Miguel Covarrubias: Negro Drawings, Copy No. 5/100

 The limited edition of Negro Drawings (New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1927) by Miguel Covarrubias consists of one hundred copies that were specially bound, numbered, and signed, with an original drawing laid in. Copy no. 5 was listed on AbeBooks on April 17. It has subsequently been sold, probably last month, by Capitol Hill Books of Washington, DC, for $3,500.

Miguel Covarrubias
Capitol Hill Books listing ended between April 17 and May 24, 2026

Note:  There are ninety-nine other drawings by Miguel Covarrubias in the limited edition of Negro Drawings and I'd be happy to post any that collectors would care to share. 

05279

Frank Crowninshield's Copy of The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans by Miguel Covarrubias

Caricaturist Miguel Covarrubias inscribed Vanity Fair editor Frank Crowninshield's copy of The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans in 1925, the year of publication. He credited Crowninshield with making the book possible, and included a caricature of himself in profile, alert and forward-leaning. In 1943, the 71-year-old Crowninshield, now retired, sold 1019 works of modern art from his collection at the Parke-Bernet Galleries in New York. His copy of the Covarrubias book may have been included in the sale, or else sold separately around the same time. It was purchased by one Jean B. Webster, who somehow found the author that year and had the book inscribed by him a second time with an updated self-caricature. Covarrubias has drawn himself older, heavier, and wearier. This extraordinary copy of the book today is in the library of collagist and illustrator Stephen Kroninger.

The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans, 1925
Inscribed "To Frank Crowninshield
who made this book possible
His friend
Miguel Covarrubias
New York Nov. 2 1925" with a self-portrait
and "For Jean B. Webster
Miguel Covarrubias
N.Y. Oct. 19, 1943" with a self-portrait

Photograph by Stephen Kroninger

Inscribed "To Frank Crowninshield
who made this book possible
His friend
Miguel Covarrubias
New York Nov. 2 1925"
with a self-portrait

Photograph by Stephen Kroninger

Inscribed "For Jean B. Webster
Miguel Covarrubias
N.Y. Oct. 19, 1943"
with a self-portrait

Photograph by Stephen Kroninger

Note:  I am grateful once more to Stephen Kroninger for photographing this gem from his library for Attempted Bloggery.

Miguel Covarrubias is recognized today as an outstanding caricaturist and artist. Images of original works of his are sought from readers for inclusion on this blog.


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02421

The 1946 Dutch Treat Show

If you were in town on November 9, 1946, you should have been at the Waldorf-Astoria Grand Ballroom for the annual Dutch Treat Show. Directed by no less a Dutch Treat Club member than George Abbott, the music included "The Dutch Treat Hymn" by Rodgers and Hammerstein. In fact, Richard Rodgers played a little piano as well.

The alternate title of the show was "What is Art?" That's always something worth pondering. The show's players were a veritable Who's Who in the world of illustration, publishing, and the performing arts. The performance included a comedy sketch by Rube Goldberg in which a young Wally Cox played someone named Stella—this was obviously classy stuff, and there were no women in the Dutch Treat Club to take the female roles anyway—and Vanity Fair's Frank Crowninshield (of the Algonquin Round Table too) played, naturally, a connoisseur. Harry Staton, manager of the Herald Tribune Syndicate, played a visitor from the newly-created United Nations.

George Abbott played in his own sketch alongside Bennett Cerf. Cartoonist Otto Soglow got to realize his dream of being an actor by cross-dressing as Gilda in a sketch by Deems Taylor. The New Yorker's Rea Irvin was one of many extras.

There was a lot more going on. Just take a look at the program. And please tip your waiter.

John E. Sheridan
The D.T. Presents the 1946 Show

"AND FINALLY—PLEASE TIP YOUR WAITER"

Note:  My thanks again go to Stephen Kroninger for scanning this program which he found inserted in one of his Dutch Treat Club yearbooks.

Memorabilia of the Dutch Treat Club makes a welcome addition to the blog. I'd love to take a look at what odd items readers have on hand.


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02389

Al Hirshfeld: The Algonquin Round Table

If you'd like to glimpse some of New York's literary lights of the 1920's you can't do better than this. Al Hirschfeld's famous lithograph of the Algonquin Round Table is a classic image of the celebrated literary lunchtime crowd. Present are Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne, Broadway stars seated at the back, Frank Crowninshield, standing, and host Frank Case, also standing. Seated clockwise from the left are Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Alexander Woollcott, Heywood Broun, Marc Connelly, Franklin P. Adams, Edna Ferber, George S. Kaufman, and Robert Sherwood. The original drawing is similar, but it had a different background. The name of Hirschfeld's daughter Nina is hidden once in the image.

People came and went at the Round Table, so not all of the members are depicted. Not present here, sadly, is Harold Ross, founding editor of the New Yorker. Neither is Harpo Marx, Broadway star along with his brothers before they became movie stars. Writer Frank Sullivan isn't around either. Neither are Deems Taylor or Tallulah Bankhead. Still, it's probably as good a lunchtime crowd as you're going to find anywhere. The original lithograph is available from the Margo Feiden Galleries.

Me, I eat alone at my desk.

Al Hirschfeld, The Algonquin Round Table, lithograph, edition of 110

Al Hirschfeld, The Algonquin Round Table, lithograph, edition of 110

EBay Item, April 2015

http://www.ebay.com/itm/AL-HIRSCHFELD-Hand-Signed-ALGONQUIN-ROUND-TABLE-C-of-A-ltd-ed-Dorothy-Parker-/231350645561?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35dd92b339

EBay Item Description

The original drawing differs from the lithograph in some of the background details. 

Al Hirschfeld, The Algonquin Round Table, drawing

http://www.melgilden.com/Essays/Musings/MusingEssays/Essay32.html

Al Hirschfeld, The Algonquin Round Table, lithograph, edition of 110

Note:  There's more here about the great Al Hirschfeld, a legend in his own right.

01508