Name/Title
Shellman, Mary BostwickEntry/Object ID
1941.049.073Description
Photograph, cabinet. Image of Mary B. Shellman in costume by photographic studio, A. L. Rogers, Westminster, Md. Dated February 22, 1887. Notation on front "Mary B. Shellman as Emma in William Tell, Webster, Lit. Society, Feb. 22, 1887." Reverse side labeled "Mary Bostwick Shellman as ‘Emma’ wife of William Tell - Feb. 22, 1887. Webster Literary Society. W. Md. College. ‘Wm. Tell’ - Will Deford." Full-length photograph of Mary Shellman in costume with backdrop of a garden fence. 6.5" x 4.25".Context
According to a neighbor, remembering Mary Shellman in the Carroll County Times (7 Feb 1978), “Her dramatic ability was widely known. If she was in a local play it was bound to be good.” Mary loved to act and often would have studio portraits done. of her roles in costume.
In Friedrich Schiller’s William Tell, Emma is a minor character, the daughter of Walther Fürst. She appears briefly during a wedding scene in Act III, representing innocence, joy, and the hopeful future the Swiss people are fighting for. Though she doesn't influence the plot, her presence highlights what’s at stake in the struggle for freedom—peace and protection for the next generation.Acquisition
Accession
1941.049Source or Donor
Reese, PaulAcquisition Method
Gift
