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

Miguel Covarrubias: Economy of the Pacific

Miguel Covarrubias created the illustrated map Economy of the Pacific for the World's Fair Golden Gate International Exposition held in 1939-1940. It was also published as the centerfold of Fortune magazine in the May 1939 issue. Argosy Book Store of Manhattan has one on hand available for purchase.

Miguel Covarrubias
Economy of the Pacific
Fortune, May 1939

Miguel Covarrubias
Argosy Book Store listing accessed December 21, 2025

https://www.argosybooks.com/pages/books/332724/miguel-covarrubias/economy-of-the-pacific

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Margaret McElderry's Copy First Encounters by the Sorels

Man about town David From Manhattan has created an informative piece about a book personalized by illustrator Edward Sorel to a leading children's book editor. David writes:

First Encounters: A Book of Memorable Meetings (1994), written by Nancy Caldwell Sorel and illustrated by her husband Edward, was inspired by a Vanity Fair feature from the 1930s, "Impossible Interviews," that was illustrated with caricatures by Miguel Covarrubias. "First Encounters" became a popular feature of The Atlantic, which six times a year described and pictured actual first encounters between real people that allowed Mr. Sorel "to experiment," as he put it, with different mediums each time an encounter appeared, thus showing off the full scope of his art. After a 14-year run, Sorel's publisher, Alfred Knopf, was quite happy to enlist printers in Italy and produce a lavish volume in time for Christmas.

One of the recipients of this book, most likely during the holidays, was the legendary children's book editor, Margaret McElderry (1912-2011) whose copy of First Encounters is warmly inscribed: "For Margaret McElderry/ Who published my first children's book/ With affection/ Edward Sorel."

Mr. Sorel was still a few years from publishing two children's books, Johnny on the Spot (1998) and The Saturday Kid (2000), under the auspices of McElderry Books at Simon & Schuster, so what exactly was he referring to with his thank-you? We need to go back to 1958, and King Carlo of Capri, a children's story based on "Riquet with the Tuft of Hair," a 17th century tale by Charles Perrault, retold and reworked by Warren Miller (the writer, not the cartoonist), and illustrated by Sorel, who also came up with the catchier title.

Most important, it was actually his very first book, period, published at Harcourt, Brace & Co., with a children's book department headed by none other than Margaret McElderry. Sorel had not forgotten.

Still, in the spirit of not forgetting, I can't quite leave the subject of children's literature and first books without mentioning one more volume of Sorel's: The Zillionaire's Daughter (1989).

His second children's story, it was his first as sole author and illustrator, with a contract that gave him free reign. Published by Warner Juvenile Books, it's a witty, 22-page story set entirely in rhymed verse, and well-illustrated with watercolors, right down to the striking endpapers.

The story of a wealthy Frenchman, Max Maximillion, who brings his daughter Claire on a trip to America, it was also a great excuse for Sorel to share his love of Art Deco, visit the 1939 World's Fair, and spend quality time on an ocean liner Max owned and, with no knowledge of today's billionaires & oligarchs, presciently named the S.S. Gigantic.

Note:  Thanks a zillion to David From Manhattan for providing us with this post, words and pictures, as only he can. This is his seventieth contribution to Attempted Bloggery, so it doesn't qualify as a first encounter.

Edward Sorel is a fabulous illustrator who has been creating top-notch art for decades. Collectors who would like to share their Sorel originals here virtually are encouraged to submit what they have.

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Miguel Covarrubias: A Self-Portrait on a Doily

One of these was bound to turn up eventually:

Miguel Covarrubias
AbeBooks listing accessed December 18, 2022

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=15234865553&searchurl=kn%3DCovarrubias%26sortby%3D1&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp3-_-title5

04185

Helen E. Hokinson: Portrait of Hendrik Willem van Loon

Hendrik Willem Van Loon was a bestselling author who illustrated his own popular histories, most notably The Story of Mankind in 1921. He was the subject of not one but two New Yorker Profiles, in 1926 and 1943. The latter profile was published over the course of three issues, creating the need for three distinct illustrated portraits of the subject to appear at the head of each installment. It seems likely that Helen E. Hokinson's illustration of van Loon, pronounced "van Loan" from the Dutch, was intended to accompany one of the segments of this three-part article. Her original artwork of van Loon in black tie is currently listed by James Cummins Bookseller.

Helen E. Hokinson
AbeBooks listing retrieved May 2, 2019

https://www.abebooks.com/Portrait-Hendrik-Willem-Loon-pen-ink/30312642675/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

A younger and thinner van Loon was depicted with a cigarette holder in the Profiles illustration of June 19, 1926. The article is by Waldo Frank.

