D.W. GRIFFITH - HOOVER ART COMPANY - HOLLYWOOD - SILENT - ORIGINAL PORTRAIT

Original 9 1/2 inch x 7 1/4 inch Portrait of legendary director D.W. GRIFFITH.

The portrait is by Hoover Art Co Los Angeles with his facsimile signature within the portrait
Born in Pennsylvania in 1875 Frank S. Hoover graduated from the Spring Garden Institute in Philadelphia, where he studied art and became a pictorial painter. He left for Hollywood in 1902 to join his parents, who had built the Hollywood Hotel in 1901, and went into business with E.R. Walker, a Hollywood photographer. They became known for making reproductions of paintings, called Hollywood Prints, which they sold to retailers around the world. Buying out Walker in 1905 he established the Hoover Photographic Studio, and for years was recognized as Hollywood’s leading photographer. By utilizing original lighting effects, he practically revolutionized the photo industry by producing photographs which exactly resembled paintings. In 1917 Hoover enlisted for World War I and sold the business to his employee and fellow photographer Hendrick Sartov. After the war he continued taking photographs of leading citizens until his retirement in 1930.

The portrait, on doubleweight matte paper, is in very good condition with the previous owner’s sticker on the reverse.