Editorial Bruguera, Spain – 1940s Cinefoto 39 Film-Star Portrait Prints & Period Cover Mixed collection

An extensive selection of 39 vintage colour film-star portrait prints from the Cinefoto collecting series published by Editorial Bruguera, Barcelona, accompanied by a period cover bearing the title “Astros y estrellas del firmamento cinematográfico”.

Dating approximately to the 1940s, the selection features 30 different performers, combining celebrated Hollywood stars with personalities from Spanish, European and Mexican cinema.

The portraits reproduce publicity photographs in colour, with vivid backgrounds, white borders and printed names beneath the images. Many also retain studio or distributor credits and K-series reference numbers along the upper margin. Credits visible within the selection include Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Paramount, Warner Bros, Columbia Films, Artistas Unidos and 20 Century Fox.

LOT CONTENTS

• 25 smaller portrait prints, approximately 9 × 14 cm.
• 14 larger portrait prints, approximately 14.5 × 21 cm.
• 1 Cinefoto printed cover/wrapper.

Total: 40 individual pieces. Dimensions are approximate and may vary slightly between prints.

SMALLER PORTRAITS — 25 PRINTS

Allan Jones; Alfredo Mayo; Anton Walbrook; Charles Laughton; Chester Morris; Dennis Morgan; Don Ameche (2); George Montgomery; Joel McCrea (2); John Payne; José Nieto; Lew Ayres; Melvyn Douglas; Robert Cummings (2); Robert Montgomery; Robert Young; Tito Guízar; Tyrone Power (2); Warner Baxter (2); and William Powell.

The repeated performers in this group appear in different portraits, providing variations in pose, clothing and background colour.

LARGER PORTRAITS — 14 PRINTS

Fred MacMurray; Jeanette MacDonald; John Boles; Kay Francis; Loretta Young; Nelson Eddy; Norma Shearer; Robert Donat; Robert Stack; Robert Young; Ronald Colman (2); Tyrone Power; and William Powell.

The two larger Ronald Colman prints reproduce the same portrait. Several larger sheets have decorative red flourishes beside the printed name, adding variety to the presentation.

ACCOMPANYING CINEFOTO COVER

The sepia-toned cover features a collage of film personalities framed within stars, together with the title “Astros y estrellas del firmamento cinematográfico” and the subtitle “La historia del cine a través de sus grandes figuras”.

The reverse contains Spanish promotional text for the Cinefoto collection, information about the available picture formats, and the Editorial Bruguera imprint. It also advertises the original six-picture booklet format and carries a printed selling price of 1.75 pesetas.

This cover accompanies the loose portrait selection offered here; the lot is not presented as a complete album or complete series.

CONDITION

Mixed vintage condition, with differences between individual pieces. The portraits generally retain strong colours and clearly defined images.

Visible signs of age and handling include paper toning, scattered brown spotting and foxing, particularly in the white margins, corner wear, creases, surface marks and occasional small edge tears or nicks. Some edges are uneven or show light wear. One Ronald Colman print has a noticeable dark mark in the left white margin.

The accompanying cover also shows creasing, age-related spotting and wear to its edges and corners.

Please examine all photographs carefully to assess the condition of each piece. The photographs show the actual items included in the lot and form part of the description.

A varied collection of Spanish cinema ephemera, combining colourful star portraits, period typography and the graphic presentation of film fandom during the 1940s.