Description
- A 1940s-era guest book from the famous Café Chambord in New York, signed by its celebrity clientele
- Signatures include Hollywood stars such as Alfred Hitchcock, Gene Kelly, Ingrid Bergman and Natalie Wood
The Café Chambord was a New York restaurant famous for its French haute cuisine, and an intimate atmosphere which attracted celebrity diners.
The restaurant was established in 1936 by Roger Chauveron, who began his cooking career in Paris at the age of 12 and immigrated to the U.S in 1924.
Unlike many of the city's most glamorous restaurants, the Café Chambord was simply-decorated with a rustic charm, and a glass wall which allowed diners to watch their food being prepared in the kitchen.
It was renowned for serving simple French country cooking, and first became popular with wealthy European emigrants fleeing the Nazis during the late 1930s.
As its reputation grew, it became a destination for sophisticated diners and celebrities alike - although rarely appeared in the society gossip columns, and remained a place to escape from the spotlight for the evening.
Chauveron sold the restaurant in 1950, and having moved from its original location on Third Avenue in 1963, the Café Chambord eventually closed its doors in August 1964.
This Café Chambord guest book includes numerous signatures, with entries dating from October 12, 1944 until June 3, 1948.
Notable autographs include Alfred Hitchcock, who signed alongside a sketch of his famous profile; Gene Kelly; Ingrid Bergman; Edward G. Robinson; Natalie Wood; Mary Pickford; Alan Ladd; Olivia de Havilland; Charles Coburn; heavyweight boxing champion Jack Dempsey; and film producer Michael Todd.
A superb set of autographs from Hollywood's Golden Age, and an evocative piece of New York history.