Iconic 1955 Vintage Photograph of John Wayne on the Movie Set, "The Searchers,” From a Limited Edition of 35.

Is there a more iconic Hollywood Star than the 'Duke’, John Wayne?  He was charismatic and charming, with a hypnotic onscreen presence and a drawl that sounds like a gruff lullaby. He was a top box office draw for nearly 20 years. The Searchers, widely considered one of Wayne’s best films, a film of jarring contrasts, complexities, and ambiguities, has been hailed as a masterpiece, and considered one of the most influential films in history. The Searchers was shot on location in Monument Valley, and directed by the father of westerns, John Ford and was his 115th feature film.  It never looked more majestic than in The Searchers. 

1955 Photograph by John R. Hamilton of John Wayne on set during filming of The Searchers in Monument Valley, Arizona.

John Wayne, 1955

Image Size: 22”x30" From a limited edition of 35

Value: $3,000

Item will be sent directly to winning bidder professionally framed by the JRH Archives.  

The winning bidder will also receive a copy of John Hamilton: Thank Your Lucky Stars, (Little Bear Press, First Edition, January 2003) This book is no longer in print and is highly collectable. Little Bear is an imprint owned by photographer, Bruce Weber — one of the first to recognize John Hamilton's vast archive of Hollywood photography work.   

His photographs were intimate and sexy... no one captured our heroes in American cinema like he did. He gave us an insider’s view of incredibly private people caught in a special world somewhere between a movie set and home. — Bruce Weber

The John R. Hamilton Lost Archive of rarely or never-seen photographs is one of the greatest collections of Hollywood photography in existence. For over 40 years Hamilton chronicled some 77 movies, photographed 300 magazine covers, and shot hundreds of commercials – over 100,000 era-defining images of the most iconic celebrities from the 1940s to the 1990s. 

During Modernism Week, on Saturday, February 17, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. in the Annenberg Theater, John Wayne's son, actor Ethan Wayne (President of John Wayne Enterprises and John Wayne Cancer Foundation), Laurie Kratochvil (Visual Consultant and former photo editor of Rolling Stone and InStyle magazines), and Amy Shepherd (Executive Director of the John R. Hamilton Archives) present "John Wayne, Hollywood, and the American West". Through anecdotes and cherished memories, gain a deeper understanding of John Wayne, both as an actor and as a person. Discover the authentic bonds that formed among these legends, both on and off the screen. Using the extensive photography found in the John R. Hamilton Archives, they will take you behind the scenes, sharing stories of John Wayne's friendships with fellow Hollywood icons.  johnhamiltoncollection.com

Things to Know:

From a limited edition of 35 prints.  JRH Archives will frame and ship directly to winning bidder, no shipping fees. 

Cannot be returned, non-refundable. 

Donated by :
  • Company Name : John R. Hamilton Archives

* If shipping required, winning bidder agrees to pay all shipping costs and will be invoiced electronically for shipping costs.
* Collection of 7.25% CA sales tax is required for all tangible items purchased at auction and will be added to final invoice.
*8% buyers premium, less than is common for most auctions, is applied to all items to offset credit card, transaction and administrative fees.

Highest Bid : $2,300.00 (12 bids)
Highest Bid By: CC64CE
Value: $3,000.00
Item Sold
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