When we mere mortals daydream of Hollywood's Golden Age, we often picture movie stars engaging in no-mere-mortal movie-star-type activities: Arriving at a glamorous gala, strolling down a picturesque boulevard alongside other movie stars, and posing on a film set.
Elizabeth Taylor engaged in just those sorts of activities during her lifetime, and was photographed doing so, multiple times, much to the thrill of the magazine fashion editors, newspaper shutterbugs, and her devoted public.
But her most gracious and giving gesture of all was not when she greeted fans or brought an emotional note to the silver screen, lovely though those moments were. It was when she founded the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation, an organization that has raised funds, awareness, and hopes in the areas of support, care, and advocacy almost a quarter century.
The Wilding Cran Gallery is paying homage to Ms. Taylor's loving and strong-hearted legacy as an advocate for people living with HIV/AIDS via a special sale, one that coincides with what would have been the actress's 83rd birthday, Feb. 27.
Ms. Taylor's granddaughter Naomi Wilding, along with her husband Anthony Cran, opened the gallery in 2012 as a virtual space, and debuted their physical location in the spring of 2014.
A number of "classic photographs from the Getty Images archive" featuring the movie star, in just the sort of iconic activities described above, will be for sale via the Arts District gallery. Purchase a photograph from Thursday, Feb. 26 through Friday, March 6 and see 100% of the proceeds go to the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation.
The Scene
Want to find new things to do in Los Angeles? The Scene's lifestyle stories have you covered. Here's your go-to source on where the fun is across SoCal and for the weekend.
Ms. Wilding and Mr. Cran will also donate 50% of the gallery's profits during that same time period to the foundation.
Want to learn more about the Elizabeth Taylor AIDS Foundation? Click. Want to see the photographs for sale? They're here. You'll see Ms. Taylor as Cleopatra, and you'll see her cutting Richard Burton's hair, and there she is, strolling a rainy boulevard with an umbrella in hand.
Talk about your movie star material, and a life made great by standing up for others.
Image: Getty Image Archives, Taylor on Giant Set, 1955, Wilding Cran Gallery, $700
