Vintage Portraits - Opera Singer

Hello Friends,

Some vintage photographs are beautiful with their soft colors and fashions of the day. But it’s not always possible to find out information about the people who posed for the studio portraits. The images remain a mystery from another age.

This week I’m featuring the lovely, vintage photographs of Madame Scavizzi. The portraits are stored in the archives of the State Library of Victoria, Australia. I’m delighted to write there is a small amount of information to share about the 1920’s star of the opera stage.

Lina Scavizzi was a Soprano Opera Singer, possibly from Italy. The photographs in this post were taken sometime during 1920 to 1930 in Sydney and Melbourne, Australia.

Lina first started singing opera in 1919 at Venice. The next year she sang in a star role at Cesena, Italy.

In 1924, Lina joined the Melba Opera Tour and with the second Melba-Wlliamson opera company. The Melba Opera Tour traveled around Australia performing opera.

The main star of the company was the renowned opera singer, Dame Nellie Melba. She is a cultural icon and considered to be the first Australian musician to achieve international recognition for her performances in London, Paris and New York.

Dame Nellie Melba even journeyed to my outback town during the 1910’s. We have an ornate, Victorian-aged hall where she performed. It was a big event, and the local people didn’t want the concert to end. 

Madame Lina Scavizzi was in good company for her Australian tour. In the three portraits so far, she wears a long theatrical dress, a hat with ostrich feathers, a shawl, a bouquet of flowers (maybe fern fronds and chrysanthemums) and has a walking stick. 

From the archives, I found Lina posed for studio portraits with three photographers. Here’s some more images. 

Title: La Tosca - Granforte, Scavitze

Photographer: Spencer Shier, Melbourne 1924

Summary: Couple on stage in opera "Tosca": Man in 19th century costume with lace cravat and wig seated at a table laden with food and branch of candles a woman in full length gown standing beside the table.

Title: Lina Scavizzi in costume as Maddalena in the opera Andrea Chenier

Photographer: May Moore, Sydney 1924

Summary: Three-quarter length, dressed in a shawl and lace wearing three-cornered hat and powdered wig.

In 1928, a portrait sketch of Lina Scavizzi was published in an Adelaide newspaper. 

Source: Trove, National Library of Australia

Chronicle (Adelaide, SA : 1895 - 1954), Saturday 6 October 1928

After Lina Scavizzi left Australia, she continued singing in cities of Europe and retired from the stage in the 1930’s.  

Enjoy your weekend, 
♥ Ashlyn

  

Archives sources of images used in this blog;

Ruth Hollick 1883-1977, photographer, State Library of Victoria

May Moore 1881-1931, photographer, State Library of Victoria

Spencer Shier 1884-1950, photographer, State Library of Victoria

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

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