Carl Sandburg remembered seeing, in the 1890s, a poster of two famous thespians by the names of Anna Held and John Drew. Some clever person created a depiction of a woman and a man each holding in their hand five playing cards. Under the two names were two sentences: “This is the hand Anna Held” and “This is the hand John Drew.” It passed for great wit in those days.

Anna Held was born in Warsaw, Poland, which was part of Russia at that time, on March 19, 1872. Her parents were Maurice and Yvonne Pierre Held. He was a glovemaker. Because of the anti-semitic pogroms, the family was forced to flee to Paris. Maurice worked as a janitor and Yvonne operated a kosher restaurant. Anna worked in a garment factory and began to sing in Jewish theaters.

Her outgoing personality was popular with the public. She sang risque songs and was willing to show a little of her ankles. Her flirtatious manner had an appeal for the public.

In 1896 she appeared in London. Florenz Ziegfeld, a prominent theatrical producer in the United States , saw her perform. He asked Anna to return to New York with him. He created a wave of publicity which caused much interest in Anna Held in this country. The critics dismissed her acting ability, but the public liked her. Ziegfeld helped her become a millionaire with his promotions.

Miss Held continued to perform in vaudeville for the rest of her career. She went to the front in France during World War I to perform for the troops. She was well regarded because of these appearances and for the money she raised for the war effort.

Anna Held died August 12, 1918, of multiple myeloma. Her funeral was conducted from St. Patrick's Cathedral in Manhattan. She was buried in Gate of Heaven Cemetery, Hawthorne, New York. She had converted to Catholicism as a young woman.

John Drew as Petruchio

John Drew was born November 13, 1853, into one of the first families of the American theater. He was a brother to Louisa, Georgiana and Sidney Drew, all well known actors of the day. Therefore, he was the uncle of John, Ethel and Lionel Barrymore, famous actors of the twentieth century and the great great uncle of Drew Barrymore.

He started his acting career in the family's theater in Philadelphia. His ability was recognized early in his life. He performed in Shakespearean comedies, society dramas and farces, as well as contemporary works of the time. Unfortunately, he never appeared in films so there is no visual record of his career. John Drew was regarded as the leading matinee idol of his day.

John Drew died July 9, 1927, in San Francisco. His nephews, John and Lionel Barrymore, had visited him shortly before his death. His ashes were interred in Mount Vernon Cemetery, Philadelphia.

After the death of Anna Held, Carl Sandburg wrote a poem in memory of her. It was titled “An Electric Sign Goes Dark.” It was part of the collection in Smoke and Steel published in 1922. Perhaps he remembered the picture he had seen in pool halls and saloons in the 1890s.