Superlative vintage matte-finish 11 x 14 photo of Temple posing as Thomas Gainsborough’s iconic painting ‘The Blue Boy,’ signed and inscribed in fountain pen with her printed childhood signature, “To Mrs. Quigley, Love, Shirley Temple.” Reverse bears an affixed caption. In fine condition, with a paperclip impression to top left edge.
This photo is one of a series dating from the 1930s, in which Temple posed in the guise of various art masterpieces. While the photographer is unidentified, the elaborate costuming and staging is suggestive of the work of Twentieth Century-Fox, Temple’s studio throughout the 1930s. Four additional unsigned photos from the same series, each an original printing, are also included, with each bearing an affixed caption on the reverse. The additional images include: ‘The Helping Hand’ by Emile Renouf; ‘The Age of Innocence’ by Sir Joshua Reynolds; ‘Her First Sermon’ by Sir J. E. Millais; and ‘Her Second Sermon’ by Millais. A rarely seen image enhanced greatly by the early signature and unusually large size. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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