The June 2-5, 2002, Pre-Long Beach Sale, Sale 14
Lot 1488
Laugh and the World Laughs
With You. Lot of six cabinet cards featuring the likenesses and signatures
of six humorists who stood out in 19th and early 20th century America. 1.
Marshall P. Wilder has signed and inscribed a Falk card: "'Laugh and
the World laughs with you' / Marshall P. Wilder / 96 / for F. Leonard."
There are two minor creases, visible only on inspection and minor toning to the
card. Very good to near fine. 2. Frank Daniels has signed and dated a
brown Sarony card: "Frank Daniels / 1898." Pencil ID verso, else
fine. 3. Sol Smith Russell appears on a Falk card, signed and dated:
"Sol Smith Russell / 1895." There is one minor crease at the top corner,
but there is no color loss; pencil ID verso. Very good condition. 4. Joseph
Jefferson, as Rip Van Winkle (his most famous role), has signed a Falk card
with an 1894 copyright: "J Jefferson." There is faint toning to the card
and a pencil ID verso, otherwise fine condition. 5. Nat Goodwin has
signed a Falk card twice, once recto above his image and once verso. Pencil ID
verso, minor toning to card, else fine. 6. A dapper DeWolf Hopper signs
a Falk card, which he dated "June 4th 1915. Pencil ID verso, minor
toning to card, else fine.
Estimated Value $300-350.
Lot 1489
Movers and Shakers.
Lot of four signed photographs featuring big names from Hollywood and the
theater's early 20th century days.
Daniel Frohman, influential
theater manager and president of the Actor's Fund of America, appears on a
Moffett of Chicago cabinet card, inscribed in black ink on brown "With the
friendship of Daniel Frohman". There is moderate overall silvering and a
handful of tiny nicks, otherwise fine condition. George Abbott and
William Wanger appear on 8 x 10" black and white portraits, Abbott's is
inscribed "To Ken Browne Best regards" and Wanger's "Sincerely".
Both have typed identification verso; Wanger's photo shows some minor creasing
at both left corners and the right margin; Abbott's photo has faint creasing at
the corners, visible only on inspection; overall, very good to fine condition.
J.C. Petrillo, the incredibly influential and controversial head of the
American Federation of Musicians, appears in a matte finish 11 x 14" chest
portrait from negative by Denét of Chicago. Light corner bends,
Petrillo's signature is somewhat light and the photograph's inked mark is
flaking somewhat, otherwise, very good to fine condition. This is an
exceptional piece.
Theater and the movies today were shaped by the
impresarios featured here -- men who each contributed to, regulated or
revolutionized the entertainment business.
Estimated Value $150-200.
Lot 1490
Opera Notables. Lot of
three signed items from great operatic personalities of the early and mid 20th
century.
Giulio Gatti-Casazza, director of the Metropolitan Opera
for many years and the man who discovered Caruso, Chaliapin and other great
singers, has signed a card ("G. Gatti-Casazza") from the "Metropolitan
Opera Company / Office of the General Manager". Transmittal envelope included.
Fine condition. Frieda Hempel has signed a photographic postcard
("Frieda Hempel") which shows very minor adhesive and mounting corner
residue at the top left corner. The nature of the card has caused some skipping
and minor smearing in the signature. The lot includes a letter from Hempel's
secretary, on Hempel's business letterhead, attesting to the authenticity of
the autograph. Ellen Beach Yaw has signed ("Ellen Beach Yaw")
program from the Lark Ellen Echo Bowl Concerts (1934). Ms. Yaw sponsored this
event and was the primary performer. The program bears her likeness and, aside
from two horizontal folds and minor toning, is in very good
condition.
Wonderful items from an old collection, we are delighted to offer
these increasingly hard-to-find signatures.
Estimated Value $150-250.
Lot 1491
Pavlova, Danilova and
Fonteyn. The 20th century saw ballet's popularity spread as traveling
shows, an increasing number of local companies and star-struck media coverage
continually exposed a wider audience to the art form. The three women
represented in this lot were larger-than-life personalities (in addition to
being great ballerinas) who caught the attention and imagination of their
respective eras' growing audience -- ensuring ballet's continued
success.
Anna Pavlova has signed a program ("Anna Pavlova")
from a November 6th, 1911, performance at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. The
evening's entertainment featured Pavlova in Giselle and Le
Carneval with Nijinsky. A lovely pink page with very minor toning and
adhesive residue on the verso. Overall, very good condition. Also included is a
postcard of Pavlova in costume, from Beagles, Ltd., of London. Alexandra
Danilova, who danced with Diaghilev's Ballet Russes and had long-term
personal and professional relationships with Ballanchine, has signed a black
and white 5 x 7" photograph ("To Leslie Evans Sincerely, Alexandra
Danilova") in blue ink. Danilova is pictured posed in costume. Mounting
residue to the corners, minor toning to the edges. Overall, very good
condition. Dame Margot Fonteyn, possibly the best-known modern
ballerina, signed a 3 x 5" black and white photograph. Signed ("Margot
Fonteyn") in blue ink in the bottom margin of the photograph. This lovely
piece features Fonteyn in costume and is in fine condition.
Estimated Value
$350-450.
Lot 1492
Popular Pianists. Lot
of two signatures from popular pianists of the early 20th century, Josef
Hofmann and Josef Lhevinne.
