Large Still from the silent film "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923, starring Lon Chaney, directed by Wallace Worsley, and produced by Carl Laemmle and Irving Thalberg). Quasimodo (Lon Chaney) cowering in a corner. Vintage silver photo print with some visible silvering, probably 1970s-80s.

Large; 13.3/4" x 10.3/4" [35cm x 27.3cm] including blank margins which are c.1/4" to 1/4", glossy paper; attached to the heavier paper, the focus is on the corner of the chest, some silvering (silver oxidation) in the middle and the edges. Very good condition.

Silvering' on the photo, the silver oxidation of the silver-based emulsion is characterized by a yellowing and sometimes silver mirroring along the lines of contrast between high and low lighting and can appear partially or cover the whole image.

Leonidas Frank "Lon" Chaney (1883-1930) was an American actor. He is regarded as one of the most versatile and powerful actors of cinema, renowned for his characterizations of tortured, often grotesque and afflicted characters, and his groundbreaking artistry with makeup. Chaney was known for his starring roles in such silent horror films as "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1923) and "The Phantom of the Opera" (1925). His ability to transform himself using makeup techniques that he developed earned him the nickname "The Man of a Thousand Faces".

In 1923, Lon Chaney reunited with Universal to perform as Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame, one of his most famous performances and make-up jobs. He made himself up as the deformed, grotesque Quasimodo and gave such a performance that the character was more loved then repulsive. Chaney would follow up his Hunchback performance with 1925's "The Phantom of the Opera", where he played the monstrous-looking Phantom. Chaney wrote about his macabre characters in a 1925 magazine saying, "I wanted to remind people that the lowest types of humanity may have within them the capacity for supreme self-sacrifice. The dwarfed, misshapen beggar of the streets may have the noblest ideals. Most of my roles since The Hunchback, such as The Phantom of the Opera, He Who Gets Slapped, The Unholy Three, etc., have carried the theme of self-sacrifice or renunciation. These are the stories which I wish to do." These two characters would set the precedent for all monster movies and make-up to follow.

Artwork will be mailed unframed.

US: Priority (c 2-4 days) --------- $22.50
Canada: 1st Class (c. 2-6 weeks) - $32.50
World: 1st Class (c.2-8 weeks) --- $42.50