Rudolph J. Bergquist — Little Close-Ups of the A. S. C. (1922) 🇺🇸

Rudolph J. Bergquist, A. S. C, started his photographic career when, a boy of fourteen, he received a small box camera with a suit of clothes, purchased for his graduation exercises. Since then, photography has always been an obsession with him.

After ten years of professional photography, he entered the moving picture field in the employ of the Essanay Film Company in Chicago, having full charge of their laboratories for about two years. His one ambition at that time was to operate a motion picture camera, and within a short time opportunity came his way. Taking full advantage of the situation and through constant effort he soon became master of his art, and during his time with Essanay photographed many big features, mostly Francis X. Bushman productions. One production titled “Sparks of Fate” had in the cast F. X. Bushman, Beverly Bayne, Bryant Washburn and Ruth Stonehouse, who have all become stars in their own right since then.

After five years with Essanay he received an offer from the Metro Pictures Corporation in New York to continue to photograph the Bushman productions, and did so for six years. At the end of that time he started with Harold Lockwood, photographing the Lockwood productions up to the time of Lockwood’s death. Continuing with Metro he photographed Mary Miles Minter, Anna Q. Neilson [Anna Q. Nilsson], Ethel Barrymore, Viola Dana, May Allison, Hamilton Revelle, Marguerite Snow, Julius Steger and others.

While with the Essanay Company in Chicago he photographed Viola Allen in her one production, “The White Sister”; Bryant Washburn, Ruth Stonehouse, Richard Travers, Wallace Beery, Edna Mayo, Nell Craig, Herbert Hayes, Gerda Holmes, Warda Howard and others.

His most recent work has been done with Madame Nazimova [Alla Nazimova] and Gareth Hughes. He spent two and one-half years with Nazimova, during which period he photographed the following productions: “Stronger Than Death,” “Heart of a Child,” “Madame Peacock,” “Billions,” and her last picture with Metro, “Camille.”

New York critics expressed their opinion on the photography in Camille as “gorgeous,” which means a great deal.

For Gareth Hughes he has photographed “Garments of Truth,” “The Hunch,” “Little Eva” and “Stay Home.” At present he is working on the fifth production for Gareth Hughes under the direction of George D. Baker.

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Collection: American Cinematographer, February 1922

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