1941. A pivotal portrait of Ava age 19, taken just before or after she sets out for Hollywood. The annotations on the front are by her mother:
Don’t get this mixed with the one looking over left shoulder. She had the other one in the paper.
An inscription on the reverse reads: “Ava – Before Hollywood. Would be 1941”.
An accompanying note, as well as deciphering the handwriting says:
BackJerry, I found this picture in Bea’s things [Bea is Ava’s sister Beatrice whom she likes to call Bappie]. This is Mama’s handwriting all around the picture (made me cry). In case you can’t read it, it says: “It must have been right after she left to go to California – or just before when Bappie was still in N.Y.”