Hofmann's signature ("Josef Hofmann")
appears with an Autograph Musical Quotation and "Merion, Pa. 1928".
Included is a letter from Hofmann's assistant at the Curtis Institute of Music
indicating Hofmann was out of the country but would send an autograph as soon
as he returned.
Josef Lhevinne has signed in the margin of a photographic
postcard from Vajda M Pal of Budapest, including his autograph with "To Ida
G Corey / July 1930". On the verso he has inscribed "Real Art must have
Nobility, Beauty and Truth / Josef Lhevinne".
Two very nice examples.
The Hofmann card shows minor abrasions to the corners, but the Lhevinne card is
in fine condition.
Estimated Value $150-200.
Lot 1493
Real Swingers. Lot of
three, black and white, 8 x 10" photographs featuring great performers of 20th
century jazz and swing: Ted Lewis, Tex Beneke and Bobby
Short. The Ted Lewis photograph (ca. 1930) is inscribed: "To 'Ed' Best
wishes" and features this pioneer of the big band sound with top hat in one
hand and clarinet in another. There is a small area of smudged ink at the top
margin, a chip at the top left corner and minor toning, but the overall
condition is very good. Lewis was an influential early bandleader -- he was big
before Miller, Goodman or the Dorsey brothers -- and this is a great
opportunity for the big band afficianado to add a gem to his collection. Beneke
is posed in front of his Orchestra (ca. 1950), baton in hand -- the famous
vocalist and saxophone player took his place in front of the band after the
death of Glen Miller. There is toning to the top and side edges of this
portrait, otherwise it is in very good condition. Bobby Short is featured in a
head and shoulders portrait, probably from the late 1980s. With the exception
of a faint paperclip impression at the top left, this piece is in fine
condition.
Estimated Value $150-200.
Lot 1494
Thespians. Lot of six
cabinet cards featuring the signatures and likeness of the most popular men of
the 19th century stage, from musical comedy to Shakespearean tragedy. 1.
Henry E. Dixey appears in costume on a Sarony card, signed in the
bottom margin and inscribed verso: "'I never was born, I was quarried' Henry
E. Dixey April 23/ 95'". The image, mounted on a light brown card, is in
fine condition. 2. France's foremost actor and Sarah Bernhardt's frequent
co-star, Mounet Sully has signed a Sarony card with: "Pour la
Toi Mounet Sully". With the exception of minor soil at teh extreme edges,
this card is in fine condition. 3. Appearing in costume on a Falk of New York
card, Francis Wilson wields his hat with an air of elegance. Dated in
Wilson's hand, "1895", the card is in fine condition with the exception
of a 1" area of lightly discolored abrasion running up from the bottom edge. 4.
Influential english actor and impresario Squire Bancroft appears on an
Alfred Ellis of London card, signed and dated: "Yr. truly, Squire Bancroft /
1897". Faint stain at bottom right corner, minor toning, else very good to
fine. 5. S. Thomas Saligny, in full costume, appears on a Rothier of
Reims card. Inscribed along left edge: "bon souvenir de mon panage a Boston
April 1897". Adhesive resIdue top verso, minor staining top right corner
and small nick bottom left corner, very good condition. 6. John Drew,
turn-of-the-century hearthrob, appears on a textured, squared edge 5 x 7"
Morrison of Chicago card. The signature is strong and clear above his
stone-like features. The card is stamped verso "Mar 14 1903". Soil to the card,
most noticeable at the bottom edge margins; there is minor soil at the top
right of the image, but it is otherwise clean. Very good condition.
Estimated Value $200-300.
Lot 1495
Written for the Stage and
Screen. Lot of five signed cabinet cards and one signed photograph
featuring great screen- and playwrights of the late 19th/early 20th century. 1.
Frank Mayo, who played Davy Crockett for decades, also adapted his
friend Mark Twain's Pudd'nhead Wilson for the stage. Mayo appears on a
Sarony card, signing verso with the inscription: "'That light is in
the window for you still' / Davy Crockett / Frank Mayo / Nov 26/
95". One vertical mark to the right of Mayo, a few scattered small marks
above, very minor toning to card. Overall, very good condition. 2. Denman
Thompson, writer and star of the long-running The Old Homestead,
appears on a cabinet card with a greeting from another page tipped over it:
"yours truly Denman Thompson / March 23/95". Minor toning and soil, ink
smudge above "truly", else very good condition. 3. Anthony Hope,
English novelist and playwright, is best remembered for The Prisoner of
Zenda. Hope appears on a taupe Rockwood of New York card, copyrighted 1897.
Signed: "Yours very truly -- Anthony Hope". A handful of tiny, scattered
discolorations on the image, else fine. 4. Augustin Daly, playwright and
impresario extraordinaire appears on a Sarony card. Ink ID verso with
faint image transfers from another card. With the exception of minor toning,
this card is in fine condition. 5. Ellis Parker Butler, humorist and
author, has inscribed a sepia toned photograph: "Yours Sincerely/Ellis
Parker Butler/('Pigs is Pigs')/Flushing NY/Dec 5 1922 / To Milam A. Temple/Des
Moines Iowa" (Pigs is Pigs is Butler's best known work). The remains
of an album page mar the verso of the photograph and one ¼" tear extends
from the right edge of photograph into the "e" in "Temple".
Overall, very good condition.
Estimated Value $150-250.