William Steele Dean

William Steele Dean was a hobby photographer born in Ohio in 1902. He relocated to Albuquerque, New Mexico with his family in search of better health after contracting tuberculosis. William was too sickly for most jobs, so held a profession that fit his physical limitations as the KiMo Theatre's first organist where he performed music alongside silent films. He developed a passion for photographing silent movie stars locally at the Albuquerque train station.

Here, we highlight photographs from the William Steele Dean Collection showcasing 1920s fashion from movie stars traveling through Albuquerque. Actors, directors, and composers with their children and pets, from Albert Einstein, Mary Pickford, and Roudalfo (Rudolph) Valentino, to the Little Rascals and Rin Tin Tin, they all passed through the Alvarado station adorned in cloche hats, fedoras, pearls, and furs!

The cloche hat is an iconic accessory worn in the 1920s synonymous with flapper fashion. The hat is tight fitting, with a narrow brim often worn low over the forehead covering the eyebrows. Cloche translates to "bell" in French which references the snug bell-like shape represented when worn. The hat was especially popularized by the “bobbed” hairstyle of the Jazz Age, as the cap bordered the short edges of the hair. The hat contributed to the flapper’s association with feminism and defiance. Since the cap was worn so low, making visibility limited, women would walk with their chins high and eyes cast low in “an air of conceitedness or feminine independence.” Keep your eyes open for the fabulous cloche hats in the collection below!