Sold by William Reese Company, New York, NY, U.S.A.
Association Member:
AbeBooks Seller since July 13, 2006
Seller rating 5 out of 5 stars
A characteristic portrait photograph of controversial Canadian-born, then California-resident Pentecostal evangelist and faith-healer, Aimee Semple McPherson, nearing the height of her popularity, depicting her from shoulders up, speaking into a microphone, with index finger raised as if lecturing her audience. McPherson inscribed this photograph in the image, in violet ink: "To Aileen Pringle with kindest regards Aimee Semple McPherson." The recipient, Aileen Pringle (1895-1989), was a second tier Hollywood film star who enjoyed a sharply parabolic film career from 1920 through 1944. She was briefly married to James M. Cain, and maintained a close circle of celebrated friends including Carl Van Vechten, H.L. Mencken, Rudolph Valentino, George Gershwin, Joseph Hergesheimer and Ralph Barton. The verso of this photograph bears her annotations: "Aimee Semple McPherson Pastor of 4 Square Gospel - H.L. Mencken, Carl Van Vechten and I visited her Temple & she gave us each an autographed picture." McPherson was for two decades the most prominent Pentecostal evangelist in the U.S., utilizing radio and stage theatrics to attract a constituency of tens of thousands of believers/listeners. She headquartered in Los Angeles, and in 1923 dedicated her temple as the Church of the Foursquare Gospel. In 1926 she disappeared for several weeks, and returned making suspicious claims of having been kidnapped. She also faced repeated accusations of questionable financial dealings. Nonetheless, through her broadcasts, periodicals and several books, her flock grew steadily, and by 1944 her Fouresquare Gospel movement claimed some 400 branches in North America and nearly 200 missions abroad, aided by the nearly 3,000 graduates of her Bible college. She died in 1944 as a consequence of what had been judged an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. Original 8 x 10" (20 x 25.5 cm) sepia toned portrait photograph. Relevant annotations on the verso, otherwise about fine,
Seller Inventory # 68450
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