Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
In an unusual blonde hatted view by George Hurrell, Joan Crawford is captured in her most captivating glory by the master of Hollywood photography George Hurrell. In a gentle sepia on a large format double weight semi-gloss paperstock, Hurrell captures the beauty of the young Joan Crawford, with her effortless art deco style, and emboldened flapper sensibility. This is blindstamped by Hurrell lower right, and inkstamped on verso.
Artist: George Hurrell
In a glamorous wide-brimmed hat, Joan Crawford displays the smoldering intense gaze that was to become her trademark in this image by the incomparable George Hurrell. This double weight gallery still is the personality portrait at its finest, on a high end double weight photostock, and never intended for public distribution. A pre-code form of glamorous sophistication the likes of with Hollywood rarely saw.
Artist: George Hurrell
Along with its companion work “Ye Chiselers” (previously sold through Grapefruit Moon Gallery), Clive created this masterwork for the tavern of The Masquers Club, a historic and fascinating Hollywood institution. A reclining redheaded flapper is seen consorting with a Persian genie of sorts, illustrating the verse from the Rubaiyat which is inscribed on the mural.
Artist: Henry Clive
In 1917, Theda Bara was the biggest draw for Fox studios, and a movie star whose popularity was surpassed only by Charlie Chaplin and Mary Pickford. In this photograph by Albert Witzel, hand colored and printed she is seen posed in an early iteration of her Cleopatra headdress, with flowing deep black hair. Inscribed to Tom Mix, the cowboy superstar, who in 1917 had just joined Bara as a headlining performer for Fox studios, this came from Mix’s collection.
Artist: Albert Witzel
Grapefruit Moon Gallery is ecstatic to offer the original pair of carved Hondurous Mahogany decorative column panels that were built for the tavern in Hollywood California’s legendary Masquers Club on 6735 Yucca Street. These Afro-American nymphs were carved by the noted WPA muralist and woodcarver Stuart Holmes. We purchased these with the two large original Henry Clive Masquers Club mural paintings we offered and sold earlier this year.
Artist: Stuart Holmes
A spectacularly alluring, inquisitive and beautiful view of Myrna Loy, captured in her pre-code early career by the master of Hollywood photography George Hurrell. In a gentle sepia on a large format double weight semi-gloss paperstock, Hurrell captures the beauty of the young Myrna Loy, with her effortless art deco style, and emboldened flapper sensibility. This is blindstamped by Hurrell lower right, and inkstamped on verso. This is a hand printed gallery portrait never intended for distribution, and is a moving rare portrait.
Artist: George Hurrell
An exquisitely posed, unusually delicate view of Myrna Loy, by Elmer Fryer, the Hollywood glamour photographer who had perhaps the best sense of modernist style and fashion. This unusual view features Loy in blonde wig in her role as Sophie the dancer in “Bride of the Regiment.” An early view of the star, who would come to be known for her sassy wit and hard nosed sexuality in the Nick & Nora Thin Man series.
Artist: Elmer Fryer
A spectacular view of Clara Bow in jazz age headscarf with streamlined modernist style, by George Hommel. Bow’s wizened eyes and cupid feature captured the nihilism and eroticism of the Lost generation, as well as the heart of the American moviegoing public, and vintage original stills of her remain highly collectible.
Artist: George Hommel
Carole Lombard, one of the finest actresses of the golden era of Hollywood film, is captured in all of her glamour in this promotional portrait for Paramount Pictures. In dramatic sequined gown, the platinum blonde beauty who captured the heart of America in the 1930s, and died tragically promoting the war effort in 1941, still captivates.
Artist: Unknown
The quintessential jazz baby, Joan Crawford is captured coyly beckoning at the viewer in this large format, double weight gallery photograph by Ruth Harriet Louise. The most important female photographer in Hollywood during the golden age of film, Louise is remembered for her ability to make the spirit of the art deco jazz age come alive.
Artist: Ruth Harriet Louise
