Lengthy inscription and bold signature from the elegant Viennese pianist on the verso of the LP cover to his 1960 Schubert Impromtus recording. Dated May, 1964, he inscribes "To George --, one of the rare 'Schubert birds, in common admiration for this genius. Paul Badura Skoda." Fine.
Signed program from a January 7, 1959 piano-four-hands recital by the two Austrian pianists at Carnegie Hall. Both have signed boldly over the first page of the program listing, which included works by Mozart, Hindemith and Schubert. Demus' signature slightly smudged, but otherwise in very fine condition, together with a promotional flyer and two newspaper clippings about the concert. Program 23 pp., 7.25 x 9.75 inches (18.5 x 25 cm).
Carte de visite photograph of a Scottish piper, shown draped in his plaid. Photographed by J. Dryburgh of Dalkeith, Scotland. Rather heavily soiled; overall very good. 2.5 x 4 inches (6.3 x 10.4 cm).
Cabinet photograph, ca. 1910's, of Alistair MacWilkie, a Scotsman with an "eleven foot beard," signed and inscribed by MacWilkie in pencil on the verso: "World's Prize Whiskers / Yours truly Alistair MacWilkie, Perthshire, Scotland." Photographed by Frank Wendt of Boonton, N.J., MacWilkie is shown in his kilt, holding bagpipes and with his beard falling to the ground in front of him. Heavy vertical folding crease, with card split on the verso along the fold but intact on the surface of the photograph. Overall good. 4 x 6.5 inches (10.5 x 16.4 cm). Read More...
Madrid: Joachin Ibarra. 1775. First edition. 4to. [iv] 291 pp, lacking the folding plate of the keyboard, scattered foxing, but otherwise very good. Full leather binding, gilt stamped, title plate to spine partially cracked. Palau (21923) notes: "Es traduccion de la obra de Antonio Bemetzrieder y esta muy bien impresa" and the work is indeed beautifully printed, with musical examples throughout and including a charming engraving at the head of the first lesson, featuring three putti playing around a harpsichord. An interesting and unusual keyboard treatise written by a modestly important Spanish mathematician and architect.
Two signed photographs from the concert pianist, later the wife of John D. Rockefeller Jr. and an important philanthropist in the field of music. She is shown ca. 1920's and has inscribed one photograph to tenor Lawrence Strauss, dating London, July 11, 1928, and the other photograph to "my beloved Sally & Laurie," dating March 15, 1929. First photograph stamped on the verso by photographer Lenare of London, with some surface wear and corner creases, overall very good; second photograph fine. 8 x 10 inches (20 x 25 cm).
Signed photograph of the Russian-American conductor, violist, composer and educator, shown during his period as the Music Director of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. He has signed and inscribed at the lower right in Spanish, dating 1949. In very fine condition. 8 x 10 inches (20.2 x 25.2 cm).
An interesting collection of material relating to the American jazz trumpeter, vocalist, and flugelhornist, known for his early promise, swift fall into drug addiction, and career resurgence in the 1970's and 80's. From the collection of Jim Butler, a dedicated Chet Baker collector who became a friend to Baker and his family, the archive includes a copy of the 1989 publication Chet Baker in Concert and a brief correspondence with its German editor, Ingo Wulff; part of a screen treatment by Chet's friend, actor and writer Tom Baker, about Chet's life; three Christmas cards from Carol Baker, Chet's widow; and various assorted magazine clippings. Overall in very good to fine condition. Read More...
15471. Baker, Josephine. (1906-1975). The Original Charleston. Musique de Cecil Mack et Jimmy Johnson dansé par Joséphine Baker dans l'Hyper-Revue des Folies Bergère "La Folie du Jour" ...
Paris: Editions Francis Salabert. [1926]. First Edition thus. Quarto. Original bifolium sheet music with pictorial covers, letterpress recto only. Lightly toned with fold slightly rubbed; seller's stamp to the cover; overall in fine condition. 10.5 x 13.75 inches (27 x 35 cm). Uncommon; only 3 copies listed by Worldcat (Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin, Biblioteca Comunale di Trento, Zentralbibliothek Zurich). Read More...
Original evening gown and matching full-length cape in a bright red, orange, and yellow print, worn by the legendary entertainer to the Cannes Film Festival in 1973. Accompanied by two reproduction photographs showing La Baker in the eye-catching ensemble, together with a signed photographic letter of provenance from Lelia Scoto Abatino, niece of Pepito Abatino, Baker's original manager. Read More...
Pair of vintage glossy 3.5 x 5.5 postcard photos of Baker in ‘La Creole,’ each signed in fountain pen, “Josephine Baker, 1936.” Both are individually mounted and matted to overall sizes of 14 x 17. In overall fine condition. Read More...
