c1920s Mary Pickford Photos: Fairbanks’ Christmas Card & 1931 Snapshot at Pickfair

Mary Pickford's Christmas Card from Pickfair

Some addresses become famous. Others become shorthand for an entire era. During Hollywood's silent film years, all you had to say was "Pickfair."

Built by Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks in the hills above Beverly Hills, Pickfair became one of the best-known private homes in America. Movie stars gathered there alongside presidents, authors, diplomats, and visiting royalty. Newspaper gossip columns mentioned the house almost as often as its famous owners, and for many fans, Pickfair represented the glamour and optimism of a young Hollywood finding its footing.

The house remained standing for decades after Pickford's death before actress Pia Zadora purchased the estate and had it demolished in 1990. Today, nothing survives except the original front gates.

That history is part of what made this group of memorabilia enjoyable to research when Britannic Auctions presented it at auction. The collection included a Christmas card sent during Mary Pickford's marriage to Douglas Fairbanks, along with three candid photographs taken on the grounds of Pickfair in 1931. Individually, they're modest pieces of paper. Together, they help place us inside a house that helped define Hollywood's earliest years.

One of the pleasures of handling vintage Hollywood memorabilia is that the story isn't always found in the biggest or most expensive item. Sometimes it's tucked inside a holiday greeting, a snapshot, or an object that was never intended to survive long enough to become collectible. Those are often the pieces that tell us the most about the people who owned them.

A Christmas Greeting from Hollywood's First Power Couple

Holiday cards weren't meant to become collectibles. They were opened, displayed for a few weeks, and more often than not, eventually tossed away. That's one reason original Christmas cards from early Hollywood personalities don't surface nearly as often as studio portraits or publicity photographs.

Included in this collection was an original Christmas card sent during Mary Pickford's marriage to Douglas Fairbanks in the 1920s. The front bears her familiar monogram, while the inside carries a simple holiday greeting wishing the recipient "A Merry Christmas and a Bright and Happy New Year," accompanied by her printed married name, "Mary 'Pickford' Fairbanks."

It's a little detail, but an interesting one. Today we think of Mary Pickford almost exclusively by the name that made her famous. During her marriage, however, she often embraced the combined identity of "Mary Pickford Fairbanks," reflecting a partnership that thrilled moviegoers around the world. Long before celebrity couples dominated magazine covers, Pickford and Fairbanks had become one of Hollywood's first true power couples, and Pickfair was the center of that world.

Three Snapshots That Weren't Meant for the Public

The collection also included three candid photographs taken at Pickfair in 1931. Unlike the carefully composed publicity stills issued by movie studios, these photographs snapped a less-than-formal moment on the estate's grounds. Mary Pickford is shown alongside a gentleman presenting a decorative display box containing a miniature shovel or ceremonial spade.

Exactly what the occasion commemorated has been lost to time. It may have marked a groundbreaking, a tree planting, or another private presentation. Vintage photographs often leave us with as many questions as answers, and that's part of what makes researching them so enjoyable.

For collectors, candid photographs occupy a different place than studio-issued images. Publicity stills were produced by the thousands to promote films. Personal snapshots were usually made in much smaller numbers and intended only for family or friends. They don't necessarily command higher prices, but they often preserve moments that were never recorded anywhere else.

What Is Pickfair Memorabilia Worth?

There isn't a fixed price for memorabilia from Pickfair. Like most Hollywood collectibles, value depends on rarity, condition, provenance, and exactly what the item is. Personal objects with a direct connection to Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, or the estate itself generally attract the strongest interest from collectors.

Over the years, a variety of Pickfair-related pieces have appeared at auction. A small brass garden plaque from the estate inscribed, "May you ever find contentment here," realized $1,375 in 2008. A large Pickfair guest book filled with signatures from notable visitors, including Katharine Hepburn and members of European royalty, sold for $576 the same year. More recently, a group of ten vintage Pickfair photographs changed hands for $539 in 2023.

As these results show, there isn't a single "Pickfair market." Everything from photographs and Christmas cards to guest books, estate furnishings, and personal keepsakes can find interested collectors. If you've inherited material connected to Mary Pickford, Douglas Fairbanks, Pickfair, or Hollywood's early years, Britannic Auctions is always happy to provide a free auction estimate and discuss whether the collection is a good candidate for auction.

Hollywood Is Still Out There…If You Know Where to Look

One of the fun things about researching early Hollywood is realizing how much has disappeared. Pickfair is gone. So are many original studio backlots, movie palaces, and landmarks that moviegoers once knew. But every now and then, a photograph, a letter, a Christmas card, or an old scrapbook turns up and fills in another little piece of the story.

That's one of the reasons we enjoy handling Hollywood memorabilia at Britannic Auctions. Whether it's original movie stills, candid photographs, studio paperwork, autographs, or personal keepsakes, every collection has its own story to tell—and usually a few surprises along the way.

If you have a collection you're thinking about selling, we'd be happy to discuss the consignment of Hollywood memorabilia and provide free auction evaluations. And if collecting is more your speed, our Hollywood mailing list is where serious Hollywood collectors get a first look at upcoming auctions featuring fresh-to-market photographs, movie memorabilia, and estate collections before the bidding begins.