Four photographs from the Special Collections Research Center at the Henry Madden Library will be featured in an exhibition catalog for the soon-to-open exhibition, Italy in Hollywood, at the Museo Salvatorre Ferragamo in Florence, Italy from May 24, 2018 to March 10, 2019.

The exhibition specifically explores "the world of art, crafts, and the entertainment arts, the areas where Ferragamo's creativity was especially evident." It takes as a point of reference, images of the Italian pavilion designed by Marcello Piacentini for the 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco.

For those not familiar with Ferragamo, he was a Italian designer internationally recognized especially for his shoes. He lived in California from 1915 to 1927 and became a beloved designer to stars of the silent film era such as Mary Pickford, Lillian Gish, Rudolph Valentino, Charlie Chaplin and later stars like Joan Crawford and Marilyn Monroe.

The Ferragamo name is synonymous with high style, glamor and Italian craftsmanship. In 1995, the Ferragamo family opened the museum to celebrate Salvatore Ferragamo's impact on fashion and design at the highest levels.

For those lucky enough to be in Florence during the exhibition's run, it promises to be a most enlightening and beautiful exhibition. The Special Collections Research Center is proud to have played a tiny part of this special exhibition and even more proud to house the renowned Donald G. Larson Collection on International Expositions and Fairs.