The Balletomane's Scrap-Book by Haskell, Arnold L: Signed by 16 members of Colonel Wassily de Basil’s Ballet Russe

The Balletomane's Scrap-Book, Haskell, Arnold L. Published by A. & C. Black, London, 1936. First Edition. Signed by 16 members of Colonel Wassily de Basil's Ballet Russe. 9½" tall. Unpaginated; introduction, acknowledgements followed by 193 captioned black and white photos of the troupe and individual dancers on and off stage. Red cloth boards with embossed dancing figure to front, green spine titles; endpapers decorated in red and white with tickets from the Ballet's performances at various venues. In very good condition with some foxing to endpapers and preliminaries, general age toning; boards have average wear.
The original owner's name is found on the lower edge of the title page with the date of September 13, 1940. It is believed the signatures were collected during one (or more) of the 106 performances the Ballet held at the 51st Street Theatre, New York, from November 03, 1940 to January 12, 1941. Signatures appear on the title, half title and copyright pages and include: Alexandra Danilova, one of the leading ballerinas of the 20th century; Léonide Massine, dancer and innovative choreographer of more than 50 ballets, one of the most important figures in 20th-century dance; Tatiana Riabouchinska, one of the three "Baby Ballerinas" of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, she matured into an artist whom critics called "the most unusual dancer of her generation. The Balletomane's Scrap-Book highlights "the work and life of Colonel de Basil's Russian Ballet, from its' formation in 1932 till the present day." Colonel Wassily de Basil's Ballet Russe was once recognized as the most powerful and influential troupe in the world, with its more than 4000 performances in 600 cities in 70 countries.