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Grapefruit Moon Gallery

Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration

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College Humor

A colorful estate fresh pastel sketch by Rolf Armstrong C. 1930 of his lithe modernist pin-up model Margery Crampton, posed on the bow of a well rendered Chris-Craft Runabout art deco boat. This was a preliminary sketch for the August 1930 issue of College Humor Magazine. While unsigned, pastel is guaranteed to be by the hand of Rolf Armstrong, from the collection of Ken Galente former owner of Silver Screen Gallery in New York.

The Boating Type

Artist: Rolf Armstrong
Price:  Sold

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1930s, american, art deco, bathing beauty, Chris-Craft, College Humor, erotic, flapper, jazz age, Margery Crampton, original cover art, pin up, Rolf Armstrong, study
Added to Gallery: September 27, 2012

A large and beautiful original pastel by Rolf Armstrong that first appeared as a pin-up calendar for The Thos. D. Murphy Calendar Company under the title “Orchids To You”. Armstrong only created eight artworks for the Iowa based company, and as he was already America’s premiere glamour illustrator when he began working with them, he was permitted to retain ownership of his original pastels. He often reworked these slightly for use as covers for College Humor magazine, during the tail end of his ten year association with the periodical. Staying just outside copyright infringement by removing the orchids from the model’s left hand, and placing a “New York” and “C” for copyright under his distinctive signature, this altered version appeared on the cover of College Humor in March of 1936, the last time an Armstrong girl would grace this title. This pastel appears in a mid 1930s “Armstrong Art Service’s” brochure with the title of “Flower of the North” which is included in sale.

Flower of the South

Artist: Rolf Armstrong
Price:  S O L D

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1930s, american, art deco, College Humor, glamour, magazine cover, orchid, original calendar art, original cover art, pin up, Rolf Armstrong, Thomas D. Murphy Calendar Company
Added to Gallery: March 25, 2012

A whimsical snow scene pastel illustration by Rolf Armstrong which initially appeared as the cover for College Humor in December of 1929. This image was slightly altered by Armstrong and appeared again in 1936 as a Brown & Bigelow Calendar titled “The Call of the North”. The pastel was dedicated to Stan Fenelle another Brown & Bigelow artist by Armstrong and is a new to the market Saint Paul Minnesota estate find. Work is matted and framed in a period art deco era Newcomb-Macklin antique gold carved frame.

Call of the North

Artist: Rolf Armstrong
Price:  S O L D

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1920s, american, Brown & Bigelow, College Humor, flapper, original calendar art, original cover art, pin up, pulp, Rolf Armstrong, The Golden Gallery, winter
Added to Gallery: May 27, 2008

I am pleased to offer a wonderfully executed original pastel by Rolf Armstrong that was used as a College Humor Magazine cover (February 1933) and also as a pair of Brown & Bigelow calendar prints titled Lets Go Places and a cropped “head only” version titled Florence published a few years later in 1937. A skillfully executed and elaborately detailed (and large for the artist) pastel of a sassy, beret-wearing blonde and her Scottish terrier. Classic good girl imagery by the father of American Pin-up.

Lets Go Places

Artist: Rolf Armstrong
Price:  S O L D

Filed Under: Sorry, It's Sold
Tagged With: 1930s, american, art deco, Brown & Bigelow, College Humor, flapper, good girl art, magazine cover, original calendar art, original cover art, pin up, Rolf Armstrong, scotty, The Golden Gallery
Added to Gallery: January 16, 2006

 

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    About Grapefruit Moon Gallery

    Grapefruit Moon Gallery, based in Minneapolis MN, specializes in vintage pin up and original illustration art.  We are the proud home of the Bunny Yeager archives.

    Since 2003, Grapefruit Moon Gallery has been a leading dealer of exclusive original paintings by Gil Elvgren, Alberto Vargas, Earl Moran, Rolf Armstrong and Henry Clive, as well as vintage photographs, prints, and period decorative arts in ceramic and metal.

    All artworks featured are original, accurately represented, and guaranteed to be the work of the named artist.

    Interested buyers may view pieces by appointment and we are happy to answer any questions you may have. [Contact Us]

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