1950s

Rare surviving original illustration art for Rogue for Men Magazine. A lurid genre defining cover by Lloyd Rognan for an April 1956 edition . Rognan had a long and prolific career as an illustrator, he studied with an early WPA art student project, contributed regularily for Stars and Stripes. Later his science fiction pulp artwork appeared as covers for such publications as Fate, Imagination, ImaginativeTales, and other sci fi pulp magazines exploiting the “pre-Apollo” moon mission space travel craze. This is a particularily rich interpretation of a Men’s magazine cover, and finally someone had the nerve to portray things as seen here.

Man the Beast

Artist: Lloyd Rognan

An original Brown & Bigelow published illustration for calendar use by their art director Clair V. Fry. Fry studied at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, the Chicago Art Institute and the Minneapolis Art Institute. He was Art Director of Brown and Bigelow for 35 years, working with Norman Rockwell, Maxfield Parrish and N. C. Wyeth. He taught at St. Paul School of Arts and Sciences and has frequently conducted painting workshops. He retired with his wife to Sun City, Arizona and was a member of the Arizona Watercolor Association.

Hatted Glamour Girl With Demitasse

Artist: Clair Fry

A rare and detailed original gouache illustration of a frenetic hockey scene for either a sports pulp cover or an interior 2 page spread for a slick mainstream publication. Art is signed William Reusswig and dated on verso as seen. A recent sale at the Illustration House in New York City at auction brought $18,000+ for a pulp cover by this well listed artist.

Hockey

Artist: William Reusswig

An original commissioned oil on canvas for Brown and Bigelow for use as a reproduced calendar pin-up illustration by Paul Cernia. A fun western-themed cowgirl image in the Gil Elvgren manner of campy, sexy, shapely, pin-up frivolity. Nicely framed and in excellent untouched original condition.

Brown & Bigelow Pin Up Cowgirl Painting

Artist: Paul Cernia

A wonderful commisioned Brown and Bigelow “Calendar Girl” original pastel by Earl Moran, for an August 1956 Calendar, titled NOW’S THE TIME FOR DREAMS OF YOU, A PLEASURE FINE AND WONDROUS TOO… Classic American pin-up imagery, a seated, Marilyn Monroe-esque, redhead reclining in a diaphonous, green silk nightgown. Sale includes a color, printed calendar page and a mutoscope card of image as seen. In period gesso wood frame, nicely and professionally double matted and ready to hang.

August 1956 Pin Up Calendar Girl

Artist: Earl Moran

I am proud to offer the original illustration, created in 1952 by T.N. Thompson for The Champion Line. This image turned up for many years and was featured on desk calendars, as well as large hanging calendars with commissioned advertising pads. The early title was: GALS IN GINGHAM SUITED DAD, BLONDES IN LACE FOR THIS LAD. Later when Marilyn Monroe became the international sensation and sexy nude pin-up, this was retitled simply Marilyn for obvious reasons. Double matted and professionally framed in a vintage, gold gesso, wood stepped frame. Includes a letter from Brown & Bigelow expressing this painting’s authenticity, and a copied catalog showing this iconic illustration in various incarnations from Champion Product Lines.

Marilyn Monroe

Artist: T. N. Thompson

Alejandro Serrat Blasco-Ibanez was a 20th century post-cubist Master. This piece of work was found after his death entombed in the basement of his parents’ home in Los Angeles. He was the nephew of the famed Vincente Blasco-Ibanez, who was made popular by his novel The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This stunning gouache painting is a great example of his textural cubist renderings.

Post Cubist Portrait of Woman

Artist: Alejandro Serrat Blasco-Ibanez

Alejandro Serrat Blasco-Ibanez was a 20th century Post-Cubist Master. This piece of work was found after his death entombed in the basement of his parents’ home in Los Angeles. He was the nephew of the famed Vincente Blasco-Ibanez, who was made popular by his novel The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. This stunning gouache painting is a great example of his textural cubist renderings.

Modern Madonna

Artist: Alejandro Serrat Blasco-Ibanez

An original Brown & Bigelow commissioned illustration presumably for a jewelers’ calendar advertisement. Bill Layne was best known for his humorous “hillbilly” renderings which blended in shapely pin-up girls and elves. During the later years of Brown & Bigelow’s long run, Layne was one of their star illustrators.

Holiday Cheer

Artist: Bill Layne

Rare, original cover-art for a 1950 Line-Up Detective Cases pulp magazine, illustrating the interior story: I am a $100 a Night Call Girl! This is a genre defining example of 1950’s pulp bad girl cover-art and like much pulp art, it is unsigned but came directly from the Dodd estate.

Line-Up Detective Cases “Red Head Call Girl”

Artist: Howell Dodd

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