Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
An original graphite preliminary pin-up sketch by Rolf Armstrong of his favorite pin-up model Jewel Flowers. Nicely framed and matted with an original color snapshot of Jewel as posed by Armstrong in a wide brimmed straw sun hat from this specific setting, (likely taken by Rolf Armstrong himself). From the Jewel Flowers estate, gifted to Mike Wooldridge the co-author of Pin-up Dreams.
Artist: Rolf Armstrong
A spectacularly alluring, inquisitive and beautiful view of Myrna Loy, captured in her pre-code early career by the master of Hollywood photography George Hurrell. In a gentle sepia on a large format double weight semi-gloss paperstock, Hurrell captures the beauty of the young Myrna Loy, with her effortless art deco style, and emboldened flapper sensibility. This is blindstamped by Hurrell lower right, and inkstamped on verso. This is a hand printed gallery portrait never intended for distribution, and is a moving rare portrait.
Artist: George Hurrell
This touching, personal charcoal portrait by Rolf Armstrong features his long-time housekeeper and personal friend Rebekah Louisa Hooper–Ma Hoops–in a lovingly rendered Hawaiian islands view, with traditional plumeria tucked behind her ear. Hooper worked at Armstrong’s homes in Honolulu Hawaii and Marblehead Massachusetts, becoming a fixture in his tight knit circle.
Artist: Rolf Armstrong
This is a unique and intriguing pair of original illustrations by Rolf Armstrong, created over the July 4th weekend in 1941, at the Brown & Bigelow holiday company retreat at Breezy Point Lodge in Northern Minnesota. Armstrong, and his favorite model, Jewel Flowers, were celebrities at the event, and Armstrong was called upon to create this impromptu view of Jewel in all-American sporting poses, as an instructional event. Jewel sat lakeside modeling, as Rolf depicted her first beneath a tent, then with a dog, then finally, holding a newly caught fish, similar to the prized walleye she caught at Breezy Point that weekend. These two pieces provide a rare look at the process Armstrong used to develop his iconic pin up creations, and come from the estate of Mike Wooldridge the co-author of “Pin-up Dreams” the well regarded and thoughtfully compiled monograph on the artist.
Artist: Rolf Armstrong
From the estate of Mike Wooldridge, our friend sadly departed and deeply missed author, historian and advanced pin-up collector comes this new to the the market original pastel illustration by Rolf Armstrong. Pictured is Jewel Flowers, the artist’s favorite model and dear friend for decades. This beautiful pin up portrait dates to the war years of the 1940s and Jewel is depicted in a star spangled red, white and blue patriotic scarf as she readies herself to embark in an afternoon of sailing. Armstrong for several years in the early 1940s had a summer studio in Marblehead Mass, where he was able to combine his love of women, sailing and art and absorb the beautiful seaside imagery and bright vibrant colors associated with this historic beach town.
Artist: Rolf Armstrong
A framed presentation grouping including a thumbnail pastel preliminary sketch by Rolf Armstrong and large format promotional gelatin silver photograph of Jewel Flowers as posed by Rolf Armstrong. These were created for a Brown & Bigelow Cowgirl themed Pin-up calendar titled “Try This” which first appeared in either 1949 or 1950. From the estate of Mike Wooldridge, the noted Armstrong scholar and collector. Mike befriended Jewel Flowers in the course of his research into Rolf Armstrong, and he acquired this directly from Jewel. This is charmingly framed in a rope adorned Western Americana wood frame behind glass and comes with the published B & B calendar of the finished pastel illustration. A unique and effective presentation of the work process of modeling, staging and creating a calendar commissioned pin-up pastel.
Artist: Rolf Armstrong
Doris Niles was a premiere ballerina and concert dancer, known primarily for her Spanish-inspired pieces, and one of the shining beauties of the New York stage. Her flamboyant continental costume and dramatically posed stance in this portrait by Nikolas Muray, capture the dancer’s unique and refined sensibility. Muray, one of the masters of the modern expressive style, chronicled the New York dance world in the art deco jazz age, and his expert eye is on display to fine effect in this seductive view.
Artist: Nickolas Muray
Before her tenure as the reigning queen of Hollywood society, and her long-standing position as mistress of newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst, Marion Davies was among the most beautiful of Florence Ziegfeld’s glorified American girls. Here, she is a delicate princess captured at the height of her beauty by Alfred Cheney Johnston, who had as much a part of creating the Follies reputation as Ziegfeld himself.
Artist: Alfred Cheney Johnston
An exquisitely posed, unusually delicate view of Myrna Loy, by Elmer Fryer, the Hollywood glamour photographer who had perhaps the best sense of modernist style and fashion. This unusual view features Loy in blonde wig in her role as Sophie the dancer in “Bride of the Regiment.” An early view of the star, who would come to be known for her sassy wit and hard nosed sexuality in the Nick & Nora Thin Man series.
Artist: Elmer Fryer
A large and fresh (in all respects) original pastel illustration by Rolf Armstrong, the father of American pin up. Created in 1940 for the Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company and titled “Let’s Get Together” this features a streamlined modernist view of model Dorothy Conover in as close to a situational pin-up entanglement as Armstrong cared to venture. For many years this was in the collection of Armstrong model and confidante Jewel Flowers.
Artist: Rolf Armstrong
