Hollywood Glamour at the Grolier

A touch of Hollywood glamour comes to the Grolier Club tomorrow (September 14) for an exhibition of vintage Golden Age photography. Entitled "Silver Screen / Silver Print" the exhibition will trace the invention and development of the Hollywood glamor photograph. The exhibition will demonstrate how glamour shots were a central part of the star-making apparatus for Hollywood studios, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s, when MGM boasted it had "more stars than there are in the heavens."

The exhibit will be divided into ten sections, each dedicated to a particular photographer, star, or theme. The stars with their own sections include Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, Ramon Novarro, and the last great star of the studio system, Elizabeth Taylor. Photographers George Hurrell, Clarence Sinclair Bull, and Ruth Harriet Louise will each have their own cases. Themes to be covered include Hollywood fashion as promoted by photography and the development of a discernible Paramount Studios house style.

"Silver Screen / Silver Print" is drawn from the collection of Grolier Club member Robert Dance and will be curated by Anne H. Hoy. The exhibition will be on display from September 14 through November 12. While the exhibition is free of charge, a fully-illustrated catalog will be available to purchase.

The Grolier Club is located at 47 East 60th Street in New York City.