Original Art from the Grand Age of American Illustration
This dramatic and deftly rendered gouache was created as the cover for “Male” February 1966 “Yank Imposter In The Luftwaffe,” and reprinted as an interior 2 page spread in the June 1967 issue of “For Men Only” titled “10 Days To Bring In The Death Head General.” A remarkably tight work that shows Kunstler at his best, using an almost photo-realist technique to create tension, menace and fear.
Artist: Mort Künstler
An original gouache on board created for the cover of the September 1962 edition of For Men Only, illustrating the story Operation”Never-Talk:” Shocking Revenge of Norway’s Partisan Nymph. (A Smuggled-In Yank And A Wild Anti-Nazi Underground Girl by James S. Wagner. A large finely rendered scene of a bungled SS operation, with a trio of tightly wound American service men, a gathering of inebriated Nazi’s and a pair of scantily clad female secret agents acting as decoys.
Artist: Mort Künstler
A large gouache illustration for the January 1961 edition of Stag Magazine. A daring night time rescue depiction illustrating the interior story “The Amazing GI Who Took Three Head Hunting Brides. A Pacific Island World War II entanglement complete with topless native women and native headhunters and a lone anglo-saxonized square jawed daring G.I.
Artist: Mort Künstler
The Augsbrug Sailors is a dramatic, boldly rendered, surrealist and homoerotic World War II illustration by the renowned illustrator Karl Godwin. Best remembered for his longtime work as artist for Reader’s Digest and calendar illustration, Godwin was a versatile talent, as shown by this unusual, patriotic image of one semi-nude sailor defiantly eyeing the sky as he cares for his wounded brother in arms. Piece comes nicely matted and framed in a fine gold gesso period gallery frame.
Artist: Karl Godwin
A rare surviving original charcoal-and-graphite illustration by United States Navy Man McClelland Barclay. The lovely woman is “Eve Witney” from Brazil, an incarnation of a recipient of Y.W.C.A. war relief. Presumably this image was used as a poster design/brochure in a fund raising or awareness raising campaign showing the international reach of the Y.W.C.A. The image is from a series of Four Reasons Why You Should Give to the Y.W.C.A. World Emergency Funds.
Artist: McClelland Barclay
A defining patriotic themed large original pastel by the father of American Pin-up Rolf Armstrong created for the Brown & Bigelow Calendar company. A fetching bathing beauty with modern features and build strikes a celebratory pose in front of a red, white and blue beach umbrella in this World War II-era pin-up In The Pink. The model was Margery Crampton and the appeal of this bright large work is universal.
Artist: Rolf Armstrong
Original cover art from a story by Private Robert Ross Carney from the pages of the July 1972 Adventure for Men. Story is titled The Battle The Big Brass Bungled. Artwork is a gouache on illustration board and nicely matted and framed. A genre defining noir World War II daring rescue depiction with the required damsel in distress and the menacing SS officers getting foiled by sheer tenacity and by the element of suprise. ( Not unlike a vintage Hogan’s Heroes T.V. episode…) By the well listed illustrator and pulp cover artist George Gross.
Artist: George Gross
An original World War II era pin-up illustration featuring a Marlene Dietrich – esque lovelorn pin-up admiring her 2 enlisted men presumably stationed in Europe ” over there ” as it were… Classic bad girl campy imagery which was used as art for a Mennon gift box for Men lithographed box for the set which is included in the sale. Signed Bischoff on the box (only, not on gouache artwork itself). This is by Herman E. Bischoff an illustrator that worked for Esquire Magazine and created covers for Liberty magazine during the 1940s – 50s.
Artist: Herman Bischoff
