The Divine Comedy of Dante Alighieri
New York: Theatre Arts, Inc., 1924. First edition. Hardcover. Quarto. 21 (1)pp., 40 plates. Original black paper-covered boards with black lettering in cream paper label of cover. This work documents the visualization by Bel Geddes for his hoped for production of the devine comedy. After creating models for each scene, he invited Francis Bruguière to capture them in his dark and expressionistic style. Beautifully illustrated with forty photographs by Francis Bruguière showing models of the stage from various viewpoints, set design, scenes of the play, and masks of the protagonists. "We modeled five hundred miniature figures in clay, to the same scale as the stage, and arranged them on the stage model to fit the various compositions, The ensemble was illuminated, as nearly as the scale would permit, as the full size stage will be. Mr. Bruguière photographed the result. The drawings and the photographs although not identical, are in complete agreement." (Norman-Bel Geddes). Foreword by Max Reinhardt. Ex Libris of Eloise Ramsey, Professor of English Education at Wayne State University, on inside front cover. Binding with some wear, corners bumped at foredge, light scuffing at bottom edges and lightly rubbed, with few small markings on back cover. Block lightly age-toned. Very good condition. Item #47341
Price: $650.00