Unknown Studio Photographers (1 results)
More imagesSeller: Blind-Horse-Books (ABAA), DeLand, FL, U.S.A.Blind-Horse-Books (ABAA)
Contact seller5-star sellerCondition: Used - Very good
US$ 100.00
US$ 6.00 shippingShips within U.S.A.Quantity: 1 available
Add to basketCondition: Very Good. Hollywood: studio-issued publicity fashion photographs, with original wardrobe descriptions,c.1936.[Gelatin silver prints with attached typed wardrobe descriptions.] A small, cohesive group of studio-issued Hollywood publicity photographs documenting women's fashion as mediated through film-star imagery in…the mid-1930s. Each photograph is accompanied by a contemporaneous typed wardrobe description identifying garments, fabrics, colors, and stylistic features, reflecting how studios framed costume design for press circulation and public consumption. Physical Description: Three original gelatin silver publicity photographs, each approximately 8 × 10 inches, with attached or accompanying typed studio wardrobe descriptions on paper. Photographs depict actresses Ann Sothern, Maureen O'Sullivan, and Joan Blondell in studio fashion poses. One photograph credited to photographer John Miehle, with studio markings present. Prints trimmed to standard publicity format. Condition: Photographs are clean and well-preserved, with strong tonal range and stable contrast. Minor edge wear and handling marks consistent with studio press use. Typed descriptions intact and legible. Overall condition Very Good. Original studio publicity format retained. Scarcity Note: Hollywood publicity photographs survive in quantity, but examples retaining original wardrobe or costume descriptions are significantly less common. Sets documenting fashion across multiple studios and actresses from a single period are particularly scarce, as textual materials were often discarded after press use. These photographs document the intersection of Hollywood publicity, costume design, and fashion journalism during the mid-1930s. Studios actively circulated fashion-focused images to newspapers and magazines, positioning film actresses as style authorities while subtly promoting costume trends. The attached descriptions reveal the language used to translate costume design into consumer fashion terms, noting fabrics, construction details, and aesthetic intent. Together, the group demonstrates how Hollywood functioned as a conduit between film production and everyday dress culture, shaping public taste through carefully curated visual and textual messaging. Contextual / Historical Significance During the 1930s, Hollywood studios increasingly emphasized fashion as a component of star branding and audience engagement. Costume departments collaborated with publicity offices to frame on-screen wardrobes as aspirational yet attainable. These materials provide primary visual evidence of that process, offering insight into gender, consumption, and media influence in prewar American culture. Subjects: Costume design in film; women's fashion; Hollywood publicity photography; 1930s American cinema; celebrity culture; fashion journalism; studio press materials, Vernacular photography, fashion history, Hollywood studio publicity.
