Opéra

1924 · 51696 — New York NY; Hollywood CA; Taos NM: Underwood & Underwood Anderson Lumiere Guard Vitaphone Studios Metropolitan Music Bureau 1924-1927. Twenty seven items. With 24 photographs 3 sized 3.5 x 5.5 in.; 6 sized 5 x 7.75 in.; 1 w/ colour-tinted blue sized 7.25 x 9.5 in.; 16 sized 8 x 10 in.; many w/ annotations dating the photos in pencil some of the press photos and studio photos stamped on versos with attached newsreel information blurbs many w/ text in negative at lower corner of image; 1 very large colour lithograph poster printed on linen showing the young opera star seated and colours of pink gold and black sized 40 x 80 in. w/ wood bars at upper & lower for hanging some minor creasing from rolling but in Fine condition; and TLS from Lawrence H. Smith at Underwood & Underwood Inc. News Picture Division to Miss Marion Talley. These photographs and giant lobby poster provide splendid artifacts for the lavish attention paid to a young star at the beginning of her career during the Jazz Age. The very large poster is a beautiful example of colour lithography showing her demurely seated against a pink lozenge background with advertisements at the foot of the poster for Steinway Piano and Victor Records. Marion Talley 1906-1983 was the daughter of a telegraph operator for the Missouri Pacific Railroad and by 15 she was appearing in the Kansas City Grand Opera Company of Mignon by Abroise Thomas and quickly became a local celebrity often performing benefit concerts. She studied with music teacher Frank LaForge famed soprano composer who maintained a close relationship with the Metropolitan Opera and was placed under contract in 1925 by Giulio Gatti-Casazza at age 19 becoming the youngest principal female performer in the Met’s history to that point. Her debut performance was Feb. 17 1926 as Gilda the daughter of the title character in Verdi’s Rigoletto. The press photos show her surrounded by the many flowers she received in the 18 encores her performance on stage meeting the opera diva Ernestine Schumann-Heinck d. 1936 as well as her appearance on radio with Marguerite D’Alvarez and Giovanni Martinelli singing Home! Sweet Home!. In addition she also starred in the first Vitaphone short sound films released in 1926 with Don Juan starring John Barrymore and another Vitaphone short performing “Bella figlia dell’amore†from Rigoletto but the critics were savage criticizing her performances and her lack of appeal on camera. During this period she traveled extensively to Europe and through the southwest as evidenced by the series of photos showing her in Taos with the burros young Native American children and adults in regalia as well as her automobile. The photo of the young star by Samuel Lumiere 1878-1971 is a very nice example of his portrait work during the height of the 1920s when he was under contract to shoot celebrities for the Chicago Tribune. See: Barrios A Song in the Dark: The Birth of the Musical Film pp. 20-29; Vitaphone Marks 80th Anniversary Vitaphone News The Vitaphone Project Vol. 8 No. 1 2006; Crafton The Talkies: American Cinema’s Transition to Sound 1926-1931 1999. Underwood & Underwood, Anderson, Lumiere, Guard, Vitaphone Studios, Metropolitan Music Bureau, unknown