Career
She was America"s first child star and the highest paid and most popular child actress of her era. Leslie"s first role in 1884 was Little Meenie in Joseph Jefferson"s production of "Rip Van Winkle". In 1887, she was recognized as a star with her performance in "Editha"s Burglar" opposite East. H. Sothern at the Lyceum Theatre in New York and opposite William Gillette on the road tour.
The most enduring image of Leslie is the portrait of her, posing as Little Lord Fauntleroy, painted by William Merritt Chase.
Leslie lived in the rarefied kingdom of the theater. She had pen pals everywhere with whom she maintained a lively correspondence, including leading actors, actresses and statesmen, as well as two young girls nearer her own age, one younger, the other a year older: Eleanor Roosevelt and Helen Keller.
"I like to write letters," she once said, "but I like to get the answers still better."
Leslie was known as a wonderful child. She carried on correspondence with her friends from her acting days until her death.
She is also remembered by the "Elsie Leslie" doll by Madame Alexander, Number.
1560 in the series.
