Friday, April 02, 2010

For Immediate Release


PROFILES IN HISTORY AUCTION OF THE WORLD'S LARGEST COLLECTION OF VINTAGE GLAMOUR PHOTOGRAPHY YIELDS TWO MILLION DOLLARS IN SALES

George Hurrell's Harlow, Harry Langdon, Jr.'s Collection and Angelina Jolie Photos Highlight Two Day Event

Calabasas, CA, March 31, 2010 - Harry Langdon's working archive of photographs and negatives from the mid-1960s to 2008, which included shots of Angelina Jolie, Jon-Erik Hexum, Raquel Welch, Halle Berry, Richard Burton, George Clooney (beginning of career), Farrah Fawcett, Cary Grant, Heather Locklear, Sophia Loren, President Ronald Reagan, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Frank Sinatra, and Will Smith among others was the top draw at the recently concluded Profiles in History auction of the Michael H. Epstein and Scott E. Schwimer collection of Vintage Glamour Photography, the largest collection of it's kind in the world. The auction, which brought in over two million dollars, was also highlighted by the Jean Harlow Bear Rug Portfolio camera negative, shot by George Hurrell for Vanity Fair, which sold for $60,000 and a collection of 1000+ Hollywood autographs & signed photos sold for $54,000.

Rare early modeling photos of actress Angelina Jolie also garnered much bidding interest. Some were included in the top selling $122,400 group and others sold individually for over $2500 each-several times more than their expected sale price.

The following are the highlights of the auction:

$122,400: Harry Langdon working archive of photographs and negatives from mid-1960s to 2008

$60,000: Jean Harlow Bear Rug Portfolio camera negative by George Hurrell for Vanity Fair.

$54,000: Collection of 1000+ Hollywood autographs & signed photos

$27,000: Archive of later portraits and scenes printed by Clarence Sinclair Bull, George Hurrell and Mark A. Vieira

$21,600: Collection of Hollywood, musician and criminal autographs

$19,200: Marlene Dietrich portrait by Edward Steichen for Vanity Fair.

$19,200: Portrait of Irises by Robert Mapplethorpe

$16,800: Veronica Lake camera negative from I Wanted Wings by George Hurrell

$16,800: Louise Brooks custom portrait by Hal Phyfe

$16,800: Ramon Novarro oversize custom portrait from Devil-May-Care by George Hurrell

$15,600: Jean Harlow Bear Rug portrait by George Hurrell for Vanity Fair

$14,400 Carole Lombard oversize gallery portrait by Otto Dyar

$14,400: Archive of artist, photographer and literary autographs

$13,200: Ramon Novarro oversize custom portrait from Devil-May-Care by George Hurrell

$13,200 Pina Di Cola archive of life work

$12,000: Rita Hayworth camera negative from Cover Girl by Robert Coburn

A portion of the proceeds from this auction will benefit many of the charitable organizations Messrs. Epstein and Schwimer passionately support, primarily the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Center on which Epstein served as board member for 7 years and The Trevor Project, a non-profit endeavor established to promote acceptance for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth and to aid in crisis and suicide prevention among that group.

Profiles in History's next auction of Hollywood memorabilia is schedule for late May / early June, followed by the highly anticipated, special auction of the props, costumes and set pieces from ABC's LOST television series after the series finale.

*Individual sale prices included buyer's premium

About Profiles in History:

Founded in 1985 by Joseph Maddalena, Profiles in History is the nation's leading dealer in guaranteed-authentic original historical autographs, letters, documents, vintage signed photographs and manuscripts. Profiles in History has held some of the most prestigious and successful auctions of Hollywood memorabilia. Their auctions include costumes, props and set pieces from both vintage and contemporary film, television, and rock 'n roll. Profiles in History's location in Calabasas Hills, CA- virtually a stone's throw away from every major Hollywood studio - ensures a constant flow of fantastic and rare collectibles. With an extensive network of dealers, collectors, and institutions, they are proud to play an important role in the preservation of motion picture history.

Prior Profiles in History Hollywood auctions highlights include the "Cowardly Lion" costume from The Wizard of Oz ($805,000); a full-scale model T-800 Endoskeleton from Terminator 2: Judgment Day ($488,750); a King Kong six-sheet movie poster ($345,000); the Command Chair from the "U.S.S. Enterprise" ($304,750); the original "Robot" from Lost in Space ($264,500); Luke Skywalker's lightsaber ($240,000), the Black Beauty car from The Green Hornet ($192,000); George Reeves' Superman costume from The Adventures of Superman ($126,500); the H.R. Giger designed Alien creature suit from Alien ($126,500); a full-scale T-Rex head from Jurassic Park ($126,500), the Leaping Alien Warrior figure from Aliens ($126,500), Christopher Reeve's 'Superman' costume from Superman: The Movie ($115,000), C-3PO's helmet ($120,000), The Wizard of Oz 'Winkie' Guard Costume ($115,000); a "Ming the Merciless" cape from Flash Gordon ($115,000) and the Hydraulic screen-used Velociraptor from The Lost World: Jurassic Park II ($115,000).

No comments: