I did not know of Vicenzo Laviosa when I found this, but I am sure I'd seen his famous portrait of Franklin Roosevelt. Laviosa (1887-1935) was an internationally renowned, Italian-born photographer, painter and set designer, for a period the official photographer to the Italian royal family, and best know for his portraits of famous figures, including Mussolini, the Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and Roosevelt, while he was governor of New York. Laviosa moved to New York in 1923, which is where this photograph was taken, blind stamped on the face and ink stamped on reverse.
I am no camera expert, but believe this photograph shows components/equipment used with a large format camera, including metering back; a second photograph I found by him, not yet listed, captures what I believe is the back of a large camera--so it seems he had taken a pause from portraits, at least for the moment, and was turning the camera on his own studio. I was drawn to this just as a gorgeous image formally, reminding me very much of an early Cubist composition, down to it sepia tones.
6 3/4" x 4 1/2". Very good condition, c. late 1920s/early 30s. Blind stamped and ink stamped on reverse.
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