Black and white 8 by 10 press photograph depicting a ventriloquist performer in close portrait with a large dummy figure whose wide open mouth and exaggerated features are prominently displayed. The high contrast studio lighting and the bold close composition are characteristic of mid-twentieth century American entertainment press photography intended for newspaper reproduction. The verso bears a typed caption on a yellow label with NCA wire photo service markings and what appears to be a release date and credit line. Wire service press photographs of ventriloquist performers are an important documentary category within entertainment press ephemera, representing the commercial photography infrastructure that supported American newspaper and magazine coverage of variety and television performers during the mid-twentieth century.