Featured Help With A Trio of Redheads

I won a very nice collection of autographs and this was one of them. I did an image search. I searched trio with the names. Tried to find the name of the trumpet player. Nothing came up. Not even with AI.

Does anyone recognize this trio? If so, who are they?


This is one of the neater ones I got (though there are some very nice ones) Clyde Barrie was an African American Baritone Opera singer for CBS radio. He's so rare, I can't find out anything about him.

This is about all I can find. His real name is Cecil Burrows. He died in 1945. He was 44 years old.

 

You did find his obituary in the New York Times?

https://www.nytimes.com/1945/12/07/...tone-had-sung-over-columbia-broadcasting.html

Debora

 

AI tells me the Three Californian Redheads was a 1930s vaudeville act, one of three that used that name. Apparently, they weren't from California or were they redheads.

Debora

 

Here's mention of The California Redheads.

https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wisconsin-death-trip-s-got-nuthin-on-me/326693

Debora

 

different names Deb, so guessing one of the other 3

 

redheads in black n white...hmmmm doesn't really work does it ?

great picture/photograph/item though

 

AI info (so take with a pinch of salt )

This photograph is a fascinating artifact—stylistically theatrical, possibly promotional, and signed by Marcel Vertès, a notable Hungarian-French artist and illustrator known for his work in fashion, cabaret, and film. Vertès won an Academy Award for his costume and art direction on Moulin Rouge (1952), and his signature here suggests this image may have been part of a performance or publicity series he was involved in.
The handwritten note adds a layer of intrigue:

This playful dedication implies a continuation of a previous act or troupe—perhaps “The Heavenly Fleas” were a cabaret or dance group, and this photo marks a new iteration. The reference to California and “Hawaiian-Mango Cannonballs” feels like inside-joke territory, possibly nodding to a specific performance, location, or shared memory.
Unfortunately, without more context or documentation, the identities of the three women remain elusive. They may have been performers, models, or part of a theatrical ensemble Vertès worked with. If you’re cataloguing this piece, I’d suggest:
• ️‍♀️ Researching Vertès’ promotional work—especially cabaret or revue posters from Paris or Hollywood in the 1940s–50s.
• Looking into “The Heavenly Fleas”—even if the name was informal, it might appear in niche entertainment archives or personal memoirs.
• ️ Tracing the recipient “Seth”—if this was a known collector, producer, or patron, it could help triangulate the context.
Would you like help drafting a catalog entry or tracing Vertès’ collaborators during this period?

Thanks for the nudge, Caspar—this opens up a compelling thread. While Marcel Vertès is credited as the artist on your photograph, the name “Maurice” as a photographer in cabaret or theatrical circles could point to a few possibilities. However, there’s no direct match yet between a photographer named Maurice and Vertès’ known collaborators. Let’s explore some plausible leads:



Maurice as Photographer: Potential Figures

1. Maurice Seymour

• Actually a pseudonym for two brothers, Seymour and Maurice Zeldman.
• Famous for photographing Hollywood stars, dancers, and cabaret performers from the 1930s–60s.
• Their work often featured stylized poses and dramatic lighting—very much in line with the aesthetic of your image.
• Though based in Chicago, their reach extended to New York and Paris.

If your photo was taken in the U.S. or involved American performers, Maurice Seymour is a strong candidate.

 

where it got the heavenly fleas from .............. or seth (looks more like Sally)

,,,,,,,or Marcel Vertès

 

One at the front looks like Joan Barton.

https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-Broadcast-Engineers-Journal/BEJ-1946-06.pdf

 

I tried to search for California red heads and just got duck pictures

 

The photograph is signed "Maurice Seymour" followed by "Chicago."

Debora

 

......hope you meant they were fowl......and not foul

 

Those California Redheads were grandmothers by the time the "Catalina Cuties" appeared on the scene.

Debora

 

Yes, a prolific studio from Chicago. I've seen lots of their photos.

 

A son's web site has a gallery of photographs. Quite an interesting array of performers.

https://ronseymour.com/the-maurice-seymour-gallery/

Debora

 

Nice gallery. Thanks!

 

the only 'Scotty' 'the trumpeter' I'm seeing is Scotty Barnhart, who was born in 1964 and is the director of the Count Basie orchestra. that's doesn't seem to jive with this photo...

 

His father wasn't even a gleam in his grandfather's eye when that photograph was taken.

Debora

 

Clyde Barrie, 38, Radio Baritone

Funeral services for Clyde Barrie 38, Negro baritone, who had sung over the Columbia 'Broadcasting System, were to be held in St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 230 Lenox Ave., Manhattan. He died Tuesday night of bronchial pneumonia in Harlem Hospital.

According to the CBS-

Mr. Barri was formerly known as Cecil Burrows. He attended school in Brooklyn and the Bronx and became a professional singer after appearing on Major Bowes' Amateur Hour program. Previously he had sung in churches. He made his New York concert debut in 1936 at Town Hall.

His home was at 54 E. 130th St., Manhattan.-

Surviving are his widow, Mrs. Ivy Barrie; a son, Charles; a sister, Elsie B; a brother, Stanley and his father, Percy B.

Brooklyn Eagle • Fri, Dec 07, 1945 • Page 17 • (Brooklyn, New York)
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