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Grapefruit Moon Gallery is delighted to offer the original published cover pastel by the obscure female New York City Illustrator Tempest Inman used for the July 1922 cover of Photoplay Magazine. This captures to great affect the smoldering intensity and rugged good looks of the Latin lover film star Rudolph Valentino. This is easily the most famous movie magazine cover in Hollywood film history the image is reproduced as the cover of the hardcover book “Photoplay Treasury” that came out in 1972. This was owned by Ken Galente in New York City who operated The Silver Screen Gallery in the garment district for many years until his death. I had the pastel silk lined and framed in a 22 carat gold leaf frame and it displays wonderfully, the condition is excellent with strong vibrant colors and great clarity.

Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Artist: Tempest Inman

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

This early original pin-up pastel which Earl Moran created for the Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company of Saint Paul Mn is a variation of the 1942 mutoscope card “Easy To Take”. It is unclear whether Moran liked his naughty nurse themed offering so much that he created this similarly styled image soon after its publication, or if this was Moran’s original idea, and Brown & Bigelow asked for him to turn from the French Maid homecoming piece seen here into an example of the popular candy striper pin up which was published as a hotcha girl image.

Easy to Take

Artist: Earl Moran

A large art deco modernist pastel illustration by Rolf Armstrong titled “Hello Everybody”. From the estate of Mike Wooldridge and never before offered for sale, this is easily one of Armstrong’s most iconic works for The Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company. For good reason, this is one of the artist’s most widely distributed images featuring a cute and sassy flapper girl in feminine jazz-age business attire. One of Armstrong’s most prolifically used creations, Wooldridge collected versions of the image used in playing cards, advertising blotters, notebook tablets, calendars and prints in all sizes and configurations. Many are included with sale.

Hello Everybody

Artist: Rolf Armstrong

See gallery co-owner Dan Murphy interviewed by KSTP News anchor Cyndy Brucato. He discusses the origins of Grapefruit Moon and his own personal collection, as well as the general history of pin up at auction, in regards to his new exhibition “Dream Girl: Classic American Illustration.” On view September 13th to October 23rd, 2007.

Dream Girls

This good girl art original pastel exemplifies the beauty and personality which kept pin up and glamour a mainstay of calendar imagery even after illustration began giving way to technicolor photography in popularity. This features a fresh faced auburn haired modernist beauty queen from 1975 envisioned by the leading female pin-up illustrator Pearl Frush and published by Gerlach-Barklow of Joliet Illinois.

A Modern Miss 1975

Artist: Pearl Frush

A Christmas themed dazzling original calendar illustration by Bill Layne for The Brown & Bigelow Calendar Company. This was for a pharmacy drugstore account and appeared on a Christmas Holiday Calendar in 1953. Layne worked for Walt Disney in the art department creating story board graphics and design embellishments which is apparent here in his twinkling Tinkerbell fairy goddess depiction.

Tinkerbell Rx

Artist: Bill Layne

A radiant and pristine original pastel glamour pin-up illustration by Pearl Frush, created in 1944 and used in the 1945 Gerlach-Barklow calendar line under the title “Lovely as the Dawn”. This really shows to great affect what Frush was able to create with her almost photo-realist in technique pastel mastery. Housed in its handsome original presentation frame properly lined behind glass with a verso tag from Robberson Steel Co. of Oklahoma who was gifted this pastel in exchange for their advertising.

Lovely As The Dawn

Artist: Pearl Frush

“Angel Face” is a dazzling, nearly photo-realist 1959 original glamour girl pin-up pastel by Pearl Frush which was published by the Gerlach-Barklow Calendar Company of Joliet Illinois. This was gifted by a salesman at Gerlach-Barklow to the Robberson Steel Company of Oklahoma City in appreciation for their lucrative advertising account. Pastel is in a pristine state of conservation in the original gold wide profile frame lined behind glass with plate on front with title and year of print publication.

Angel Face

Artist: Pearl Frush

This good girl art original pastel exemplifies the beauty and personality which kept pin up and glamour a mainstay of calendar imagery even after illustration began giving way to photography in popularity. This features a fresh faced brunette envisioned by the leading female pin-up illustrator Pearl Frush and published by Gerlach-Barklow of Joliet Illinois. It was customary for calendar salesmen to reward premiere advertising accounts with original illustrations as incentive to keep advertising with the firm.

Miss 1964

Artist: Pearl Frush

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