Every day Sophie Dupre presents two items from her large stock of signed photographs, autograph letters, autographs for sale, royal memoralbilia and antiquarian manuscripts.
The photographs are presented with the catalogue descriptions.
On this day... see what happened on your special day
February 05
On this day in 1916 Enrico Caruso recorded the ever popular Neopolitan song "O Solo Mio" for the Victor Talking Machine Co and in 1937 the first Charlie Chaplin talkie "Modern Times", was released
EDWARD STEICHEN PORTRAIT
CHAPLIN (Charles 1889-1977 Comedian)
Exceptional Signed Portrait Photograph by Edward STEICHEN (1879-1973) signed and inscribed to R.A.J. Wolling “from Charlie Chaplin” on two lines across the image mostly in the light background showing him head and shoulders the shoulders in near profile to the viewer’s right his head turned slightly forward three quarter face to the viewer a warm smile just forming in his eyes cheeks and lips a few touches of grey in his hair he wears a dark jacket with thin stripes at the collar a lighter tie his left arm descending diagonally at the back of the image the image 9” x 7” in margins 10” x 8” on contemporary light card mount 14” x 10¾” with photographer’s light protective ‘flimsy’ no place no date circa 1925 flimsy loose with a few small edge defects photo and mount in fine condition
This portrait dates from Steichen’s ‘Condé Nast’ period when he made artistic studies for Vogue and Vanity Fair. It bears an astonishing resemblance to the image part of the Steichen Bequest in the Minneapolis Institute of Arts. There is no perceptible difference in the pose the angle of the head or the contours of the hair but the Minneapolis image has no smile and indeed by contrast appears serious almost severe although clearly taken at the same sitting. We do not think the smile has been achieved by retouching and its warmth appears entirely natural indeed most attractive.
CARUSO (Enrico 1873-1921 Italian Operatic Tenor)
Fine postcard photo signed inscribed “To Miss Dora Plowman” and dated showing him full face 5½” x 3½” London 1907 very slightly silvered
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