It must seem amusing to some that others can seem to get lost in the
minutiae of Twain's visual images, and I find it funny at times too. But
Twain, unlike many other literary figures enjoys dual status in America's
collective cultural memory. Besides his written words, he is a cultural
icon, even if his image has been Disneyfied of late. He was keenly aware of
his celebrity status and exploited it as best he could, both in his spoken
words (speeches and interviews) and visually. He dressed the part, played
the role, and did all he could to control his public image. Entire books
have been written on this topic (Lou Budd, John Seelye, et al) and other
books, like THE COMPLETE INTERVIEWS, provide abundant evidence. The white
suit, cigars, choice of locales, choice of fellow subjects, and those
familiar stern gazes at the camera were not accidental. It is rare to catch
Twain on film in a candid unposed moment, and rarer still to find him
speaking in public or to strangers without his famous drawl. All of this,
remember, long before press offices, publicity agents, and the carefully
cultivated photo ops we have grown accustomed to seeing in the media
today --which we often accept as authentic (at the same time we deplore the
photographers who try to capture the candid moments in celebrities' lives).

Shirt and coat buttons are standard evidence used to determine whether a
negative has been flipped. The Eastman Kodak Archives, The Mark Twain
Project at Berkeley, and many others use this method when examining visual
evidence. As a footnote, I should add that when a glass plate negative is
flipped (which causes the side with the emulsion to not come in contact with
the sensitized paper) the resulting image is slightly blurred and distorted,
so there is good reason to pay attention to such details, besides historical
accuracy.

I found a better tape of the Edison film in my own files and took a few more
minutes to examine some frames more carefully than the low resolution
youtube copy. I now agree that the youtube version seems to be flipped, at
least in the portion showing Twain walking around the driveway at
Stormfield. In those frames his vest does seem reversed. Also, the curve of
the driveway in the background seems to conform to the south end of the
house rather than the north end. But if somebody finds a clearer copy and
better evidence I'll stand corrected. It's very hard to be certain from  my
own copy, and I con't have time today to compare watch chain placement and
other clues. I assume the tea-sipping scene is flipped also, but can't prove
it from my copy.

I think the real significance of this film is how Twain once again projects
his carefully cultivated public persona in white coat, cigar in hand,
strutting around his huge newly built Italian style villa,  and then had
himself filmed having tea with his daughters. Anyone familiar with the
tensions and drama at Stormfield in 1909 will have no trouble understanding
why Twain wished to project an image of peace and tranquility with both of
his daughters together at the same time, sitting at a table for afternoon
tea and some pleasant  conversation with their father. An examination of the
Stormfield guestbook and the surviving correspondence with the Edison people
might shed light on how carefully Twain --media savvy, already sensing that
his days were numbered, and obsessed with how he would be viewed by
posterity-- may have planned his only moment on film.

I hope the day never comes when Twain's words, or his image, don't create a
stir.

Kevin Mac Donnell
Austin TX