Maurice Sendak: Madama Butterfly Poster

Illustrator Maurice Sendak's poster for the Houston Grand Opera's 1997-1998 season, their forty-third, features an image from Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly. Cio-Cio-San is seen from behind near the end of the third act. Her gesture indicates agitation as Dolore, her love child by U.S. Naval Lieutenant Pinkerton, waves the stars and stripes she has just given him as a final farewell.

Detail of upper half

Detail of lower half

Maurice Sendak's signature

A signed example is available from Blank Verso Books of Napa, California. It is priced at $300. It's possible the HGO production may have been called Madame Butterfly.

Maurice Sendak
AbeBooks listing accessed October 16, 2024

https://www.abebooks.com/signed-first-edition/MAURICE-SENDAK-SIGNED-POSTER-MADAME-BUTTERFLY/32013284023/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&ref_=pe_aep_AEP_wants_buyer-wants&cm_ite=viewbook

Maurice Sendak
AbeBooks item description details

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Maurice Sendak: Hansel and Gretel Poster

Engelbert Humperdinck's opera "Hansel and Gretel" was first performed in 1893 and has become a perennial favorite of the Christmas season. The Houston Grand Opera put on an English-language production in the fall of 1997. The stage sets were designed by illustrator Maurice Sendak, who previously had worked on the HGO's production of "The Magic Flute" (1981). A poster for the production, signed by the artist, is currently available on AbeBooks.

Maurice Sendak
AbeBooks listing accessed September 24, 2022

https://www.abebooks.com/art-prints/Poster-MAURICE-SENDAK-SIGNED-HANSEL-GRETEL/31309894686/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

Note:  For more information on Maurice Sendak at the opera, read here.

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Roz Chast: Poster for "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife"

Charles Busch's comedy "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" directed by Lynne Meadow and starring Linda Lavin, Tony Roberts, and Michele Lee opened on Broadway at the Barrymore Theatre in 2000. The production's poster was illustrated by Roz Chast. Between the Covers-Rare Books, Inc., of Gloucester City, New Jersey, has both an unsigned copy of the poster and one signed by the playwright and the full cast.

Roz Chast:  Poster for "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife"
AbeBooks Listing Accessed June 2, 2020

https://www.abebooks.com/Theatrical-Poster-Tale-Allergists-Wife-New/30644596425/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=readmore_low

Roz Chast:  Poster for "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife"
AbeBooks Listing Accessed February 19, 2022

https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30644594655&searchurl=kn%3DThe%2BAllergist%2527s%2BWife%2BPoster%26sortby%3D17&cm_sp=snippet-_-srp1-_-title2

"The Tale of the Allergist's Wife"

2001 Tony Awards

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Lou Myers at the ITC Center

Cartoonist Lou Myers (1915-2005) exhibited his work at the ITC Center in Manhattan from February 8 to April 1, 1982. During this time the cartoonist made weekly speaking appearances at the gallery. Some five years later he signed an exhibition poster for a fan. Linda Appleby recently contacted me and sent a photograph of the signed poster, which she was in the process of selling.

Signed exhibition poster
Lou Myers

Photo by Linda Appleby

She went on to sell the poster for $65, a decidedly fair price. She wrote, "Giving her a fabulous deal. I believe in good karma." That works for me. Here are some additional published images from the Myers exhibition:

Lou Myers at the ITC Center

https://issuu.com/csisson/docs/u_lc_vol.6-4/2

Note:  My thanks go to Linda Appleby for introducing me to this exhibition poster.

I would be grateful to receive photos that may have been taken at the ITC center exhibition or reminiscences from anyone who  heard Lou Myers speak there. 

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William Steig's Abel's Island: A Signed Poster

Abel's Island, William Steig's illustrated novel for young readers, is about a mouse marooned on an island. The book was published by Farrar Straus Giroux in May of 1976. A poster issued by FSG to coincide with the book's publication listed the various Steig titles then available. Tom Bloom writes that his copy of this poster was "purchased from Ken Sanders (in his pre-Antiques Roadshow days) for $50 in the early '00s." It is signed by Steig.

