Jenkins, Florence Foster. (1868-1944). Original Photograph Inscribed to her Accompanist.
An extremely rare signed portrait photograph of the notoriously awful soprano, inscribed to her accompanist Edwin McArthur. Shown standing in her apartment, holding a white feather boa, Jenkins has penned: "To the very best accompanist, Edwin McArthur, and his charming wife Blanche. With my love from ‘Lady Florence’ July 19th '32." Mounted on heavy card. Some small corner chips and a few scattered spots, but overall in very good condition with crisp image and inscription. 7.5 x 9.5 inches (19.5 x 24.2 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.
Jenkins, Florence Foster. (1868-1944). Original Photograph Inscribed to her Accompanist.
An extremely rare signed portrait photograph of the notoriously awful soprano, inscribed to her accompanist Edwin McArthur. Shown standing in her apartment, holding a white feather boa, Jenkins has penned: "To the very best accompanist, Edwin McArthur, and his charming wife Blanche. With my love from ‘Lady Florence’ July 19th '32." Mounted on heavy card. Some small corner chips and a few scattered spots, but overall in very good condition with crisp image and inscription. 7.5 x 9.5 inches (19.5 x 24.2 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.