Title: Original Photograph by Arthur C. Macaulay of the Spanish Pianist Amparo Iturbi Accepting the Applause of the Audience at the American Theatre Wing War Service's "Stage Door Canteen".
Description: New York, NY & Jersey City, NJ, circa 1942. 1942. - An 8 inch high by 10 inch wide softly hued black & white original photograph by Arthur C. Macaulay. The photograph portrays the Spanish pianist Amparo Iturbi standing on stage next to a grand piano accepting the applause of the servicemen looking back from their seats at a table. American Theatre Wing's City Center Producer Jean Dalrymple is seated next to a sailor at bottom right. An array of flags serves as background to the stage and the pictorial banner above reads "American Theatre Wing War Service, Inc. : Stage Door Canteen". The Jersey City, N.J. photographer's credits are stamped on the verso and the photograph is additionally identified in pencil as "#758 Courtesy c-9-4 Amparo Iturbi" and "Amparo Iterbi / Jean Dalrymple" on the verso. There is a crease to the bottom right corner of the photograph with minor creasing to the top left corner and left edge. Very good.
A New York City venue run by the American Theatre Wing, "The Stage Door Canteen" offered meals and entertainment free of charge to American service men during WWII. The original venue first opened in the basement of a theater on 44th Street in New York City on March 2, 1942. Stage Door Canteens were eventually set up in cities throughout the country as well as in London and Paris.
The younger sister of Jose Iturbi, the Spanish pianist Amparo Iturbi (1898-1969) was herself a well-known performer. She gave her debut concert in Barcelona when only 15 years old and played in Paris in 1925. She and her brother Jose played dual piano recitals through Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, and England and she also accompanied the Catalan Soprano Maria Barrientos. Her first American performance came in 1937 and she was a pioneer of the Spanish piano repertoire prior to Alicia de Larrocha's arrival in 1965. Amparo appeared on screen with her brother Jose Iturbi in MGM's 1944 musical "Two Girls and a Sailor".
Jean Dalrymple (1902-1998) was the dynamic producer and director of theater and light-opera at Manhattan's City Center. Dalrymple began her career in Vaudeville, appearing with James Cagney and Cary Grant in the early 1930s. She was a founding member of the American Theatre Wing, the theatre service organization. She worked over the years as a personal manager for the likes of Leopold Stokowski, Mary Martin, Jos Iturbi, Andre Kostalanetz, Nathan Milstein, and Lily Pons. She began her work at City Center with its founding in 1943, serving as a board member and publicist. Her productions there from the 1940s through the 1960s were a revitalizing influence on the whole New York theatre scene. In 1951, Jean Dalrymple married Major-General Philip deWitt Ginder, commander of the Thunderbirds in Korea. She was a friend to Presidents and entertainment personalities throughout the world. Very good .
Keywords: THEATRE; PHOTOGRAPHY; ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPH; THEATER; AMPARO ITURBI; SPANISH PIANIST; STAGE DOOR CANTEEN; AMERICAN THEATRE WING; WORLD WAR TWO; WWII; SERVICEMEN; SOLDIERS; SAILORS; MILITARY; JEAN DALRYMPLE; ARTHUR C. MACAULAY; PHOTOGRAPHER; TWENTIETH CENTUR
- Book number: 97399
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