Photographic archive of a jet-setting White Russian lothario

Evlanoff, Michael [Photographer]; [Elizabeth Arden]

Verlag: [No Publisher], [Various Places], 1960

Beschreibung

A large and in-depth collection of approximately 3,500 original photos from a post-revolutionary Russian exile "prince" of aristocratic bearing and aspirations but not pedigree, Michael Evlanoff. He gained notoriety for his marriage to cosmetics pioneer Elizabeth Arden in 1942. It would end two years later after he had connived tremendous sums from her and her private detective discovered his Russian title and much-ballyhooed stipend from Swedish dynamite magnate-turned-humanitarian Alfred Nobel were utter fictions. Evlanoff certainly did not lack moxy, though. According to one account, the Russian con man was bisexual and had gone so far to invite his boyfriend along with him and Arden on their honeymoon! This archive covers the would-be prince's global jaunts and debauches from around 1920 to 1960, consisting of ten quarto volumes (7.5" x 9" each) rebacked with leather spines over marbled boards. All the albums are dated with captions initially in Russian, then French, then, in the final 20 years or so, English. Mostly b/w photos, with onionskin protective sheets.The leaves were mounted to stubs; a few have come loose. Very Good overall. No photos appear to be missing, some darkening along boards, a few chips and flaking original leather. The subject matter of these photos varies widely. While many photos are of the uber-wealthy soirees at nightclubs, yachts, posh hotels, and restaurants, there are also landscape photos, some city shots with people in diverse locales like Rio de Janeiro and Berlin under the Nazis, skiing-related photos, and a number of photos of oil exploration equipment and processes in Texas in the 1920s. Evlanoff's apparently documented his dalliances with different beautiful young women, especially in his later years, and their photos (occasionally topless) are a running theme throughout the archive. He was also the quintessential hob-nobber who clearly made a point of getting his photo taken with celebrities whenever possible. Likely one of the most extensive photographic archives of a White Russian exile available in recent memory. It documents the upper crust and their get-togethers around the world in the early to mid 20th century, as well as one life maybe not so much well-lived, per say, as one vigorously lived nonetheless. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers 140945723

Bibliografische Details

Titel: Photographic archive of a jet-setting White ...

Verlag: [No Publisher], [Various Places]

Erscheinungsdatum: 1960