Superlative collection of over 200 signatures of classic Hollywood actors and actresses, with the majority contained within a group of four vintage autograph albums, each 6.25 x 4.75, and the balance consisting of numerous loose formats such as photographs (ranging in size from 3.5 x 3.5 to 8 x 10), slips, sheets, and programs. Highlights include: Natalie Wood, Elizabeth Taylor, Peter Lorre, John Ford, Cole Porter, Dean Martin, Donna Reed, Thomas Mitchell, Pier Angeli, Desi Arnaz, Lena Horne, James Cagney, Buster Crabbe, John Carradine, Vincent Price, Charlton Heston, Gloria Grahame, Alec Guinness, Dennis Hopper, Gene Kelly, Janet Leigh, Roger Moore, David Niven, Gregory Peck, Rosalind Russell, Eva Marie Saint, Claire Trevor, Lana Turner, Jack Benny, Shirley Jones, Eartha Kitt, Red Skelton, Fred MacMurray, Dorothy Malone, Virginia Mayo, Maureen O’Hara, Eleanor Parker, Debbie Reynolds, Rod Steiger, Kim Hunter, Vera-Ellen, Dean Stockwell, Robert Wagner, and many more. In overall fine condition. Supporting these autographs is a collection of over 130 vintage glossy candid photos, ranging in size from 3.5 x 3.5 to 5 x 3.5, each depicting an actor or actress at the time their signature was obtained. An exceptional and highly desirable assortment of classic Hollywood signatures boasted by an array of unique candid portraits taken the very moment the pens touched paper.
Accompanied by a copy of a letter of provenance from the original recipient, Sondra McLean, who as a teenager traveled by train from her hometown in Canada to Los Angeles, California, where she spent two-month-long vacations in the summers of 1954, 1955, and 1956. While staying with her cousin, whose residence was within walking distance from MGM Studios, McLean used the majority of her weekdays staking out the studio parking lot for the arrival and departure of Hollywood celebrities. McLean’s decision to photograph each movie star at the time of their signing elevates her collection into top-tier status.
