PERON JUAN: (1895-1974) President of Argentina 1946-55 & 1973-74 & EVA (1919-1952) First Lady of Argentina 1946-52, second wife of President Juan Peron. An excellent pair of large, vintage signed and inscribed 9 x 12 photographs by Juan and Eva Peron individually, the formal image of the President depicting him standing in a three quarter length pose wearing a ceremonial sash. Signed in bold black fountain pen ink to the lower photographer’s mount, ‘A la Senora Fleur Cowles con gran afecto….Juan Peron’ and dated Buenos Aires, 3rd July 1950 in his hand. The image of Evita depicts the First Lady in a head and shoulders pose wearing a large bejeweled broach. Signed (‘Con todo carino, Eva Peron’) in blue fountain pen ink to the lower photographer’s mount. Both of the photographs are framed and glazed in the original plain black matching frames to overall sizes of 13.5 x 17. A fine pair of presentation portraits with an interesting association. Some light creasing and a few minor stains to the photographer’s mount of Eva Peron’s photograph, not affecting the signature, otherwise about VG, 2
Fleur Cowles (1908-2009) American Writer, Editor, and Artist, best known as the creative force behind the short-lived Flair magazine. In her later career Cowles served on various government committees and represented Dwight D. Eisenhower at the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
The present pair of signed portraits were presented to Cowles during her visit to Argentina in 1950. Of the event, The Daily Telegraph in their obituary of Cowles, noted ‘During Fleur Cowles's 1950 trip to Buenos Aires, Eva Peron tried to charm the influential journalist, paying Cowles particular compliments about her jewellery. Cowles was not taken in, insisting Peron's political "motivation was hatred and revenge". The British Ambassador, Sir John Balfour, gave Fleur Cowles the idea of comparing the Perons to an earlier Argentinian husband-and-wife political team, Manuel and Encarnacion de Rosas. The result was Cowles's 1951 book, Bloody Precedent’.