Scarce and terrific vintage 8x10-inch black and white portrait by National Studios, boldly signed in black fountain pen and dated 1920s. In good condition for its age. Alluring, enigmatic Theda Bara was the quintessential silent screen vamp, preying upon weak-minded men in films like A Fool There Was (1915) and Cleopatra (1917). She held the dubious distinction of being Hollywood's first fabricated star, played up in the press as the daughter of an artist and an Arabian princess, with a name that was an anagram for "Arab Death." In publicity photos, she was typically garbed in exotic outfits, surrounded by skulls and serpents, with wide, entrancing eyes that peered deeply into those of the viewer. Not bad for a mild-mannered Jewish girl from Cincinnati!

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