Section header by Rea Irvin, cartoon by I. Klein, and a Profiles illustration

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1926-06-19/flipbook/018/

Helen Hokinson's artwork did not appear in any of the three sections of van Loon's 1943 Profile by Richard O. Boyer. The first part appeared in the March 20, 1943 issue with an illustration that does not try to hide van Loon's double chin, collar size 17 ½". Was having a cartoon on the facing page a consolation prize for Hokinson?

Profiles illustration by Will Cotton, cartoon by Helen E. Hokinson

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1943-03-20/flipbook/024/

The March 27 issue has a Profile illustration by Abe Birnbaum that unflinchingly portrays van Loon's corpulence—he weighed 290 pounds—and his continued smoking. In the end, was Hokinson's portrait too flattering for The New Yorker's editors?

Profiles illustration by Abe Birnbaum, cartoon by Leonard Dove

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1943-03-27/flipbook/024/

 For the third installment, Miguel Covarrubias depicts van Loon with ambidexterity in his dual capacities as writer and artist. "He once drew a picture of himself confronting the world; of the two, van Loon was the larger and more impressive" writes Richard O. Boyer. Once again Hokinson's cartoon appears on the facing page. Just a coincidence?

Profiles illustration by Miguel Covarrubias, cartoon by Helen E. Hokinson

https://archives.newyorker.com/newyorker/1943-04-03/flipbook/024/

Note:  At the time of this posting, Helen E. Hokinson's portrait of Hendrik Willem van Loon is still available from James Cummins Bookseller.

I have not been able to identify the illustrators of the 1926 Profile or of the March 30, 1943 Profile, so I would appreciate some assistance with this. I have assumed the Hokinson portrait was never published anywhere; please tell me if I'm wrong about this.


August 31, 2020 Update:  Tom Bloom has identified the signature on the March 30, 1943 Profiles illustration as Will Cotton's. It seems very plausible, even obvious, once pointed out. Thanks, Tom.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Helen E. Hokinson

Abe Birnbaum

Will Cotton

Miguel Covarrubias

Attempted Bloggery's Index of Mankind

03365

Anne Rosenberg's Copy of The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans by Miguel Covarrubias

Catalogue #116 from bookseller James Cummins offered a pencil inscription with a caricature self-portrait by Miguel Covarrubias. The drawing is in a copy of The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans (1925), a collection of Covarrubias caricatures.

Miguel Covarrubias
James Cummins, bookseller
Catalogue #116

Scan by David from Manhattan

Video added March 13, 2021

Note:  Thanks to long-time contributor David from Manhattan for his diligence in providing this scan. Today's post marks his twenty-sixth contribution to Attempted Bloggery.

This is the third remarkable leaf from a copy of The Prince of Wales and Other Americans personalized by Miguel Covarrubias to appear on this blog. I would be happy to publish scans of other original drawings or noteworthy inscriptions by the artist in other copies of the book. Remember, not all antiquarian treasures need to stay hidden away.

02588

Miguel Covarrubias: Miss Shirley Temple Signs a New Contract

Child star Shirley Temple's parents negotiated a new movie contract for her in 1934.

After the success of her first three movies, Shirley's parents realized that their daughter was not being paid enough money. Her image also began to appear on numerous commercial products without her legal authorization, and without compensation. To get control over the corporate unlicensed use of her image and to negotiate with Fox, Temple's parents hired lawyer Loyd Wright to represent them. On July 18, 1934, the contractual salary was raised to $1,000 a week and her mother's salary was raised to $250 a week, with an additional $15,000 bonus for each movie finished. Temple's original contract for $150 per week is equivalent to $2,750 in 2015, adjusted for inflation. However, the economic value of $150 during the Great Depression was equal to $18,500. The subsequent salary increase to $1,000 weekly had the economic value of $123,000 and the bonus of $15,000 per movie (equal to $275,000 in 2015) was equivalent to a staggering $1.85 million in a decade when a quarter could buy a meal.[note 2] Cease and desist letters were sent out to many companies and the process was begun for awarding corporate licenses.

—Wikipedia entry on Shirley Temple

Retrieved January 6, 2017

Shirley Temple's new contract was big news in the world of entertainment. Vanity Fair covered the July signing in its November 1934 issue with a full-page color illustration by Miguel Covarrubias. The child star, age six, is rendered as happy and incredibly adorable, while the Hollywood studio executives who crowd around her are depicted as greedy and mercenary. All are smiling, but in Shirley it is owing to her cheerful disposition and with the executives,it is all about their avarice. Furthermore, Covarrubias goes out of his way to include a signet ring with a Star of David on the hand plying Miss Temple with an oversized piece of candy, a detail which demonstrates that at least one of the studio bosses is Jewish, reinforcing a stereotype about Hollywood power and money that persists to this day. The original artwork was sold at Christie's New York in 2014 for $15,000.

