Telegrams:
Like many silent stars, a handful of Mabel’s personal correspondence survives. For those too young to remember, telegrams were equivalent to emails or IMs, just a little slower. Many stars would dictate what they wanted sent and a secretary would be left to get it on the telegram form. Stephen Normand has provided some of Mabel’s telegrams below, which show her personality to the fullest. Please credit when sharing.
Many telegrams used stop as in place of a period; Mabel seemed to bypass this in both her letters and telegrams. Her formal handwriting can be seen in the reference letter for her secretary known as Betty Coss.
Mabel Normand Los Angeles, California May 19th, 1925 Dear Betty: Please ‘phone me (when you get this) or write and let me have the address of the firm where you purchased the last fan pictures that were cheaper than Kopee. Will you also let me know you got the folders and cardboard, and letterheads as here used. I think they were bought from Emil H. Bluemel Co., 904 S. Main St. Sincerely, Mabel N – (Betty come over or phone hope you come so I’ll be at home lot to ask you about my different bits love Mabel N) (How are you feeling are you making saw more at the Clec. ball-) 
Dear Betty – Please give me the address of Freeman’s bootlegger. I mean the one you deal with for me and also has the telephone number you for tomorrow’s Sunday – Please enclose in enclosed envelope I’m very unhappy about my ear Dr F and the Dr who is now treating my ear – the night one – had very bad news for me Send by town the address of that man also which is most important his telephone Monday – J F R – Be Happy Betty I Love You 
R.M. Hollingshead Co 568 Frank Ave South Seattle Washington Mr Carr Dear Sir In reply to your reference questionnaire concerning Miss Elizabeth Duncaus Who was in my employ for 3 1/2 years I wish to state that her personal + moral character was always above reproach. Her business ability while in my employ included large sums of money being responsible for my personal jewelry also my confidential matters trusting this is satisfactory I remain sincerely Mabel Normand 526 Camden Drive Beverly Hills, California 
Do you remember what salary(?) the consolidate Jf and me and was it 10 day his work on Sunday, or was Sunday included, and will I consent just the paper you wrote it all down for me that – Sherrill has decided to make it 5 percent originally it was ten percent they asked if you recall, Paul Bern Does not recommend and told me to ask you and asking I am Betty – over to ask you what was the terms thanks so much we miss you M Normand 
Telegram 1: Western Union Telegram received at 706 South Alvarado St, Los Angeles, Phone DREXEL 4535 1 228 IK 48 Los Angeles, Calif 159P June 19th, 1924 Miss Betty Coss 122 222 South Burlington Los Angeles, Calif Dear Betty don’t be a baby and come tomorrow morning and let’s talk things over then you can decide exactly what you want to do do not think at this time should take any offense at whatever I said will expect you in the morning it is very urgent M Normand 207P
Sheet Music:
While recording technology existed in the 1900s, it took until the 1910s for one format to dominate. But recording technology wasn’t very good, not until the 1930s. Never mind one would have to be able to afford not only the player but records. During the Victorian era many homes had pianos. If not at home, there was usually somewhere to go to play piano because records were at this time like 3D printing technology now: foreign, scary, pricy.
While records gained popularity through the 1920s, they were still limited until the 1950s (78rpm, the format during this time, could only contain one song on each side but was the size of what we think of as a full record now.) Sheet music was extremely popular through the 1910s and 1920s, and remained something one could expect to easily find until the 1950s.
Films added a whole new layer to this. Though the technology for talking films existed as early as as 1899, they were too complicated to widely implement. Silent films needed music and it wasn’t until the 1920s that scores would be sent out (even then some players in small towns would just play whatever they could on loop.)
Considering it was hard to even track film earnings during the teens, it’s no surprise that celebrities images were constantly used without permission. To avoid conflict they’d usually say the song was ‘dedicated to…X’. This went on well into the early 20s. Mabel was a model in her early days, but it appears unless it was a soundtrack the rest of these songs are of that type, they probably had no authorization from her or her company.
A fascinating part of silent film history is the birth of what we’d now call the movie sound track. In these days you have some scores (instrumentals), maybe a few songs if its a musical, maybe several unrelated songs by various artists briefly used in the film. Almost every film has a ‘single’, a main song they make their theme or a song highly associated with the film (ex: (Everything I do) I do it for you by by Bryan Adams for the 1991 Robin Hood film.) Mack Sennett claimed to pioneer this with “Mickey” in 1918, but the most likely first ‘single’ was “The Perfect Song” from Birth of a Nation in 1914.
However the eponymous Mickey theme song was extremely popular, and could be seen as confirmation of ‘singles’ success. After Mickey’s release almost every major film of the 20s had a ‘theme’ song, officially released by the company. As of now the only period recordings of Mabel’s singles are “Mickey” (1919) and Kentucky Dreams. Sister of Rosie O’Grady is apparently a part of a trilogy of a popular song, but that version recording wise remains unknown.
Endorsements:
Mabel endorsed several products in her short life. Below are what we know of, if you’ve found any further endorsements please contact us
