The Little Woman who knew all the Big, Big Stars: The Incredible Photo Album found in a Thrift Store

Maria Snoeys-Lagler's fabulous found photo album

Bruce Willia, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Maria Snoeys-Lagler with Bruce Willis.

File under “I” for incredible as in “F” for find. For sale amongst the bric-a-brac, old wrinkled paperbacks, scratched vinyl, and once fashionable clothes of a Belgium thrift store was a most unusual photo-album. Old photographs tend to appeal to a certain kind of customer–those with an interest in photography, or history, or artists looking for source material–but this particular photo-album donated to Opnieuw & Co. would have surprised even those most jaded of shopper.

Inside its plastic bound cover was an incredible selection of photographs featuring an array of A-list film and TV stars. At a quick glance one might have mistaken the woman standing next to Bruce Willis or Johnny Depp as perhaps his mother. But then it becomes apparent this petite shrub of a woman appears in every photograph with every one of these stars, who all seem more than happy to pose with her.

 

Harrison Ford, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Harrison Ford.


 
Who is she? Is she someone famous? Or, perhaps a behind-the-scenes technician–an acting coach, a speech therapist, or script supervisor. Or, maybe just maybe  a stalker? Who knew?

On the album’s discovery, it seemed nobody knew. But a little detective work by eagle-eyed viewers noted this individual could be identified by her name tag in a photograph where she stands beside Medicine Woman Jane Seymour.

The woman was Maria Snoeys-Lagler, a former member of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association (HFPA). Snoeys-Lagler was one of the 90 members of the HFPA, who each have a role in choosing winners for the Golden Globes Awards.

Alas, Snoeys-Lagler died in 2016 at the age of 87, which possibly explains how this particular photo-album ended up in a thrift store. Some incurious individual perhaps tossed it out thinking it perhaps full of boring pictures of Ms. Snoeys-Lagler on holiday or smiling cheerfully at office parties. Who knows? But since Maria Snoeys-Lagler has been identified, the kind people at Opnieuw & Co. have reached out to her daughter in California to offer the return of this once prized possession.

 

Jack Nicholson, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Maria with Jack Nicholson.

 

Kate Winslett, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

With Kate Winslett.

 

Faye Dunaway, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Faye Dunaway.

 

Laurence Fishburne, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Laurence Fishburne.

 

Rutger hauer, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Rutger Hauer.

 

Drew Barrymore, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Drew Barrymore.

 

Johnny Depp, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Johnny Depp.

 

Patrick Stewart, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Patrick Stewart.

 

Heather Locklear, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Heather Locklear.

 

Nicolas Cage, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Nicolas Cage.

 

Angela Bassett, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Angela Bassett.

 

Tom Cruise, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Tom Cruise.

 

Kristin Davis, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Kristin Davis.

 

Kevin Bacon, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Tom Hanks, Hollywood

Kevin Bacon, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, and Tom Hanks.

 

Meg Ryan, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Andy Garcia, Hollywood

Meg Ryan and Andy Garcia.

 

Denzel washinton, ,Maria Snoeys-Lagler Hollywood

Denzel Washington.

 

Kevin Costner, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Kevin Costner.

 

Christopher walken, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Christopher Walken.

 

Jane Seymour, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Jane Seymour.

 

Jon Bon Jovi, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

Jon Bon Jovi.

 

William Shatner, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Hollywood

William Shatner.

 

Jack Lemmon, Sophia Loren, Maria Snoeys-Lagler

Jack Lemmon, Maria Snoeys-Lagler, Sophia Loren.

H/T Design You Trust, Bored Panda and Facebook.

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