Brown & Bigelow

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

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

The legendary pastel by Earl Moran of a young pin-up model soon to become Marilyn Monroe. In 1949 the young, winsome Norma Jean approached the established Earl Moran with dreams of modeling for his portraits. With Moran’s eye for beauty, there was no hesitation and a series of illustrations of Marilyn Monroe were born. This pastel was commissioned Calendar Art for Brown & Bigelow and was originally titled CONSENTIDA( an example appears on their webpage ) and marketed to a Latin audience initially.

Marilyn Monroe as “The Spanish Girl”

Artist: Earl Moran

A fun and decidedly unabashed, sexy pin-up calendar girl by Saint Paul native and Brown and Bigelow illustrator Paul Cernia. Image is titled High Pressure Cooker and labeled on back stretcher. There are numerous overpainted signings of the artists signature as he was seemingly trying to create a stylized version to go with his new found pin-up commissions. Many times these racy images of this era would fade into the canvas and leave nonessential, non-girl details ommitted. It is not clear if this piece is unfinished or completed as intended. Retains what would appear to be original plain handsome wood frame.

High Pressure Cooker

Artist: Paul Cernia

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

Wonderfully-executed, humorous, situational pin-up pastel of a sexy, nude redhead caught “red handed” basking in the rays of a “modern” sun lamp. This was given to a Brown & Bigelow retiree and has never before been on market! This pastel personifies American Pin-Up Art. The artwork retains the original period frame this is the February month calendar girl for the 12-page Brown And Bigelow Earl Moran pin-up calendar titled, Nifty Numbers. Included is a near mint condition Brown and Bigelow mutoscope vintage card with the artwork as seen.

Is My Face Red?

Artist: Earl Moran

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