LILLIAN RUSSELL. Vintage 7.25 x 10.5 matte finish sepia tone publicity portrait, signed and inscribed in black fountain pen, "To Cary from/your friend/Lillian Russell/Souvenir of a delightful week/Good Luck/1916." Very good condition, with slightly trimmed borders; very mild soiling in the bottom border; and a horizontal fold running the length of the image just above the bottom border. Russell's signature is penned against a darker area of the image, exhibiting moderate contrast, although it becomes quite readable if the photograph is angled very slightly into the light. There is patchy faint silvering in the background, invisible when the image is viewed head on. The amply-proportioned actress was the first reigning queen of American musical theatre, celebrated for her voice and notorious for her high-strung behavior.
$250 |
