bannister website writes: “During World War II, the Bannister Baby Posters helped sell War Bonds and she contributed her service to USO by doing camera stories. ... One of her baby pictures which had been reproduced in a national magazine was found in the possession of a German soldier captured by the U.S. infantry group. ‘The March of Time’ featured the incident in one of its films . . .” FOXBusiness writes, “The post-war baby boom presented a new opportunity for Bannister. She offered parents free pictures of their children if they signed a release allowing her to sell the images. Soon ‘Bannister Babies’ were everywhere. So was Constance.” Lynda continues, “I have all her appointment books from the 1940s and 1950s. Every single page is filled with meetings, radio shows and television shows. People knew her by name. They knew her on sight.” She adds, “The photo release forms start around 1943.” The “New York Times” noted in its 2005 obituary that Ms. Hatcher inherited “seven file cabinets containing thousands of pristine negatives. While her mother had the benefit of only an eighth-grade education . . . she maintained meticulous records. Besides 15 four-drawer filing cabinets full of 8 x 10’s and other prints, there is a closet containing a hefty stack of film and audio reels Ms. Hatcher has yet to go through. There are still boxes of material in the basement as well.” The Constance Bannister website writes, “She did many human interest covers in ‘Photography,’ on ‘Woman’s Day,’ ‘Country Gentlemen,’ ‘McCalls,’ ‘Look’ and many other leading magazines during that period. “The baby pictures have appeared on television on the Garry Moore Show, Perry Como Show, Frank Sinatra Show, Steve Allen Show, Ernie Kovacs Show, Jack Parr Show, and Joey Bishop Show. “Babies by Bannister have been printed in ad-campaigns in many different languages and have traveled the world many times. Her comic strip ‘Baby Banters’ was a popular syndicated feature for six years.” Boxes of flashbulbs even had her photography tips printed on them. Bannister authored several books on a wide range of topics. Included were political satire such as “Senator, I’m Glad You Asked That;” medical satire including “Visiting Hours are Over;” and, marriage satire with “Holy Deadlock” and “I Love You Truly.” Children’s books included E.F. Dutton’s “A Child’s Grace,” Simon and Schuster’s “The Baby,” and Rand McNally’s “Puppy and Me.” She also published “How I Photograph Babies and Pets,” which she created for the General Electric Company. “I started my collection 15 years ago,” Mr. Moser says, “with a photo album of my personal family on my mom’s side which came with one of her sister’s books – one of many that my aunt wrote. From there my collection has grown.” He continues, “When I started having children and realized there were Constance Bannister baby dolls, I went to eBay to buy some dolls for my children. While buying dolls, I also bought books, cards, and other memorabilia. The reason my collection grew is to carry the legacy forward through my children of their great aunt.” He pauses, then adds, “Before you can no longer find authentic memorabilia. She’s famous enough that people want to counterfeit her things.” If you are a Bannister Baby or if you would like to know more about the photographer, Mr. Moser suggests visiting the website, www.constancebannister.net “Are You a Bannister Baby?” will be on display throughout December. The Clifton Forge Public Library is located at 535 Church Street. For information on any library program, call 863-2519.

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