George Hurrell Portrait of Merle Oberon Vintage Gelatin Silver Print Warner Bros

A vintage gelatin silver print on paper depicting a portrait of Merle Oberon by photographer George Hurrell. Stamped Hurrell Warner Brothers copyright on verso. Circa 1930s. Oberon is portrayed sitting in a cultivated space and her stylization is classic sophistication. The portrait captures the timeless beauty and elegance of the Golden Age of Hollywood. Hurrell photographed every star contracted to MGM, and his striking black-and-white images were used extensively in the marketing of these stars. Merle Oberon (1911-1979) was a British actress who began her film career in British films as Anne Boleyn in The Private Life of Henry VIII. After her success in The Scarlet Pimpernel, she travelled to the United States to make films for Samuel Goldwyn. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in The Dark Angel (1935). From a private collection. Dimensions: 21.5”h x 17.5”w x .5”d (framed). In very good vintage condition. 

George Edward Hurrell (1904-1992) was a photographer who contributed to the image of glamour presented by Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s. In the mid-1950s his old style of glamour had fallen from favor. He moved to New York City and continued his work for fashion magazines and print advertisements for several years before returning to Hollywood in the 1960s. He captured Marilyn Monroe’s last photoshoot, and actress Mamie Van Doren, who became a lifelong friend of his. After 1970, his most prominent work was as a photographer for album covers. He shot the cover photos for Cass Elliot's self-titled album (1972), Helen Reddy's Imagination (1983), Tom Waits' Foreign Affairs (1977), Fleetwood Mac's Mirage (1982), Queen's The Works (1984), Midge Ure's The Gift (1985) and Paul McCartney's Press to Play (1986). Today, his works are held in the collections of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, The Museum of Modern Art in New York, and the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., among others.