Sunday, August 18, 2013

Bookplate Signed and Sketched Upon by David Levine

David Levine has not only signed a bookplate, he's drawn a caricature of a pen as well. This bookplate has never found its way into a book, but presumably that is what it was intended for. It is an orphan now available on eBay.

David Levine bookplate

David Levine bookplate



Here's a similar but more detailed and more caustic caricature of a pen in a copy of Levine's book Pens and Needles, published in1969. It is currently offered for sale on eBay.
David Levine, Pens and Needles, 1969, title page inscribed "To Charles + Pat Searle," signed with a caricature of a pen by David Levine and dated 2/6/78.

David Levine, Pens and Needles, 1969, Book Cover

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DAVID-LEVINE-ANNOTATED-BOOK-SIGNED-02-06-1978-/300257347291?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item45e8bb86db


From historydirect, the same eBay seller offering Pens and Needles, here is another caricature drawing of a pen by David Levine being offered on eBay:
David Levine, caricature of a pen signed D. Levine drawn on a printed postcard of a caricature of Chekhov from The New York Review of Books.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/DAVID-LEVINE-SKETCH-SIGNED-CIRCA-1976-/370211587170?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5632548462




Now, did you read what I read? This last admittedly wordy eBay listing offers the tantalizing biographical detail that Levine once illustrated the magazine covers for both Time and Newsweek during the same week, a fact of which the editors of both were unaware prior to publication. What an incredible coup! I did not know of this. 

Is such a thing even possible? Tune in tomorrow.



August 14, 2015 Update:
A beautiful example of David Levine's souvenir pen drawing was offered on eBay at a very reasonable price.


EBay Listing Ended May 17, 2015








Here's a cruder example sold on eBay in June:

EBay Listing Ended June 3, 2015

EBay Item Description

EBay Bid History







Note:  For more on the topic of caricature, see my earlier blog posts here.

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