1950s

A wonderfully inventive and unique early space-age (dated 1955) gouache calendar illustration by Bill Layne for the Royal 76 Gas Station chain. Showing the companies inventive and modernist machine age state of the art service station facilities. Uniquely embellished by the artist with his familiar elf figures and space exploration themes. Banner flag reads “Tickets Here For Cosmic Ray Absorber”. This is a tremendous futuristic work that should find traction among Petroliana collectors and space-age/atomic age lovers.

Space Age Royal 76 Petroliana

Artist: Bill Layne

An unusual and impacting Edwin Georgi interior illustration that appeared in The March 1952 Edition of Cosmopolitan Magazine in a story titled “The Coward”. A luminous and other wordly Georgi-girl seemingly kissing an enlisted soldier engaged in fierce combat goodbye.

The Coward

Artist: Edwin Georgi

A finely rendered lovely red headed nude siren by Pal Fried, this is a fresh Chicago estate find in a fine state of original conservation in a handsome ornate carved wood period frame. Titled on back of canvas “Tina” in the artists hand, a defining and sexually charged erotic depiction by the prolific and celebrated Hungarian portrait painter.

Tina

Artist: Pal Fried

A delightful and rare surviving Art Frahm pin-up Calendar oil painting likely commissioned by The Joseph Hoover Calendar Company. This was from the collection of the late Charles Martignette, co-author of “The Great American Pin-up”. Verso indicates the work was done by Vaughan Bass but it is clearly initialed lower left by Art Frahm and is the work of Frahm without question. This was likely mislabeled years ago by a Calendar Company printer or office worker.

Come on Over

Artist: Art Frahm

A wonderful nude mermaid themed Bill Layne Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company commissioned illustration, the second of two are offering at Grapefruit Moon Gallery. A 1950s-60s gouache on board created for one of this calendar company’s jewelry advertising accounts. This depicts a topless pin-up girl mermaid on a balance scale with a tray of freshly mined pearls surrounded underwater by a host of male atomic-age sea dwellers. The type of scene only Bill Layne could envision and execute. The whimsical charm predicts Layne’s later career in the animation department for Walt Disney feature films. We expect Bill Layne to become a wildly collected and important artist in years to come.

A Mermaid Weighs In

Artist: Bill Layne

The finest example of a Bill Layne Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company commissioned illustration we have had to offer. A 1950s-era gouache on board titled “Pearl Gardens, for Cultivated Pearls”. Created for one of this calendar company’s jewelry advertising accounts, the image depicts a pair of topless pin-up girl mermaids in an underwater oyster mine with a host of male atomic-age sea dwellers. The type of scene only Bill Layne could envision and execute.

Pearl Gardens

Artist: Bill Layne

A rare original Norman Saunders cover painting created for a 1950s era pulp publication. Saunders created a similarly composed Black Mask pulp cover in 1950 with essentially the same scene. This is a defining example of the suspense and danger that are the trademarks of Saunders masterful noir cover paintings. The painting has been estate stamped by the artist’s daughter and work is nicely and professionally framed.

A Masquarading Jewel Thief

Artist: Norman Saunders

A typically action packed interior illustration gouache painting by Mort Kunstler for the April 1957 edition of Sports Afield Magazine. A large menacing polar bear in pre-global warming, shrinking ice cap terrain with a Cessna water landing small aircraft as the backdrop. Nicely matted and framed and in pristine condition. Issue of magazine included in sale, caption reads “Not now!” I screamed at him. Too Late. There was no sound of slug hitting flesh. Instead, it chopped through the fuselage and smashed into the motor…

Top of the World

Artist: Mort Künstler

A well executed and conceived oil on illustration board created as cover art for an as of yet unidentified Romance paperback. Scene features a Gone With The Wind inspired Civil War era southern plantation interior scene with the requisite pretty maiden. Artwork is by the illustrator Ray Pease, and comes nicely framed and in a fine state of preservation.

A Romance Novel

Artist: Raymond Pease

A large, luminous pastel created as pin up calendar art for the Thomas D. Murphy Calendar Company of Red Oak Iowa. This colorful and bright mid-century bathing beauty scene by the artist Paul Kafka was marketed under the title “Sunny.” Nicely framed and properly lined under glass. A multi-image color separation proof series and finished calendar print is included in sale as well as a complete Calendar line Salesman Sample Brochure for the year 1952 titled “The Murphy Record Prize Edition; What Lines!”. Featuring this calendar girl as the cover by The Thos. D. Murphy Calendar Company.

Sunny

Artist: Paul Kafka

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