Katharine Hepburn publicity photograph - Original
Summary
Studio publicity photograph of Katharine Hepburn. The full image, seen here, includes a stock number, the name of the studio, and the name of the subject - confirming that this was a promotional image.
Such images were taken by a studio photographer, and then disseminated to the media and the public for the purpose of promoting their contract stars.
Public domain explanation
If the photograph was copyrighted, under the terms of the 1909 Copyright Act this copyright would have had to be renewed 28 years after publication. A search for copyright renewal records of 1968 ([1], [2]) 1969 ([3], [4]) and 1970 ([5],[6]) reveal no trace that this occurred.
This was a common occurrence for studio publicity images, as explained by Eve Light Honthaner, in The Complete Film Production Handbook (Focal Press, 2001), p. 211: "Publicity photos (star headshots) have traditionally not been copyrighted. Since they are disseminated to the public, they are generally considered public domain, and therefore clearance by the studio that produced them is not necessary."
Katharine Hepburn (12 May 1907 - 29 June 2003) was an iconic American actress known for her fierce independence, distinctive voice and a career that spanned six decades. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, she came from a wealthy family and left Bryn Mawr College to pursue acting. Hepburn attracted attention with her performance in the Broadway play "The Warrior's Husband" (1932) and made her film debut in "A Bill of Divorcement" (1932). She won four Academy Awards for Best Actress, a record she still holds, for her roles in Morning Glory (1933), On Golden Pond (1981), The Lion in Winter (1968) and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner (1967). Known for her strong-willed and independent personality, Hepburn often played such characters in her films, challenging traditional gender roles. She had a remarkable on-screen partnership with Spencer Tracy, with whom she appeared in nine films. Despite setbacks in the mid-1930s, she made a triumphant comeback with The Philadelphia Story (1940), which she also co-produced. Her career spanned from the early 1930s to the 1990s, making her one of the few actresses to successfully transition from the Golden Age of Hollywood to later eras. Katharine Hepburn died on 29 June 2003 at the age of 96, leaving behind a rich legacy in the world of entertainment.
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