art deco

This 1920s double weight original large format erotic sepia photograph of Ziegfeld Follies showgirl and flapper Tot Qualters is one of the most well preserved artifacts of the heyday of the jazz age showgirl extravaganza. In its original glassine sleeve, this features Qualters in ornate headdress, captured by Orval Hixon of the Hixon-Newman studios. Photographs from this era of the Ziegfeld Follies are particularly coveted, and views with this exquisite sense of style and costuming are among the most desirable and scarce.

Erotic Ziegfeld Girl Tot Qualters

Artist: Orval Hixon

The smoldering temper, and exotic sensuality of Lili Damita attracted as much attention in pre-code Hollywood as her films, and this Greta Garbo inspired photograph by Elmer Fryer captures her unusual attractions. This large format, double weight sepia gallery portrait features the French beauty in ornate art deco headdress, and displays Fryer’s sophisticated eye.

Lili Damita in The Match King

Artist: Elmer Fryer

This art deco stylized hatted view of Judy Garland was kept in the actress’s personal collection until her death. A charming portrait that showcases the joyful innocence which was essential to Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s presentation of the icon (but which ran directly counter to her haunted personal life). This double weight, large format gallery portrait is a rarely seen still, and celebrates the style of the late 1930s as well as the unusual beauty of Garland.

Judy Garland Double Image

Artist: Unknown

“Racing the Sun” is a rare surviving oil on stretched canvas painting by Ruehl Frederick Heckman, created for the Thomas D. Murphy Calendar Company. During the 1930s Heckman executed a series of five paintings for this storied calendar company, all featuring bold aviation progress and industrial themes. These works ponder the collision of the industrial revolution’s streamlined machine age aesthetic with previous generations traditional and more pastoral ways.

Racing The Sun

Artist: Ruehl Frederick Heckman

A dazzling original calendar published oil painting by Henry Clive titled “A Seaside Flirtation” created for the Joseph Hoover Calendar Company. Henry Clive joyously captures the essence of the jazz-age and the roaring 20s modernist flapper girl, this is a grand depiction. From the estate of Charles Martignette, the noted author, historian and collector. This rare surviving painting is lavishly framed, silk matted and ready to enjoy. A 1934 advertising calendar is included in the sale.

A Seaside Flirtation

Artist: Henry Clive

Paramount pictures glamour photographer Otto Dyar captures pre-code starlet Adrienne Ames at her most glamorous in this large format, art deco gallery portrait. The press snipe on the verso evokes the sophistication with which Ames was identified, and the fashion icon as which she was known. “Brown and tomato red creates the striking color combination of this rough crepe street frock worn by Adrienne Ames in “From Hell to Heaven”, a Paramount pictures.”

Adrienne Ames in From Hell to Heaven

Artist: Otto Dyar

Hedy Lamarr, Hollywood’s icon of glamour and style, is radiant in this large format, rare gallery still created as a promotional portrait for her 1944 starring turn in “The Heavenly Body.” These double weight, oversized stills were never intended for public consumption and are rare and coveted today as the apex of Hollywood fine art glamour photography. Stunning with its deep black and dramatic style, this also features advertising press snipe on verso as seen.

A Dramatic Hedy Lamarr

Artist: Unknown

The instantly iconic profile of Gloria Swanson is foregrounded in this romantic and highly art deco photograph of the queen of silent film, from her 1929 vehicle The Trespasser. In refined flapper pose, against abstracted picture window, Swanson defines the roaring ’20s with all of its sexuality and culture. The still features heavily notated verso with Spanish language text and archival numbering.

Gloria Swanson in The Trespasser

Artist: Unknown

Ruth Chatterton is remembered as one of the most sophisticated beauties of the pre-code era of American film, and her refined and often chilly beauty is showcased wonderfully in this evocative portrait by the renowned Russell Ball. Signed in grease pencil by the photographer, this large format, marginless print was created for Chatterton’s personal collection, and this was printed by Ball himself and captures the spirit of subject, artist, and the art deco moment in which it was created.

A Sophisticated Ruth Chatterton

Artist: Russell Ball

The relationship between Greta Garbo and photographer Clarence Sinclair Bull is perhaps the most storied pairing in the star system of Golden Age Hollywood. Only Bull could coax the immortally sensual and iconic images that defined Garbo from the notoriously shy and reserved star. In this portrait from the 1934 film The Painted Veil, Garbo is seen in profile, with the luscious light and shadow for which the photographer was known.

Greta Garbo From The Painted Veil

Artist: Clarence Sinclair Bull

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