MUMBAI: For the first time in public auction history, over $1,000,000 of ‘Pre-code’ 1920s and 1930s Hollywood glamour photography will be made available for auction.
On 7 and 8 November, Profiles in History, the world’s leading dealer of authentic Hollywood artifacts will present over 1,000 fine art photographs featuring history’s most legendary actresses including Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, Carole Lombard, Clara Bow, Marlene Dietrich, Bette Davis, Louise Brooks, Norma Shearer and Thelma Todd and actors including Clark Gable, Lon Chaney, Sr., Gary Cooper, John Barrymore and William Powell, to name a few.
These classic photographs were shot by legends in their own right including George Hurrell, Clarence Sinclair Bull (head of MGM’s still department for nearly 40 years) and Ruth Harriet Louise, who as the first woman photographer active in Hollywood, ran Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s portrait studio from 1925-1930. Additional, ultra-rare photos from films including The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari will also be offered.
These extremely rare original photos show a rare glimpse into the sexy, glamour period of Hollywood before the Production Code (also known as the Hays Code) changed everything. Adopted in 1930, it began being effectively enforced in 1934 by Will H. Hays, who had previously been United States Postmaster General and the 1920 campaign manager for President Warren G. Harding. Hays pledged to establish a set of moral standards for the movies. World renowned art museums, as well as serious art collectors recognize the value of these photos and have elevated them to the status of other fine art. These institutions and collectors, as well as their representatives, will be part of the worldwide bidding which begins at 12 noon both days.
Bids can be placed either in person, in advance via mail, phone, fax or live over the Internet via eBay Live Auctions
The Arclight Cinemas in Hollywood has partnered with Profiles in History to present these exquisite works of art for public viewing. Movie fans and collectors alike can see enlarged versions of these fabulous vintage photographs, now on display.
Profiles in History, owner, Joe Maddalena, commented, “Hollywood pre-code glamour photography of the 20s and 30s is being embraced by the Fine Art world. It began to spark their interest a few years ago and now these masterpieces and the portrait photographers who shot them have taken their rightful place alongside other great contemporary artists of the 20th Century.”