Books for Young Readers by William Steig

Poster

Photo by Tom Bloom

William Steig's signature

Photo by Tom Bloom

 

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Whitney Darrow, Jr.: A Signed Nicholls Gallery Poster

A poster for a 1978 exhibition at the Nicholls Gallery by New Yorker cartoonist Whitney Darrow, Jr., is signed and inscribed by the artist "For Donald on his birthday," the small inscription accompanied by the tiniest of drawings. The poster art iytelf depicts a Manhattan cocktail party in which everyone, even a baby, has an age-appropriate drink in hand. It's a lively and crowded composition which includes the city's bustling air traffic, but who can get past that baby propped on the balcony ledge? Was this not taboo even in 1978? Or are we supposed to surmise that there is another balcony immediately on the near side of the ledge, presumably from which we are viewing this scene?

The full inscription

Detail

Whitney Darrow, Jr.
eBay Listing Accessed June 30, 2020

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Whitney-Darrow-1909-1999-Signed-Exhibition-Poster-C-1978/283599358184?hash=item4207d6c8e8:g:7WgAAOSwBxJdaemq

Whitney Darrow, Jr.
eBay Item Description

Note:  At the time of posting, the Nicholls Gallery poster remains available on eBay.

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Whitney Darrow, Jr.

Signed Posters

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Attempted Bloggery's Homebound Index

03307

Maurice Sendak: 1991 CARE World Hunger Crusade Signed Poster

In 1991 illustrator Maurice Sendak became the second artist to create a poster for CARE's World Hunger Crusade, Jim Dine having been the first. The poster depicts a healthy baby seated outdoors among flowers that stand taller than he. A signed poster is currently listed on AbeBooks. The listing is illustrated with a photograph in which the framed poster reflects trees in the glass.





The signed poster was originally priced at $250 in 1991—unsigned posters were $100—so seeing it offered today framed for just $525 suggests that the poster, despite its apparent rarity, might not have been the best investment. Personally, I prefer Sendak's more fanciful illustrations. 

Maurice Sendak's signature

The poster was signed with what seems to be a felt tip pen. Such pens do not contain lightfast ink and should have no place in any kind of art. The signature shows signs of fading which the seller readily acknowledges. On the other hand, the shipping charge of $3 is a steal.

Maurice Sendak
AbeBooks Listing Retrieved November 17, 2019

https://www.abebooks.com/SIGNED-POSTER-Maurice-Sendak-1991-CARE/30465885028/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=readmore

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Maurice Sendak: Really Rosie Theater Poster

"Really Rosie" is a musical based on the four books of Maurice Sendak's The Nutshell Library (1962) and The Sign on Rosie's Door (1960). The book and lyrics are by Sendak with music by Carole King. The musical was originally aired as a CBS television special in 1975. It opened Off-Broadway in 1980. A theater poster signed by Sendak in 1980 is currently offered on AbeBooks for 500 GBP. The artwork features Rosie and her brother Chicken Soup in a setting similar to that of In the Night Kitchen.

Maurice Sendak
AbeBooks Listing Retrieved August 16, 2019

https://www.abebooks.com/Rosie-SENDAK-Maurice-c.1980/30408230912/bd?cm_ven=nl&cm_cat=trg&cm_pla=want_CM&cm_ite=viewbook

1975 TV Special Soundtrack

Carole King

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Maurice Sendak

Posters

Attempted Bloggery's Index Soup with Rice

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Signed Poster of Ralph Steadman's Little Match Girl

In 1986, Ralph Steadman illustrated The Flying Trunk and Other Stories from Andersen by Naomi Lewis. A poster of "The Little Match Girl" published to support the Save the Children Fund was signed by Mr. Steadman in 1998. It was offered at a reasonable price last year on eBay, but it did not find a buyer.

Ralph Steadman
Signed 1986 poster
"Published in aid of The Save The Children Fund"
"Illustration by Ralph Steadman for 'The Little Match Girl' from
The Flying Trunk and Other Stories from Andersen by Naomi Lewis
Andersen Press · London"

Ralph Steadman's signature, 1998

Ralph Steadman
eBay Listing Retrieved June 13, 2017

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ralph-Steadman-SIGNED-Save-The-Children-Poster-UK-signed-by-artist-RARE-/263031461739?hash=item3d3de5976b:g:89kAAOSw32lYrxFc

Ralph Steadman
eBay Item Description

Quick Links to the Attempted Bloggery Archives:

Ralph Steadman

Hans Christian Andersen

Posters

Signed Posters

Christmas

Attempted Bloggery's Matchless Index

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