Robert Frank's Les Américains with Cover Art by Saul Steinberg

Les Américains is a 1958 book featuring reproductions of Robert Frank's iconic photographic portraits of Americans. A critical design element of the original French edition was illustrating the front and back book covers not with photos but with drawings on graph paper by Saul Steinberg. The pen and ink drawings depict city streetscapes with the graph paper grid representing modern, oversized buildings. A first edition is coming up for auction at Swann Galleries on October 18 with an estimate of $2,000-$3,000.

Robert Frank

Swann Auction Galleries

Artists & Amateurs:  Photographs & Photobooks

October 18, 2018

https://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/asp/fullcatalogue.asp?salelot=2489+++++408+&refno=748984

Some other images of another copy of the book are provided by D&D Galleries of Somerville on AbeBooks. They include Steinberg's back and front covers and some of Frank's photographs. This copy is priced at $2495, which is right in the middle range of the Swann Galleries high and low estimates.

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/first-edition/Americains-Robert-Frank-Paris-Delpire-1958/22771981135/bd

AbeBooks Listing Retrieved September 24, 2018

https://www.abebooks.co.uk/first-edition/Americains-Robert-Frank-Paris-Delpire-1958/22771981135/bd

October 18, 2018 Update:  Sold!

Hammer Price $1,100

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Robert Frank

Saul Steinberg

Photography

Attempted Bloggery's Graphic Index

02688

Howard Chandler Christy: I Am an American

In January, Howard Chandler Christie's 1941 study for his I Am an American billboard poster was sold at Swann Auction Galleries in New York. Model Elise Ford poses as Columbia. I Am an American Day was held on May 18, 1941 in Central Park.

Howard Chandler Christy, Study for I Am an American, 1941

Swann Galleries, January 28, 2016, Sale 2403, Lot 148

http://catalogue.swanngalleries.com/asp/fullcatalogue.asp?salelot=2403+++++148+&refno=++709346&image=0

Howard Chandler Christy, I Am an American poster stamp

http://www.ebay.com/itm/I-Am-an-AMERICAN-Howard-Chandler-Christy-Patriotic-Poster-Stamp-1941-/120900221604

Robert Frank, Untitled—I am an American Day Sign, in the permanent collection of the Herbert F. Johnson Museum at Cornell University.

http://www.swanngalleries.com/news/2016/01/notes-from-the-catalogue-howard-chandler-christys-i-am-an-american/

01905

Al Hirschfeld and the Vicious Circle

In 1951, Margaret Case Harriman, the daughter of the Hotel Algonquin's Frank Case, published The Vicious Circle:  The Story of the Algonquin Round Table. The Algonquin's celebrated wits were illustrated by the great Al Hirschfeld. These scans from an author-inscribed copy of the book were taken by Stephen Kroninger.

Al Hirschfeld

The Vicious Circle:  The Story of the Algonquin Round Table, 1951

by Margaret Case Harriman, front cover

Scan by Stephen Kroninger

Image added August 22, 2021

Host Frank Case is illustrated over a copy of the dinner menu at the Algonquin.

Frank Case

It's a man's world, but Dorothy Parker knows the way in.

Dorothy Parker

An unusual double portrait:

George S. Kaufman, Edna Ferber

Heywood Broun takes his work home with him.

Heywood Broun

Are there two sides to Alexander Woollcott?

Alexander Woollcott

Columnist Franklin P. Adams, or FPA., writes "The Conning Tower."

Franklin P. Adams

Bob Benchley in the spring...

Robert Benchley

The New Yorker's editor Harold Ross (as we saw here yesterday)...

Harold Ross

Trio:

Robert Sherwood, Irving Berlin, Marc Connelly

Progressive but understated:

Ruth Hale, Jane Grant

Author and dog lover:

Robert Frank

Author photo of Margaret Case Harriman and Topper.

The Vicious Circle: The Story of the Algonquin Round Table, 1951, back cover

Note:  Once again, all artwork from The Vicious Circle is © by the Al Hirschfeld Foundation. My thanks to Stephen Kroninger for permission to use his scans of the book. Tomorrow evening, September 29 at 6:30, he will participate in a panel discussion entitled "The Hirschfeld Century Speaks" at the Art Students League in Manhattan. Joining him on the panel will be Ken Fallin, Drew Friedman, and Bill Jacklin, while David Leopold, the Creative Director of the Al Hirschfeld Foundation, will be the moderator.

Have you seen "The Hirschfeld Century" at the New-York Historical Society? It's a stunning exhibition, but it will close October 12. Don't miss it.

Follow the aqua links to more of my Attempted Bloggery posts about the Algonquin Round Table including host Frank Case and members Franklin P. Adams (FPA), Irving Berlin, Robert Benchley, Heywood Broun, Marc Connelly, Edna Ferber, George S. Kaufman, Dorothy Parker, Harold Ross, and Alexander Woollcott. There's also more in the archives about author Margaret Case Harriman and of course illustrator Al Hirschfeld.

Let's not forget back cover portrait photographer Robert Frank.

My table at the Algonquin? It's in the boiler room.

01639

George Price's Carnival

This original illustration of carnival performers by George Price was offered on eBay in 2012. Over the course of that year, the opening bid was reduced from $1,500 to $1,000. I am not aware of it finding a buyer.

The seller stated that this piece was created for the New Yorker, but there is reason to doubt this. While Price was indeed a cartoonist for the magazine, this is certainly not a typical gag cartoon with a caption but more of an illustration. If this was intended as for the New Yorker circa 1960, there would be no need for any color as the editorial content of the magazine was strictly black and white then. It seems more likely to be an illustration for a book or for some other magazine.

George Price, Carnival performers

George Price, Carnival performers

January 24, 2014 Update:  Reader David from Manhattan points out that the sideshow performer with three balls distorting his mouth appears in a famous photograph by Robert Frank. The photograph dates from 1958, making it possible that George Price used it as source material for this illustration. In 1972, the photo became much more widely known when it was used as the cover art for the "Exile on Main Street" album by the Rolling Stones, but this fact is likely unrelated to the Price artwork.

Robert Frank, Tattoo Parlor, 8th Avenue, New York City, 1958

http://fansinaflashbulb.wordpress.com/2010/05/18/exiles/

It is also possible that George Price saw the original publicity photographs on display at Hubert's Museum, which is where the Frank photograph might actually have been taken rather than at a tattoo parlor. Individual images from the display Frank photographed have been used to publicize a recent "Exile on Main Street" reissue.

http://tattoopicturesonline.wordpress.com/2011/01/02/exile-tattoo/

http://www.iorr.org/talk/read.php?1,1783773,page=44

February 12, 2014 Update:  This artwork was previously offered by Illustration House.

http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/search/Search_Repeat.aspx?searchtype=IMAGES&artist=68261

Note:  Information about the publication history of this piece would be most welcome. Additional blog posts about George Price may be seen here.

01022

Robert Frank's "Yom Kippur, NYC"

Does this picture really record an event that took place on Yom Kippur? Robert Franks's photo entitled "Yom Kippur, NYC" may actually be showing the Tashlikh ceremony, a symbolic casting of the past year's sins upon the water that typically takes place on the first afternoon of Rosh Hashanah, but may also be performed later. I think there is some reason to doubt that this photograph was taken on Yom Kippur.

Robert Frank, "Yom Kippur, NYC"

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/photographs-n08841/lot.131.html

Robert Frank, "Yom Kippur, NYC"

http://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2012/photographs-n08841/lot.131.html

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