Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
Ruth Harriet Louise, the groundbreaking female photographer who created some of the best known 1920s jazz age Hollywood portraits for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, here captures Mae Murray at her most provocative and playful. Her “bee-stung lips” are on full display in his orientalist inspired and erotic sepia view. Large double-weight photographs such as this were never intended for widespread distributions, and were hand printed by the photographers themselves.
Artist: Ruth Harriet Louise
A large, signed and dated oil on canvas by noted and prolific Golden age illustrator Ralph Pallen Coleman. The work was commissioned for a 2 page spread in the November 1933 edition of Redbook Magazine, illustrating the Military-themed melodrama “Rank and File” by Charles L. Clifford and Mary C. McCall, Jr. The published edition of Redbook is included in the sale and the painting is nicely framed and ready to hang.
Artist: Ralph Coleman
A rare surviving pastel cover illustration by Cardwell Higgins for the first issue of Screen Humor Magazine; January 1934, Volume #1 – Issue #1. A very sexy flapper girl in silk stockings and garter belts from the art deco era when America’s news stands were filled with these often times very short lived runs of titillating Spicy Pulp titles that featured brazenly erotic pin-up girl depictions of showgirls and jazz-age playthings.
Artist: Cardwell Higgins
This original oil painting is one of three estate finds by the artist “Eyre” which was possibly a pseudonym for the east coast 1920s – 30s Illustrator Edward Eggleston. Though this example is unsigned, it was undoubtedly created by the same hand as the two signed Eyre pieces, and all three strongly resemble the work of Eggleston, who created several similar flapper girl seaside bathing beauty imagery for Atlantic City travel posters. The “EYRE” signature (visible in the other examples offered by the gallery) is stylistically similar to Eggleston’s signature and the color palette is reminiscent as well. This is a beautiful painting and is framed in an ornate period art deco frame matted behind glass.
Artist: Eyre
An enchanting watercolor painting by Alex Luders depicting a smoldering nude yet concealed flapper girl in the art deco manner. The detail on this is sensational. The artist Alex Luders did much commercial Hollywood advertising poster art for Fox Films including Shirley Temple and Jack Holt’s starring turn in the 1935 feature film The Littlest Rebel. This is presumed to also be a commissioned work for an as of yet undetermined art deco era movie campaign.
Artist: Alex Luders
Lavishly jazz age yet decadently romantic, this nude 1928 photograph of Ziegfeld Follies beauty Alice Lorraine is a spectacular showcase of the talents of Alfred Cheney Johnston. This photograph was mounted on beveled presentation board and hand signed by the iconic photographer, idolized for his masterful soft focus alluring and provocative images of showgirls, flappers, and film stars alike.
Artist: Alfred Cheney Johnston
A large and radiantly beautiful rare surviving signed F. Earl Christy pastel advertising illustration on canvas for “Parke, Davis & Co. Toilet Articles”. A jazz-age modernist interpretation of an art deco pin-up girl. F. Earl Christy was a prolific early 1900’s illustrator who’s career spanned four decades. We rarely come across his original works this is an estate fresh large and luminous example from his best period nicely framed and properly lined behind glass in a pristine state of original conservation.
Artist: Earl Christy
A delightful New years Day 1917 illustration in pen & ink by noted female artist and illustrator Nell Brinkley titled Happiness A Plenty. This finds the New Years Baby scene adapted to a young couple who are finding the joys of home and hearth that much more appealing with their new born cherubic smiling infant welcomed into the world. Signed lower middle and matted and framed in a simple black wood frame.
Artist: Nell Brinkley
A dazzling 1920s – early 30s art deco illustration painting of a playfully posed young flapper girl in silk nightie and ermine trimmed silk robe, amusing her kitty as was often the scene. Work is stylistically mindful of Edward Eggleston and Gene Pressler who created similar fanciful colorful and ornamental images for calendar companies of the era. It is our belief that this too was a published calendar image. Signed lower right “Eyre”.
Artist: Eyre
A large and magnificent rare surviving signed F. Earl Christy pastel advertising illustration on canvas for “The Princess Pat” Cosmetic Company. A defining glamorous pin-up girl with a chic and elegantly sophisticated jazz-age style and modernist machine age aesthetic. F. Earl Christy was a prolific early 1900’s illustrator who’s career spanned four decades. We rarely come across his original works this is an estate fresh large and luminous example from his best period nicely matted and framed in a pristine state of original conservation.
Artist: Earl Christy
