Gershwin was one of the first to introduce into popular songs the rhythms and melodic twists of jazz, and was already known for this as the Roaring Twenties got under way. Then, in 1924, at the invitation of the bandleader Paul Whiteman, Gershwin wrote, in less than three weeks, his “Rhapsody in Blue” for piano and jazz band. This cemented his reputation and remains one of his two most acclaimed compositions. In 1931, he wrote the score for the show “Of Thee I Sing”, which became the first musical to win a Pulitzer Prize.
An 8 by 10 inch photograph of Gershwin, dated November 25, 1931, inscribed and signed “For Marian – Wishing her everything nice. With admiration. George Gershwin”. He has added a Musical Quotation Signed - three bars of music from his classic, “Rhapsody in Blue”. The inscribee may well be Marian Harris, a very popular jazz singer of the day, whose reperatory included a number of Gershwin’s songs. This is a rare signed photograph of Gershwin bearing a signed musical quotation.