Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
A whimsical roaring twenties stylized art deco pen & ink illustration by John Held Jr. for “Dutton’s Au Revoir Boxes”. Framed with the original box label this was created for, a nautically themed work with a sailor and his flapper girl sweetie. The Park Avenue, New York company manufactured durable boxes that were to be used in cruise ship travel. From the Charles Martignette estate.
Artist: John Held, Jr.
A large scale impressive oil on stretched canvas by noted New York City illustrator Howard Chandler Christy titled “Surrender of the Blockhouse, Spanish-American War”. A boldly rendered impressionist work that depicts one of the war’s climactic battle scenes of 1898. Signed lower left and framed with a title plaque. Stretcher bar bears the notation “Oct. Cover.” This is a defining example of the artist’s historically impactful work that deftly shows Christy’s expertise in making battle scenes come to life.
Artist: Howard Chandler Christy
A luminous and sensational oil on canvas by Charles Edward Chambers, a masterful magazine and advertising illustrator of the jazz age. Chambers created this remarkable, highly sensuous Polynesian enchantress scene as a commissioned interior magazine illustration, likely for Cosmopolitan where he was under exclusive contract for many years. This uninhibited and erotic island dance scene is one of Chambers’ finest paintings, and a masterful example of early 20th century exoticism in illustration.
Artist: Charles Edward Chambers
A well rendered and rare surviving 1920s original oil on board illustration by the prolific New York artist Charles M. Relyea. Featuring an art deco Indian Maiden this is a fine example of American calendar art and was a widely published image titled “Chums” which evokes the allure of the Indian Maiden and wonderfully captures the Depression-era popular fascination with exotic-themed escapism.
Artist: Charles Relyea
A dazzling, large oil on canvas painting by frequent Saturday Evening Post cover artist Frederic Stanley. This wild prohibition-era, Charleston-dancing, Roaring Twenties flapper girl celebrates a Loew’s Theatre New York Policeman’s Ball Burlesque show. This is a wonderfully rendered artwork and a piece of New York history originally owned by Eve Green, the first wife of hotel magnate Harry Helmsley. Created for the cover of the program associated with this 1926 review, this important work showcases the 1920s jazz-age aesthetic of Manhattan’s bustling Vaudeville/Burlesque social scene.
Artist: Frederic Stanley
A fine and rare surviving original pastel by Charles Sheldon of the young and lovely Jean Harlow from her early years around the time of her breakthrough role in Howard Hughes’ epic film of 1930 Hells Angels.
Artist: Charles Sheldon
The second work from a pair of 1920s gouache paintings by the Minneapolis Minnesota artist Lee Mero, titled “Land O’ the Sky Blue Water.” This retains its brightly colored pin striped art deco enamel painted wood frame. This was likely a commissioned work for the Buzza Motto Company who prospered during the Roaring 20s Jazz Age years providing prints, plaques, bridge tallies and menu books that captured the style and aesthetics of the burgeoning modernist art deco movement. This beautiful depiction of northern Minnesota’s 10,000 lakes glory captures the fascination with Native American culture with an Indian Chief in a birch-bark canoe and blue heron birds that are indigenous to the area.
Artist: Lee Mero
A fantastic original oil on board illustration by George Washington Hood exploring Swedish mythology, illustrating the story Silverwhite & Lillwacker in “The Swedish Fairy Book.” Caption reads “Then Silverwhite drew his sword with a great sweep, & rushed upon the sea troll.” From the Golden Age of Illustration this painting is a magical work that is beautifully framed and ready to enjoy, a 1921 First Edition copy of the published book with illustration featured on page 44 is included in the sale.
Artist: George Washington Hood
This April 16, 1927 cover painting for “Detective Story Magazine” by John A. Coughlin is titled on verso “Hoodooed.” The well rendered oil on canvas, signed lower left, depicts a train robbery heist scene, that from the title appears to fit into a larger intrigue of voodoo and mystery. This rare Street and Smith commissioned cover painting has been relined and stretched on new pine stretchers and is ready to frame and enjoy.
Artist: John Coughlin
A charming scarce surviving Street & Smith published pulp cover painting by John A. Coughlin, this was most likely used as the cover of the May 13, 1922 issue of “Detective Story Magazine”. The verso is titled “The Stolen Clew”, the dramatic and mysterious scene features Fu Manchu emerging from the background into the lair of a mad scientist. Research leads us to believe that this illustrates a scene from “Dr. Kreener’s Last Experiment,” a serialized story from Sax Rohmer’s “The Insidious Dr. Fu Manchu,” which was published in Detective Story Magazine.
Artist: John Coughlin
