Description
Authors: Clarence Bull and Raymond Lee
Publisher: A. S. Barnes and Company
Place: Cranbury, New Jersey, and New York
Year: 1968
Edition: First edition
Format: Illustrated hardcover with dust jacket
Pages: Approximately 224
Condition: Very Good book in Good dust jacket
Description
The Faces of Hollywood presents the work and recollections of Clarence Sinclair Bull, the celebrated studio photographer who spent nearly four decades directing Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s portrait and still-photography department.
Created with Raymond Lee, the book brings together Bull’s photographs of many of Hollywood’s most recognizable stars, accompanied by stories from his long career behind the camera. Bull photographed such legendary figures as Greta Garbo, Clark Gable, Jean Harlow, Joan Crawford, Norma Shearer, Hedy Lamarr, Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn, and numerous other performers from the silent era through Hollywood’s Golden Age.
More than a collection of celebrity portraits, this generously illustrated volume offers an insider’s view of the studio system and the artistry involved in creating Hollywood glamour. Bull’s portraits of Greta Garbo are particularly celebrated, and his work helped establish the visual identities of generations of MGM stars.
Condition
Very Good hardcover in a Good, now stabilized dust jacket. Binding sound; interior clean and unmarked. The original jacket shows general rubbing, scuffing, edge wear, small chips, and areas of paper loss. Tears along the jacket edges have been carefully repaired, and the jacket is now protected in a removable Brodart archival cover. Despite the wear, the scarce original jacket remains substantially complete and presents attractively.
Why we love this book
Clarence Bull did not merely photograph Hollywood stars—his lighting and portraiture helped create their public images. This vintage volume preserves both his photographs and his firsthand memories of the studio era, making it appealing to collectors of classic cinema, Hollywood history, portrait photography, and MGM memorabilia.