Jenkins, Florence Foster. (1868-1944)
Original Signed Photograph
An extremely rare signed portrait photograph of the notoriously awful soprano, inscribed to Countess de Pokorsky and dated October 26, 1926. Jenkins is shown wearing the Spanish outfit that she featured in her performances of the song, “Clavelitos” (during which she would throw flowers from a basket under her arm into the audience.) Photographed by Elite Studios, New York. Two small mounting remnants on the verso; one corner loss; overall in fine condition. 8.5 x 12.75 inches (21.2 x 32.3 cm).Florence Foster Jenkins, an American girl born in 1868 in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania to a well-to-do family, has become a legend as “the world’s worst opera singer.” She made some vanity 78 rpm records for the Mel-o-tone label during World War Two, and in October 1944 hired Carnegie Hall for a recital. The bad reviews that resulted from that recital were said to break her heart and she died a few weeks later at age 76, but the recordings have kept her name and her art alive. In recent years there have been two full-length biographies (by Darryl Bullock and Jasper Rees), several plays about her and three full-length movies: a French comedy-drama titled “Marguerite,” a German docu-drama starring soprano Joyce di Donato, and the celebrated film starring Meryl Streep. However, autograph material and other historical memorabilia of Jenkins is of the utmost rarity. (17194)
Classical Music Opera Signed Photograph