Ruth Harriet Louise was one of the few women photographers working in Hollywood and the only one to accede the post of head portrait photographer at a major studio. Although Clarence Bull headed the still photography department at M-G-M, Louise (née Sandrich) had her own gallery from 1926 through 1929, the years in which M-G-M became the most prosperous and powerful studio, thanks in part to her straightforward, understated portraits of some very colorful personalities.