Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility
(800) 937-3880
SELL

Lot #923
Jean Harlow Signed Oversized Photograph by Frank Tanner (MGM)

Large MGM portrait signed by the star of The Girl from Missouri

Estimate: $2000+

The 30 Minute Rule begins July 10 at 7:00 PM EDT. An Initial Bid Must Be Placed By July 10 at 6:00 PM EDT To Participate After 6:00 PM EDT

Server Time: 7/01/2024 10:31:37 AM EDT
Sell a Similar Item?

Description

Large MGM portrait signed by the star of The Girl from Missouri

Vintage matte-finish 13 x 10 photo as she appeared in the 1934 film The Girl from Missouri, signed and inscribed in fountain pen to a staff member of the MGM photo lab, "To Harvey — with a heart full of good wishes‚ Jean Harlow.” The reverse bears an MGM studio stamp crediting the photo to Frank Tanner. In very good to fine condition, with two tiny pin holes and some trivial surface loss to the borders, a crease to the upper left background area, and fading to handwriting lending it poor-to-moderate contrast.

Accompanied by a lengthy letter of provenance from a prior owner: “I acquired this in the early 1970s from a woman named Margaret Aulbach. Margaret was previously married to a man whose father had worked in the photo lab at the M-G-M studios and, while there, had received a number of signed large format photographs from the studio's stars, some signed, some not. Margaret's side hustle was custom framing. About the time I acquired this, I was also represented by an art gallery and was selling art, which by necessity, had to be framed. Both Margaret and I were living in the Newhall/Valencia area just north of Los Angeles and I found her in the phone book. She handled most of my framing. My artwork often incorporated movie stars and we began a conversation that ended with Margaret asking me to sell her ex-father-in-law's photos. The photos were Clark Gable, Joan Crawford, Jean Harlow, Nelson Eddy, and Robert Montgomery. Only the Gable, Crawford, and Harlow were signed. The deal was that if I could sell the other photos, I could have the Harlow. I readily made the deal and kept the Harlow, Crawford, and Gable, and sold the other two, but gave Margaret money for them all. Later I would sell all but the Harlow.”

Auction Info

  • Auction Title: Fine Autograph and Artifacts Featuring Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, and Civil War
  • Dates: June 21, 2024 - July 10, 2024





This item is Pre-Certified by PSA/DNA
Buy a third-party letter of authenticity for $75.00

*This item has been pre-certified by a trusted third-party authentication service, and by placing a bid on this item, you agree to accept the opinion of this authentication service. If you wish to have an opinion rendered by a different authenticator of your choosing, you must do so prior to your placing of any bid. RR Auction is not responsible for differing opinions submitted 30 days after the date of the sale.