The Danish-American Heldentenor is shown in formal attire in this matte original black-and-white headshot. He inscribes and signs the portrait to American critic Peter Hugh Reed, in remembrance of a nice conversation.

Lauritz Melchior began his career on the stages of Bayreuth and Covent Garden, where his interpretation of Siegmund in Parsifal won him much praise. He is best remembered, though, for his tenure at the Metropolitan Opera, during which he sang a staggering 519 performances in Wagnerian roles between 1926 and 1950.