Description:

Bob Hope
New York, NY, ca. 1927
Bob Hope Early Signed Photo as "Les" to Conjoined Twins Daisy & Violet Hilton
Signed photograph

An oversized gelatin silver portrait depicting vaudeville duo Les "Bob" Hope and George Byrne. Measuring 10.5" x 13.5", New York, ca. 1927. Signed and inscribed in the upper left margin: "To two wonderful dancing partners, Daisy + Violet/ Wishing you lots of happiness/ Geo + Les- Apr 30 '27". Features the printed copyright of famed photographer Paul Strand at lower left. Pencil docketing present on verso. Exhibits minor loss at lower left edge, with expected silvering and handling marks throughout. Evidence of prior mounting verso. Very good overall- a rare and early example.

Leslie Townes "Bob" Hope (1903-2003) was an American comedian, actor, entertainer and producer with a career that spanned nearly 80 years in vaudeville, network radio, and television. Starting out as a boxer, Hope eventually moved to vaudeville, where he paired with fellow acts Lloyd "Lefty" Durbin, George Byrne, and Louise Troxell. It was around 1928 or 1929, approximately a year after this image was inscribed to the Hilton sisters, where he first adopted the stage name "Bob". He then went on to star in over fifty short and feature films, in addition to hosting the Academy Awards a record 19 times.

Sisters Daisy and Violet Hilton (1908-1969) were English-born twins conjoined at the pelvis. As children, they were exhibited in Europe and toured the United States in various sideshow, vaudeville and burlesque acts throughout the 1920s and 30s. In 1926, they joined Hope's "Dancemedians" act, where the pair had a tap-dancing routine. After years of being managed professionally by their legal guardians, they were legally emancipated in the early 1930s.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 10.5" x 13.5"
  • Medium: Signed photograph

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August 27, 2025 10:00 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

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