MAE WEST - Lot 12

MAE WEST Paramount Fashion publicity portrait, 1933. Photograph, vintage silver print, credits below the image, stamps (including the Paramount production stamp), and annotated on the back. 25.5 x 20.3 cm. White edges show signs of handling, particularly two small missing areas. Note: A very beautiful promotional photograph of Mae West taken by Paramount in 1933, a period when the actress was at the height of her fame, following the success of films such as *She Done Him Wrong* and *I’m No Angel*. This image is fully in line with the iconography built around her personality: self-assurance, unapologetic sensuality, and a commanding stage presence. The frontal pose, with her arms raised, accentuates the verticality of her silhouette and highlights the form-fitting, sparkling dress, typical of the glamorous Hollywood aesthetic of the early 1930s. The addition of fur and jewelry reinforces this image of sophistication and luxury, while the framing within a bordered space (between two panels) creates a theatrical effect reminiscent of a stage entrance. Paramount prints from this period, bearing printed credits and stamps on the reverse, were intended for press distribution and are now sought-after items for their aesthetic and historical value. The presence of copyright notices beneath the image and markings on the reverse confirms the print’s original and promotional nature. Despite signs of wear along the margins, the image retains strong visual quality and an iconic impact linked to the figure of Mae West, one of the most striking and boundary-pushing personalities of pre-Code cinema.