Amazing vintage circa 1927 matte-finish 10 x 13 portrait of Garbo by Ruth Harriet Louise, boldly signed and inscribed in fountain pen, “To Eva von Berne, Greta Garbo.” Nicely matted and framed to an overall size of 17.75 x 20.75. In fine condition.
Hoping to discover ‘another Garbo,’ MGM production chief Irving Thalberg imported Eva von Berne from Vienna with the aim of making her a movie star—even though she knew little English and had never been on stage or screen. After much fanfare and publicity, von Berne was cast opposite John Gilbert—Garbo’s beau—in the 1928 film The Masks of the Devil. Despite respectable reviews, von Berne was soon sent back to Europe with no Hollywood future to look forward to. Before leaving, she was able to meet Garbo, her idol, and received this inscribed photograph; Garbo’s gift of a signed photo to Berne is described in multiple biographies. A truly fantastic and exceptionally rare portrait: signed photographs of Garbo are exceedingly rare—this is just the third we have offered in the past fifteen years. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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