Muray, Nicholas. RUTH ST. DENIS AND TED SHAWN. Original photograph of St. Denis and Shawn, undated but probably very early (Shawn and St. Denis met in 1914 and were married in 1915; Muray came to New York from Hungary in 1913 and though he opened his first NY studio in 1920, he was an active photographer for years before that. Shawn, born in 1891, looks so young in the photo, that it is likely from 1915-1920.
Signed in ink within the matrix by both subjects, with the blindstamp signature of Muray, lower right, also within the matrix, and with his copyright stamp on the verso. 14 x 10 7/8inches, 356 x 278 mm. In very good condition except for some light creasing not seriously obtruding on the image.
Ruth St. Denis (1879-1968) and Ted Shawn (1891-1972) were pioneers of Modern Dance in the United States. Through the Denishawn dance company and the Denishawn School their performances and teaching had a major influence on American Ballet and Modern dance. Shawn later became one of the founders of the Dance Theater at Jacob's Pillow in New York.
Nicholas Muray (American, born Hungary 1892-1965) is best known as a both a portrait and commercial photographer, but he also was a world-class fencer, who won numerous championships with the sabre between 1927 and 1951.
