Ann Corio 1950s American Burlesque NYC Stage Publicity Press Photograph For Sale

This item is an 8 x 10 inch black-and-white press photograph of Ann Corio, produced as a publicity portrait for her stage production *This Was Burlesque*. Corio is shown in a burlesque performance persona, facing the camera directly with an upright, posed stance. The studio lighting produces a high-contrast image that makes visible the surface textures of the costume and the contours of the pose. These features are consistent with mid-century theatrical publicity photography. Printed text along the lower margin identifies her management as MANAGEMENT THREE LTD., 136 East 55th Street, New York 22, N.Y. The postal zone number places the print in the period before the widespread adoption of ZIP codes in the 1960s. The photograph provides material evidence of American burlesque theater and of Corio’s association with the form, which the production both represented and documented.The verso shows the print’s function as a working press-office document and contains manuscript annotations that record its use. The word THEATERS is crossed out with an oval, and the phrase THIS WAS is written inside the oval; this indicates a correction or a category assigned for distribution. Production notes reading “1x6” and “66%” are also present and likely refer to cropping instructions or scaling percentages for newspaper layout and reproduction. A long diagonal line and other guide marks are consistent with preparation for publication. A horizontal brown stain is present and forms part of the print’s physical history. Together, the front-facing portrait and the verso markings document the print’s use from studio portrait to press circulation.