747

Brown Derby

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:3,000.00 - 4,000.00 USD
Brown Derby

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Auction Date:2014 Jun 18 @ 18:00 (UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT)
Location:236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Collection of 88 original ink caricatures of actors, actresses, and other celebrities, done by well-known Brown Derby artists Vitch, Zel, Lane, and Poncho, each on 11 x 14 off-white sheets, all of which hung at the famous Hollywood landmark. All the portraits are signed by their subject, with almost all inscribed to the restaurant or its owner Bob Cobb. Sketches include: John Barrymore (unsigned), Jerry Colonna, Marion Davies, Bob Feller, Academy Award-winning director Frank Borzage, Gene Raymond, Louella Parsons, Academy Award winner Leo Forbstein, Gene Autry, Hoot Gibson, Hedda Hopper, and Princess Alexandra Kropotkin. Portraits are housed in two presentation portfolios. Expected mild uniform toning from display and some dampstaining to edges of some of the sheets, slightly affecting a few of the signatures, otherwise fine condition. A more comprehensive list is available online at rrauction.com.

Opened in 1929 by Bob Cobb, the Hollywood Brown Derby quickly became the place to see and be seen. The restuarant’s signature dish, the Cobb Salad, was reportedly created from the day’s leftovers for Cobb, who hadn’t eaten all day. Shortly after its opening, the Derby’s first artist, ‘Vitch,’ offered to sketch the patrons in exchange for a bowl of soup. Sketches soon covered the walls, including those done by longtime artist Jack Lane, with celebrities vying for a prestigious spot on the restaurant’s ‘Wall of Fame.’ An impressive collection capturing the feel of ‘old-time’ Hollywood.