Linda Deitz poses for this cabinet card portrait by famed celebrity photographer, Sarony of New York City. Deitz was a well known American actress in the 1870’s and 1880’s. She was photographed a great deal but her theatrical career was of only about ten years duration. She made her stage debut replacing actress Fanny Davenport in a production at Daly’s 5th Avenue Theatre. View Ms Davenport’s cabinet card image under the category of Actresses located on this site. In 1879 a theatre column in the New York Times announced that Deitz was being cast as a leading lady. The critic reported that the decision “does not strike us as very happy”. The article goes on to describe her as a respectful actress within a limited range of parts but “she can scarcely hope to fulfill worth the severe duties of a leading lady”. Later that year, Linda Deitz left New York to join the Hare and Kendal theatre company at St. James Theatre in London. Deitz died in 1920.
LINDA DEITZ: STAGE ACTRESS INSULTED BY THE NEW YORK TIMES (1879)
The URI to TrackBack this entry is: https://cabinetcardgallery.com/2010/03/01/linda-deitz-stage-actress-insulted-by-the-new-york-times-1879/trackback/
THE CABINET CARD GALLERY 
[…] she generally received excellent reviews, although there is a particularly nasty review from the New York Times. In 1879 Dietz tried her hand abroad, joining the Hare and Kendal company at the St. James Theatre […]
Long ago, before the internet, I tried to find information on the Dietz sisters … motivated by several beautiful close-up stereo views of them I then owned … especially enamored, I admit, by one of Linda (when twentyish, or so). Both were active in Augustin Daly’s productions in the early 1870’s … Linda (Ethelinda) active much longer. The strikingly beautiful Ellie (Ella Dietz … billed as Mrs. E. M. Clymer) was apparently only occasionally performing for a couple of seasons, after which the records go silent. Linda seems to have settled in the Poughkeepsie, NY, area out of the public eye until her death was reported in the New York Time in 1920 (giving virtually no personal information). I found no indication she had ever married.
I own a “Sarony” depicting a woman standing in rather shabby attire. Her eyes are peculiar as they appear to each be looking in a different direction. A beautiful photo non the less.
I wonder if your Sarony image features an actress. Is there a name on the reverse of the photo? Sarony produced many interesting and historic photographs.