Zena Dare
(1887-1975), ActressZena Dare (Florence Harriette Zena Dones)
Sitter in 79 portraits
The daughter of Arthur Dones, a clerk in the Divorce Court, Zena Dare first appeared on stage at the age of 12 in the pantomime Bluebell in Fairyland. At her mother's insistence she continued her education, in Brussels, until she was launched as a major star in the musical comedy The Catch of the Season in 1905. With her younger sister Phyllis, Marie Studholme and Gabrielle Ray, Zena became one of the four reigning beauties of the picture-postcard era; at its height, in 1908, 860 million cards were posted. Further stage successes included The Beauty of Bath and The Gay Gordons, for which P. G. Wodehouse wrote some of the lyrics. In January 1911 Zena married the Hon. Maurice Brett, second son of Viscount Esher, and retired from the stage. After her husband's death in 1934 she started a second stage career in a number of Ivor Novello productions. Her final performances were at Drury Lane and in the celebrated musical production of My Fair Lady (1958), for which Cecil Beaton designed costumes based on the Edwardian postcard portraits that she and others had made so popular in the pre-1914 era.
by Unknown photographer
postcard print, early 1900s
NPG Ax45863
by Bassano Ltd, published by The Philco Publishing Co
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193749
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
bromide postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193750
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
bromide postcard print, early 1900s
NPG x193751
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, early 1900s
NPG x193752
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, early 1900s
NPG x193753
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, early 1900s
NPG x193754
by Bassano Ltd, published by J. Beagles & Co
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193769
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193770
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193771
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
halftone postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193772
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rapid Photo Co
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193773
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rapid Photo Co
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193774
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193775
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193776
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193777
by Bassano Ltd
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193778
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193779
by Bassano Ltd, published by The Rival Photographic Series
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193780
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193781
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193782
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193783
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193784
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193785
by Bassano Ltd, published by The Philco Publishing Co
hand-coloured postcard print, 1900s
NPG x193786
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x198014
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1900s
NPG x198015
by Bassano Ltd, published by J. Beagles & Co
bromide postcard print, 1900s
NPG x198016
published by Davidson Brothers
bromide postcard print, 1900s
NPG x198083
by Lizzie Caswall Smith, published by The Rotophot Postcard
hand-coloured bromide postcard print, 1900s
NPG x200428
by Lizzie Caswall Smith, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
bromide postcard print, 1900s
NPG x200429
by Lizzie Caswall Smith, published by The Rotophot Postcard
bromide postcard print, 1900s
NPG x200430
by Lizzie Caswall Smith, published by The Philco Publishing Co
bromide postcard print, 1900s
NPG x200431
by Alexander Corbett, for Alfred Ellis & Walery
albumen cabinet card, 1903
NPG x197289
Zena Dare; (Joseph) Farren Soutar
published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
bromide postcard print, circa 1904
NPG x26518
published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
bromide postcard print, circa 1904
NPG x7988
by Bassano Ltd
whole-plate film negative, circa 1904
NPG x81001
by Bassano Ltd
bromide print, circa 1904
NPG x83042
by Foulsham & Banfield, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1905-1906
NPG x27513
by Foulsham & Banfield, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1905-1906
NPG x201040
by Foulsham & Banfield, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1905-1906
NPG x201041
by Foulsham & Banfield, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1905-1906
NPG x201042
Zena Dare, Phyllis Dare and Arthur Albert Dones
by Foulsham & Banfield, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, mid 1900s
NPG x201044
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1906
NPG x193755
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1906
NPG x193756
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1906
NPG x193757
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1906
NPG x193758
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1906
NPG x193759
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1906
NPG x193760
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1906
NPG x193761
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1906
NPG x193762
by Bassano Ltd, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1906
NPG x193763
Zena Dare as Lady Elizabeth Congress in 'The Little Cherub'
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1906
NPG x193764
Zena Dare as Lady Elizabeth Congress in 'The Little Cherub'
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
hand-coloured postcard print with glitter, 1906
NPG x193765
Zena Dare in 'The Beauty of Bath'
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
postcard print, 1906
NPG x193766
Zena Dare in 'The Beauty of Bath'
by Bassano Ltd, published by Davidson Brothers
hand-coloured postcard print with glitter, 1906
NPG x193767
by Foulsham & Banfield, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, mid to late 1900s
NPG x201043
by Foulsham & Banfield, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
hand-coloured postcard print, circa 1906-1908
NPG x201046
Zena Dare (Florence Harriette Zena Dones) as "Peter Pan"
by Foulsham & Banfield, published by Rotary Photographic Co Ltd
postcard print, 1906
NPG x201047
Related People
- Jack Dare (John William Cecil Dones) (brother)
- Phyllis Dare (Phyllis Constance Haddie Dones) (sister)
- Arthur Albert Dones (father)
- Harriette Amelia Dones (née Wheeler) (mother)
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