MARCHESE. - Lot 205

MARCHESE. Marchese. Paris, Commercial and Theater Advertising, n.d. (circa 1930–1940). Folio, paperback, illustrated cover. A rare promotional booklet dedicated to the singer Marchese, illustrated with several photographic portraits reproduced in heliogravure and accompanied by the lyrics of the main arias from his repertoire (Mozart, Rachmaninoff, Borodin, Verdi, Rimsky-Korsakov, etc.). Published for artistic promotional purposes, this publication attests to the importance accorded to the photographic image in the careers of opera singers during the interwar period. The portraits, of high print quality, fully embody the aesthetic of studio portraiture from that era. Rarely preserved due to its ephemeral nature, this brochure is an interesting document combining photography, performance, and the history of artistic advertising. Condition: cover slightly browned with a few creases and minor marginal wear; tiny tear at the lower corner of the back cover; interior well-preserved, paper uniformly and slightly yellowed. A fine copy.