BAKER, Josephine.

Description

Teatro Sistina, Rome September 1969 concert poster

Original first printing concert poster advertising legendary American-born French entertainer, activist and French Resistance agent Josephine Baker (1906–1975) at the Teatro Sistina in Rome [Italy] on Saturday, 20th September, 1969, with Italian musician, composer and leader Luciano Fineschi, and Brazilian singer-songwriter and guitarist Chico Buarque also on the bill. This was around the time Baker lost her castle, Château des Milandes in the south of France, due to unpaid debts. This was the place where Baker housed people who were eager to help the Free French effort led by Charles de Gaulle and supplied them with visas. After losing the castle, Princess Grace offered her an apartment in Roquebrune, near Monaco. On 8th April, 1975, Baker starred in a retrospective revue at the Bobino in Paris, Joséphine à Bobino 1975, celebrating her 50 years in show business. The revue, financed notably by Prince Rainier, Princess Grace and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, opened to rave reviews. Demand for seating was such that fold-out chairs had to be added to accommodate spectators. The opening night audience included Sophia Loren, Mick Jagger, Shirley Bassey, Diana Ross, and Liza Minnelli. Four days later, Baker was found lying peacefully in her bed surrounded by newspapers with glowing reviews of her performance. She was in a coma after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. She was taken to Pitié-Salpêtrière Hospital, where she died, aged 68, on 12th April, 1975. In her later years, Baker had converted to Roman Catholicism, and she received a full Roman Catholic funeral that was held at L’Église de la Madeleine. The only American-born woman to receive full French military honors at her funeral, Baker’s funeral was the occasion of a huge procession. After a family service at Saint-Charles Church in Monte Carlo, Baker was interred at Monaco’s Cimetière de Monaco. Printed by Graf Roma, with the printer’s imprint to the bottom left corner.

The poster measures 32.4 x 68.7 cm (approx. 12.8″ by 27″ inches) and is beautifully printed in yellow, red and black inks on thin, smooth-finish uncoated paper stock. Folded thrice with a small piece missing to the top left corner, pin holes to the corners and light surface handling wear. Feel free to email us with any questions you may have concerning this item. Additional images of the poster available on request.