He very likely was- they did that for photos- photos back then were a big deal- they had to sit completely still for a good long time, and often had to have their heads propped against something behind them to keep them from moving- and the photographer likely insisted on them using makeup to cover blemishes- heavy makeup- they didn’t have photoshop back then to make everything look good after- so they overcompensated with makeup, wardrobes, etc-