Raquel Welch | "The Wild Party" George Hurrell Photo & Photo Shoot-Used Photo Shoot-Used Carved Elep

A Southeast Asian white-painted carved wood stand/side table; with a circular mirror-inset top above four elephant heads whose trunks form the legs. This piece was used in a prop photograph taken by legendary photographer George Hurrell of Raquel Welch in character as "Queenie" that appears in the movie The Wild Party (American International Pictures, 1975). Together with a large vintage George Hurrell black and white photograph, in which Welch is shown seated on the stand while wearing a showgirl-style costume with boots and a headdress.

In the book George Hurrell's Hollywood: Glamour Portraits 1925-1992, Hurrell recalled that Welch needed the prop photo for the Merchant-Ivory film in which she portrayed a tragic silent film starlet. He scheduled the photo shoot at Welch's home in Beverly Hills on a Sunday and she was dressed in an all-white costume, but since her house was rather dark, he moved the shoot to her backyard and commandeered the stand from Welch's home furnishings as a prop.

Accompanied by two books about Hurrell from Welch's library, including The Book of Stars (Schirmer Art Books, 1990) and The Portfolios of George Hurrell (Graystone Books, 1991).

Stand height, 22.5 inches; vintage Hurrell photo print 29 x 23.5 inches

PROVENANCE From The Estate of Raquel Welch

Memorabilia, Art, Furniture