At first it seems like just kind of a cool old movie poster. But it turns out that it is for the only complete series of episodes of silent action films still in existence. The “Mystery Of The Double Cross” was released in 15 weekly chapters beginning on March 18, 1917. It is almost coming up on 100 years ago!

To quote from the Wiki about the plot… “Peter Hale (Leon Bary) is returning to America from overseas via steamship to receive his inheritance. On board, he receives a telegram warning him to beware the Double Cross. He doesn’t know what it means, until he becomes enamored of a mysterious woman occupying cabin no.7. When a submarine is sighted, there is panic on shipboard. Peter and the mysterious woman are thrown together, and in the ensuing action, he sees a double cross symbol on her right arm, just below the shoulder. When the ship arrives in New York, Peter loses track of the woman.”

Photographed the other day at the Palm Springs Modernism Week Fine Art Fair.