From the estate of actress Nancy Drexel (Mrs. Thomas H. Ince Jr.) is this vintage original 8x10 in. double-weight matte photograph of NANCY DREXEL. Taken in the mid- to late 1920's, she is depicted in a close studio shot that is accentuated by strong side-lighting. This photograph was inscribed in green ink by Nancy Drexel to Art Wright thusly: ("To Art Wright, - With my best wishes always, - Sincerely. - Nancy Drexel"). It is in near-fine condition with three upside-down v-shaped creases in the right half of the bottom border that extend into the background area; signs of wear on the top border; a live area of waviness in the bottom border near the left corner; and a few small scattered creases from handling (the area where her inscription is was not affected by any flaws). There are no pinholes, tears, stains, or other flaws.
There was a man named Art Wright who was a sound boom operator at 20th Century-Fox during the latter half of the 1930's, who may have been the recipient of this photograph.
Provenance: The Estate of Nancy Drexel Ince.
Nancy Drexel (born Dorothy Kitchen, April 6, 1910 – November 19, 1989) was an American film actress of the late silent and early sound era. She was sometimes credited by her birth name in films. She appeared in 29 films, generally B-film Westerns. Drexel was the daughter of George P. Kitchen, who was described in a newspaper article as "a pioneer of the film industry." Her professional debut came when she was 8 years old, performing in The Royal Vagabond comic opera. She ventured to Hollywood after winning a Miss New York contest that had 10,000 competitors. She was featured in F.W. Murnau's sought-after lost silent film, 4 Devils (1928), alongside Charles Morton, Janet Gaynor, and Barry Norton. In 1931, she appeared in one of the earliest Spanish-language sound films, Hollywood, City of Dreams, as a glamorous movie star who is the idol of the film's hero, José Bohr. Drexel is presented as one of the leading stars of Hollywood, rather than the B-movie leading lady she was in real life. On September 28, 1932, Drexel married Thomas H. Ince Jr., son of film producer Thomas H. Ince, in Beverly Hills. Both of them were students at Antioch College in Antioch, Illinois, and resumed their studies after the wedding. |