ORIGINAL SIGNATURES OF ROGER LIVESLEY, FRANK NAPIER AND JW DEBENHAM ON HIS PHOTOGRAPHIC STILL FROM A 1930S THEATRE PRODUCTION.

Original Original signatures of Roger livesley, Frank Napier and JW debenham on his 8"x6" b/w photographic still from a 1930s theatre production. Circa 1939; no date given. Studio stamp of J. W. Debenham, Willsden, London, at rear. / Roger Livesey (1906Ð1976) was a British stage and film actor most often remembered for the three Powell & Pressburger films in which he starred: The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp, I Know Where I'm Going! and A Matter of Life and Death. / John Worley Debenham was a photographer specialising in theatre, ballet and opera. Born in 1876, he came from a family who embraced photography, following its invention in the 19th century. J. W Debenham was the second son of Arthur Debenham. Arthur carried on his fatherÕs photography business and reached considerable success in portraiture photography: his sitters included King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra and the Tsar of Russia and his family on their last visit to England in 1910. He continued the familyÕs photography legacy, becoming renowned in the field of theatrical photography, photographing many famous names from the theatre, ballet and opera including Laurence Olivier, Harold Turner and Flora Robson. Furthermore, he regularly documented performances at prominent venues such as The Old Vic, SadlerÕs Wells and the Open Air Theatre in Regents Park. Some of his photographs are now displayed in the Royal Opera House foyer in Covent Garden. The majority of J W DebenhamsÕs extensive photography collection in the V&A Theatre & Performance Archives date from the 1930s to 1940s. Very good indeed.