Miguel Covarrubias
Original art
Miss Shirley Temple signs a new contract
Vanity Fair, November 1934, page 33

Miguel Covarrubias
Christie's Sale 2853, Lot 100, May 28, 2014

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/miguel-covarrubias-mexican-1904-1957-shirley-temple-5793834-details.aspx

Miguel Covarrubias
Original art
Miss Shirley Temple signs a new contract
Vanity Fair, November 1934, page 33

http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/Lot/miguel-covarrubias-mexican-1904-1957-shirley-temple-5793834-details.aspx

Here's how the illustration looked when published in Vanity Fair:

Miguel Covarrubias
Miss Shirley Temple signs a new contract
Vanity Fair, November 1934, page 33

https://photos.vanityfair.com/2014/11/08/545e2e3daa2a6274565a143b_image.jpg

Oddly, Covarrubias soon after published a nearly identical image of Shirley Temple—from her facial expression, the angle at which she tilts her head, the bows on her outfit, right down even to the placement of her individual locks of hair—also in Vanity Fair. It appeared as part of the Impossible Interviews series. Perhaps this similar appearance is owing to the illustrator having the pressure of a deadline or perhaps Covarrubias created them at the same time as alternative illustrations believing only one would be published. Frances Perkins was the Secretary of Labor under President Franklin D. Roosevelt. In the "interview," she voices her strong commitment to protecting Shirley with the child labor laws until she learns that Miss Temple is making $1,250 a week. The text refers to the Academy Award Miss Temple, still six, received in 1935, almost certainly dating the publication to that year.

Miguel Covarrubias

Impossible Interview:  Frances Perkins vs. Shirley Temple

Vanity Fair, circa 1935, page 33

http://www.acontinuouslean.com/2014/10/02/miguel-covarrubias-impossible-interviews/

Finally, Covarrubias also provided the cover illustration for the November 1934 Vanity Fair in which the contract-signing illustration appeared. Here President Franklin D. Roosevelt serves up the National Recovery Administration's Blue Eagle symbol for Thanksgiving in place of the traditional turkey. That just seems wrong.

Miguel Covarrubias
Vanity Fair, November 1934

https://condenaststore.com/featured/a-vanity-fair-cover-of-roosevelt-at-thanksgiving-miguel-covarrubias.html

Note:  Can anyone tell me in which issue of Vanity Fair the Impossible Interview illustration appeared?

Just a reminder:  Attempted Bloggery is always looking for scans or photographs of original works of art by the great Miguel Covarrubias.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives

Miguel Covarrubias

Franklin D. Roosevelt

Caricature

Vanity Fair

Attempted Bloggery's Juvenile Index

Attempted Bloggery supports net neutrality.

02424

Nickolas Muray's Copy of The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans by Miguel Covarrubias

Just sold at auction this past fall by Lion Heart Autographs is a signed copy of The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans. The book, published in 1925, was inscribed in Spanish by author Miguel Covarrubias to photographer and soon-to-be U.S. Olympic fencer Nickolas Muray in the year following publication. The book includes an original caricature self-portrait of a bearded Covarrubias with an owlish eye.

The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans, 1925
Inscribed "Para Nickolas Murray [sic]
de su amigo y  
cuatezón         
Miguel Covarrubias
N.Y. May 10, 1926" with an apparent self-portrait

Miguel Covarrubias
eBay Listing Ended October 25, 2017

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Miguel-Covarrubias-Signed-Book-with-Self-Portrait-Lot-21-/253176910152?ul_noapp=true&nma=true&si=YQGb25QThn5Fxe78BW8tTy6VzZY%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Miguel Covarrubias
eBay Item Description

Miguel Covarrubias
eBay Bid History
Two bidders duke it out in hundred-dollar bid increments.

Despite my apparent worldliness, I am unable to find a translation for matezón.

January 13, 2018 Update:  Cartoonist Felipe Galindo tells me Covarrubias has coined the word cuatezón, not matezón, which can be translated as a superlative for pal.


Note:  Attempted Bloggery is quietly building a virtual collection of signed, inscribed, and ideally drawn-in books by leading cartoonists and caricaturists such as the great Miguel Covarrubias. Let's see if anyone notices. I also seek scanned or photographed images of original works of art by Covarrubias as well as lesser-known published works hidden away in obscure periodicals.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives

Miguel Covarrubias

Frida Kahlo

Caricature

Signed Books with Original Drawings

Attempted Bloggery's Trotskyite Index

Attempted Bloggery supports net neutrality.

02422

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.


Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives

Miguel Covarrubias

Frank Crowninshield

Stephen Kroninger

Caricature

Signed Books with Original Drawings

Attempted Bloggery's Redundant Index

Attempted Bloggery supports net neutrality.

02421