The Stockholm exhibition “The Image of Greta Garbo” addresses the nature of a film star known today mostly for her reputation. Among the Hollywood faces of the classic black and white era, Greta Garbo’s is still recognized today, alongside peers Bette Davis and Katherine Hepburn. Famously reclusive and disdainful of press and publicity – she never attended any of the Oscar ceremonies, even when she was nominated – Garbo’s legacy remains mostly in her roles, and in her art collection but that is another story.
Given that most people today have never watched even one of her movies, her face and name remain her defining characteristics. The exhibition at Fotografiska, the photography-dedicated museum, will honor the star’s legacy by diving into photographs and memorabilia collected over a span of 20 years by Swedish advertising executive Lars Nordin. “The Image of Greta Garbo” will run until August 21, 2016.
While her face is well known with fans of old Hollywood era films, the actress still remains a mystery despite the many documentaries made about her – all of which revolve around her mystique without ever really piercing the veil. Garbo started her career in 1924 with the Swedish film The Saga of Gosta Berling, and was brought to Hollywood when her performance caught the eye of MGM maestro Louis B. Mayer. In her career, she was nominated three times for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and was bestowed with an honorary award in 1954. She retired in her mid-30s, with 28 feature films to her name.
The collection came about when Lars Nordin caught wind of a sale of Garbo photographs, and managed to acquire a container full of memorabilia from a devoted fan. From then on, he went forth to seek out various bits and pieces of paraphernalia, including the rare find of Greta Garbo’s signature written with a goose quill.
The exhibit will display all of that – mainly photographs from different stages of her life and career like silver gelatin studio photos or press visuals. Of course, we can’t forget the primary power coming from her countless film roles – and thus a selection of film clips will also be screened to showcase her form and personality in motion. In fact, this Greta Garbo exhibition might be the best occasion to finally learn – if you can – what lies behind the legendary name and face.
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