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9 0 P E R S P E C T I V E | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 6 Benjamin Jules Carré (1883–1978) began his career as an apprentice scenic painter in Paris before joining Gaumont Studios, where he specialized in color techniques for black- and-white photography. Moving to New York in 1912, he collaborated with Maurice Tourneur on 34 notable silent films over five years. In 1919, Carré relocated to Hollywood, establishing himself as a leading Art Director. While known for his work in silent cinema, he viewed his involvement in the landmark talking film The Jazz Singer (1927) as less significant. Wilfred Buckland (1866–1946), born in New York City and trained under Henry C. De Mille, began his career in theater as a set and lighting designer, stage director and production manager. He taught at the Academy of Dramatic Arts, counting Cecil B. DeMille among his students. Recognizing film's potential early on, Buckland joined DeMille and Jesse Lasky's company in 1914, where he introduced new methods in motion picture design and production. He was also the first to be credited as Art Director on screen. Hugo Ballin (1879–1956) was an accomplished artist and a leading Art Director, film director and producer of the silent era. After teaching painting in New York, he joined Edison Studios in 1912 and hired Cedric Gibbons as his assistant. In 1916, Samuel Goldwyn asked Ballin to help build the Goldwyn brand in Fort Lee and later brought him to Hollywood. Seeking more creative work, Ballin directed and produced films until studio systems restricted distribution, after which he returned to freelance art and became a noted muralist. Anton Grot (1884–1974) was a pioneering Art Director influenced by European modernism and German expressionism. Born in Poland, he became known for his precise illustration and mastery of lighting, proportion and perspective. After moving to the US in 1909, he designed sets for Lubin Company, then joined Pathé Films in 1917, hiring William Cameron Menzies as an assistant. In 1921, Wilfred Buckland brought him to Hollywood for Robin Hood (1922). At Warner Bros., Grot's designs shaped gangster films, musicals, swashbucklers and melodramas. William Cameron Menzies (1896–1957) was a pioneering Hollywood Art Director known for shaping the field of Production Design. Starting his career in magazine layouts and children's book illustration, he quickly gained attention for innovative storyboards and visual planning under Anton Grot's mentorship. Introduced to Hollywood in 1921 by Raoul THE KING OF KINGS STILL, BEN CARRÉ 1926 WILFRED BUCKLAND WITH ART DEPT. HOLLYWOOD 1910S HUGO BALLIN, NYC 1910S NOAH'S ARK 1927, HANGING MINIATURE, ANTON GROT DOUGLAS FAIRBANKS & MENZIES WITH SET MODEL