Vintage 8 x 10 inch doubleweight original photograph of the great singer/dancer "in a happy good mood when she arrives at London airport" in 1959. Fine.
Baker was most noted as a singer, while in her early career she was a celebrated dancer. She was given the nicknames the "Black Venus" or the "Black Pearl", as well as the "Créole Goddess" in anglophone nations, while in France she has always been known in the old theatrical tradition as "La Baker."
Paris: [Editions Isis]. 1931. 60 pp. promotional brochure, by her long-time manager and lover, celebrating the art of Josephine Baker during her years in Paris, including scores of excerpts and entire reviews of her art by a wide variety of cultural figures writing in myriad venues, an introductory text by Abatino (Josephine Baker vue par son Manager), a list by Baker (Josephine Baker vue par elle-même), profusely illustrated throughout after both photographs and drawings, including some full-page portraits. Sm. 4to. Orig. illustrated silver-foil wrapper, heavily worn, creased and chipped, attached at spine by only a small area else fully separated. An unnumbered copy aside from the deluxe issue of 50 copies with the same silver-foil presentation, separate from the edition with a paper wrapper, only one similar copy recorded in the US by Worldcat. Read More...
Signed postcard photograph of the legendary dancer and singer, who is shown in one of her trademark extravagant feathered costumes, and has signed across the image: "Souvenir de Josephine Baker / 1932." Fine. 3.5 x 5.5 inches (8.9 x 14 cm).
Autograph letter from the Russian painter and scene and costume designer, known for his extensive work for the Ballets Russes. 1 p. June 21, 1915. To architect and art critic Frantz Jourdain (1847–1935), Bakst writes (translated from the French): "Dear maître, I am very touched by your kind letter and thank you sincerely. I will act according to your advice. Until then, please believe my devoted and cordial sentiments. Leon Bakst." In very fine condition. 4.5 x 7 inches (11.3 x 17.3 cm).
Paris: Imprimerie Modern Style. P. Marmy. Oversize elaborate printed invitation to the 1911 Bal des Quat'z'Arts. The design by the French painter, illustrator and decorator H. Rapin, featuring a highly stylized illustration on Babylonian themes. 19 x 33 cm. Dampstained along the lower edge, left edge and upper margin chipped with a few small losses, else fine. Read More...
California: Artists' Resource Center. 1976. First Edition. California Bay Area Poets & Others in poems by Mary R. Rudge. 4to. 52 pp. Metallic illustrated covers, fine. An interesting volume of poems and drawings by "Alameda Poet Laureate" of poets and luminaries (Ginsberg, Ferlinghetti, Rosa Parks, Snyder etc.), this copy signed and inscribed in ink by James Baldwin to the American poet Ishmael Reed on the portrait of Reed "For Ishmael, with all my love. Jim Baldwin." Read More...
18151. [Ballet]. Vintage Photograph of Ballerinas with an Ostrich!
Amusing vintage photograph of two ballerinas en pointe with an ostrich! Though undated, the photograph calls to mind Disney's 1940 film Fantasia, in which the sequence "Dance of the Hours" imagines an epic ballet of hippopotamuses, alligators and an entire corps de ballet of ostriches in pointe shoes. The present ostrich doesn't appear to have any ballet garb on, but shows potential for great elegance! Press stamps and stickers to the verso; some light surface wear; overall fine. 8 x 10 inches (19.5 x 23.8 cm).
Watercolor on paper, signed 'George Alan Swanson' lower right, titled and inscribed 'Igor Youskevitch / Lubov Rostova' upper left, signed 'George Alan Swanson', titled, and inscribed 'Ballet Russe De Monte Carlo / Lubov Rostova / Igor Youskevitch' upper left. 16 x 12 3/4 in. (sight), 22 1/2 x 18 in. (frame). Beautifully framed. Read More...
15586. [Ballets Russes]. Original 1936–37 American Season Program
Original souvenir program from the 4th American season (1936–37) of Col. W. de Basil's Ballets Russes de Monte-Carlo, featuring a striking color cover illustration of a knight by Natalia Gontcharova. The contents include photographs of stars and conductors including Leonine Massine, Lubov Tchernicheva, David Lichine, Antal Dorati, Efrem Kurts, and others; an 8-page color section with costume and set designs by Gontcharova, Cecil Beaton, Picasso, Leon Bakst, Raoul Dufy, and others; and a final 3-page section showing the dancers on tour—building sandcastles and engaging in various other more frivolous forms of entertainment. 64 pp. Wrapper detached from the block; edge wear to the cover; internally fine and overall in very good condition. 9.75 x 12.25 inches (24.5 x 31 cm). Read More...