This photograph is part of a large photographic collection that has come directly from The Hollywood Reporter George Christy. The entire collection was acquired in California before being brought to the UK. Most photographs in the collection are rare candid shots from celebrity events. A few are publicity shots. We have done our best to identify as many celebrities as possible, and to the best of our abilities.

People in this photo:

Johny Carson (Talk show Host) - John William Carson (October 23, 1925 00a0 2013 January 23, 2005) was an American talk show host and comedian, best known for his 30 years as host of The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962 20131992). Carson received six Emmy Awards, the Television Academy's 1980 Governor's Award, and a 1985 Peabody Award. He was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in 1987. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992 and received a Kennedy Center Honor in 1993. Although his show was already successful by the end of the 1960s, it was during the 1970s Carson became an American icon and remained so even after his retirement in 1992. He adopted a casual, conversational approach with extensive interaction with guests, an approach pioneered by Arthur Godfrey and previous Tonight Show hosts Steve Allen and Jack Paar. Former late-night host and friend David Letterman had cited Carson's influence.

Joan Rivers (American Actress) - Joan Alexandra Molinsky (June 8, 1933 00a0 2013 September 4, 2014), professional name Joan Rivers , was an American stand-up comedian, actress, writer, producer, and television host. She was noted for her often controversial comedic persona 2014heavily self-deprecating or sharply acerbic, especially toward celebrities and politicians. Rivers gained prominence in 1965 as a guest on The Tonight Show . Hosted by her mentor, Johnny Carson, the show established Rivers' comedic style. In 1986, with her own rival program, The Late Show with Joan Rivers , Rivers became the first woman to host a late night network television talk show. She subsequently hosted The Joan Rivers Show (1989 20131993), winning a Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Talk Show Host. Having become widely known for her comedic red carpet awards show celebrity interviews, She was the 2009 Celebrity Apprentice Winner. Rivers co-hosted the E! celebrity fashion show Fashion Police from 2010 to 2014 and starred in reality series Joan & Melissa: Joan Knows Best? (2011 20132014) with daughter Melissa Rivers. She was the subject of the documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010). In addition to marketing a line of jewelry and apparel on the QVC shopping channel, Rivers authored 12 best-selling books and released numerous comedy albums. She was nominated in 1984 for a Grammy Award for her album What Becomes a Semi-Legend Most?; and was nominated in 1994 for the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play for her performance of the title role in Sally Marr...and Her Escorts . In 2015, Rivers posthumously received a Grammy Award for Best Spoken Word Album for her book, Diary of a Mad Diva . In 1968, The New York Times television critic Jack Gould called Rivers quite possibly the most intuitively funny woman alive . In 2017, Rolling Stone magazine ranked her sixth on its list of the 50 best stand-up comics of all time. She was inducted into the Television Academy Hall of Fame in Oct 2017