Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
An original 4″ by 5″ sepia photograph of Hollywood legend Jean Harlow posed nude at Los Angeles’ Griffith park in 1929. An original first generation gelatin silver antique photograph by Edwin Bower Hesser. From an Allied Artist’s Photographers Guild east coast estate find of eight years ago. An original graflex photograph taken and developed by Hesser for use in his “Art’s Monthly Pictorial” photography magazine for artists and art students.
Artist: Edwin Bower Hesser
An original 4″ by 5″ sepia photograph of Hollywood legend Jean Harlow posed nude at Los Angeles’ Griffith park in 1929. An original first generation gelatin silver antique photograph by Edwin Bower Hesser. From an Allied Artist’s Photographers Guild east coast estate find of eight years ago. An original graflex photograph taken and developed by Hesser for use in his “Art’s Monthly Pictorial” photography magazine for artists and art students.
Artist: Edwin Bower Hesser
An original pastel, gouache and graphite mixed media pin-up illustration by Frank D’amario. Little has been written about D’amario; we know that he worked for several calendar companies in the 1940s – 50s and was quite prolific producing dozens of published calendar pieces. Over our careers as antique dealers, we have sold prints and calendars of these images but his originals are scarce. He was very adept at these candlelit nudes and now seeing an original work by this artist we are struck by his unique technique and vision.
Artist: Frank D'Amario
An inspired and inventive take on the biblical epic of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Blaine was a unique talent, and counter culture avant-garde artist who worked outside of the confines of the mainstream. A life-long bohemian, his work became increasingly sexual and marginalized from the norm of illustration art, and as time went on he counted the magician Dunninger among his closest friends, and most important patrons. His eerie and erotic style bore witness to his fascination with dark arts.
Artist: Mahlon Blaine
An early fabulous pen & ink drawing by Cardwell Higgins in the art deco manner titled “Siamese Dancers”, possibly a commissioned work for use by Paramount Films where the artist was under contract in the late 1920s. Higgins completed a series of like minded costumed art deco pen & ink drawings between the years of 1927 – 1929 that were re-marketed as a series of limited edition art prints under the guidance of Charles Martignette in 1979. The work is finely matted and framed behind glass in a handsome art deco black and silver fine gallery frame.
Artist: Cardwell Higgins
A modernist, erotically charged, unconventional pin-up oil on canvas painting by Fritz Willis one of only several of the genre’s later-era stars. The model was the artist’s wife Pat, who frequently appeared in Willis’ work. The artist was unique in that he often painted in an openly erotic rather than coyly suggestive pin-up style, using props like opera gloves or silk stockings to highlight the allure of his models.
Artist: Fritz Willis
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 Grecian inspired, fantasy themed, mixed media illustration that was used by the Thos. D. Murphy Calendar company for a 1930 calendar titled The Glory That Was Ancient Greece. This whimsical yet erotic Grecian maiden themed work consists of a heavily tinted photograph of the two Grecian adorned beauties by L.G. Woolenden and an elaborate garden landscape painting by Rudolph Ingerle that envelopes the photographic element. This team of enterprising calendar art talents created numerous works under the pseudonym L. Goddard Surviving original L Goddard artworks are quite rare and spectacular, and among our favorite examples of fantastical and escapist art deco/Great Depression calendar illustration. A large printed calendar from the Thomas D. Murphy calendar company archives is included in the sale.
Artist: L. Goddard
A finely rendered lovely red headed nude siren by Pal Fried, this is a fresh Chicago estate find in a fine state of original conservation in a handsome ornate carved wood period frame. Titled on back of canvas “Tina” in the artists hand, a defining and sexually charged erotic depiction by the prolific and celebrated Hungarian portrait painter.
Artist: Pal Fried
