THE LOST NEGATIVES |
Seasoned movie buffs are familiar with the problems of faded and scratched prints of old movies. They also know the joy of seeing a new print of a favourite film, possibly from a restored negative. The same issues apply to old publicity photographs.
There has always been a
market in photographs of celebrities, and fresh prints of photographs of the
stars of yesteryear are regularly produced and then distributed through the
main sellers of this type of memorabilia. Today it is possible to purchase
new, undamaged pictures of most of the actresses featured in this website.
However, this is not the whole story.
Very few photographs of actresses like Valerie Leon and Rosanna Schiaffino are available from mainstream suppliers, and keen collectors have to rely on second-hand markets and Internet auction sites. In addition the pictures which are available are not always the best, and people with long memories or large hoards of old magazines are aware that better, more interesting, more enticing photographs were once in circulation. These "missing" pictures fall into three main categories: magazine covers, newspaper items and pictures in pin-up magazines.
Throughout the 1940s, 50s and 60s, magazine covers were adorned with carefully glamorised photographs of young actresses. Most of these pictures were of very high quality and, particularly in Europe, many photographs of actresses on magazine covers were superior to those available now. Unfortunately, magazine covers also contain slogans about the articles within, and normally the photographs were disfigured by text emblazoned across the actress's face!
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, newspapers frequently included pictures of young actresses coupled with a few lines of text. Newspaper print was of low quality, and those grainy, soft focus, black and white photographs cannot today be reproduced to a satisfactory standard, either in a laboratory or with a scanner. To a lesser extent, this is also true of pictures in pin-up magazines for which, in America in the mid-1950s, there was a strong market. Although most of these publications did not last long, they were used by aspiring actresses to gain the attention of decision-makers within the movie industry. Between them, newspapers and pin-up magazines published a vast number of alluring photographs, most of which have long been out of circulation.
As there are many indications
that actresses from the past still hold a fascination for a broad range of
admirers, it is probable that a market exists for the best of the missing
photographs of the great Love Goddesses. Daliah Lavi, for
example, is not served well by the current market for photographs, but extremely attractive pictures of her were displayed on the covers
of a wide variety of European publications throughout
the 1960s. If the best of these photographs
were restored to the public domain - without text or the magazine logo across
Daliah's face - respectable sales would probably ensue. Similarly, Veronica
Carlson's loyal admirers would probably jump at the chance to purchase
a high-definition print of her climbing out of a motor vehicle - the kind
of picture that used to appear regularly in British newspapers. Anita Ekberg's fans would be delighted
to obtain glossy new prints of the
startlingly exhibitionistic poses she indulged in during the
mid-1950s.
So where are the original negatives of these missing photographs? The sad truth is that the negatives have probably been either thrown away or destroyed by whoever owned the copyright.
To photographers and editors, the photographs were simply commercial assets and had no intrinsic value at all. A few years after the pictures were taken, they would have been regarded as worthless. It would not have occurred to photographers and editors that movie lovers and fans of the actresses would have treasured such old pictures. Consequently, when a photographer found his studio or office cluttered with material, and a clear-out was necessary, old pictures and negatives would have been junked. Within the offices of newspapers and magazines, the same attitude prevails. When short of space, they examine whether material will ever be used again, and if not, out it goes. Twenty year old photographs of actresses now past their prime both physically and professionally would be among the first items to be sacrificed.
The best that can be hoped for is that some of the negatives were given away or taken home. It is possible that buried under layers of dust in cellars or under cobwebs in attics, a few rare negatives of the great Love Goddesses are lying, forgotten and ignored.
The
blurred, smudged and grainy pictures on this page indicate what has been lost.
The top portrait is of Sabrina, a British show business personality of the
1950s, who achieved fame through her figure. This picture, taken by Robin Douglas-Home and published in
"The Daily Mirror" circa 1962, is a classic of its kind and deserves
to be re-issued. The second image, also from a British newspaper, is of Senta
Berger and typifies the kind of photograph of movie actresses that used to
be shown in newspapers. Pristine prints from the original negative would undoubtedly
find eager buyers. Last but hardly least is Anita Ekberg in flamboyant mode!
Originally shown in an American pin-up magazine, it too represents an entire
cultural sub-genre and deserves to be preserved.