Object of the Day: An Autographed Photo of Bette Davis

For a country that has no proper royalty, we have a knack for creating our own Kings and Queens. One of the greatest was Bette Davis—true “Hollywood Royalty” (all right, make all your Mommie Dearest jokes regarding “Hollywood Royalty” now). She was an actress, a producer, a wife (several times), a mother, a grandmother, a ball of fire, a bitch and a friend. Even after a debilitating stroke, a bout with cancer, and the betrayal of her eldest child, she kept going with a keen wit, a sense of humor and no small amount of pride.


I’ve always admired Miss Davis and love her films. This autographed photo dates to the mid 1940’s, though I suspect it was signed later than that. She has a special place in my study and it’s always nice to see her looking out at me. If I had half of her gumption, I’d be in very good shape.