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Article Title: Newly Discovered 1860 Campaign Banner Breaks Auction Record
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, History, Investing
Word Count: 322
Keywords: Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, Heritage Auctions, Booker T. Washington, politics
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
A rare political banner issued by the campaign of a Kentucky lawyer who unsuccessfully ran against Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 presidential elections sold for nearly $100,000 at a November auction.
John C. Breckenridge previously had served as President James Buchanan's vice president and was one of three candidates who ran against Lincoln. After his loss, Breckenridge was elected to the U.S. Senate, but was expelled for supporting the rebellion that led to the Civil War.
Breckenridge's 1860 campaign banner was not known to exist until the example put up for auction was discovered in the floorboards of a house. The banner resembles the U.S. flag, with a portrait of Breckenridge in the upper left corner. Over 13 red and white stripes are the words, "For President, John C. Breckenridge, Vice President Gen. Jos. Lane."
Experts at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions called it "perhaps the most important American political textile to appear at auction." It sold for $95,600.
"Collectors stepped forward for this excellent opportunity," said Tom Slater, director of Heritage Auctions' Americana department. "The importance of a find like this cannot be overstated. It is a milestone in the history of political-items collecting, and the sale of this Breckinridge flag easily erased the previous record high for a political flag."
In February 2007, Heritage Auctions sold a campaign portrait flag featuring Abraham Lincoln and running mate Hannibal Hamlin for $83,650.
The auction featured other significant sales, including a 1766 clothing button protesting the Stamp Act that sold for $8,962, and a rare Ronald Reagan pinback 1980 campaign button, which sold for $1,195.
A china mug picturing America's sixth president, James Monroe, with his name spelled "Munroe," sold for $14,340. A paper lantern from 1864 picturing Lincoln opponent George McClellan -- which would have illuminated nighttime political rallies and parades -- sold for $7,170. A turn-of-the century button depicting Theodore Roosevelt entertaining African-American leader Booker T. Washington for a barrier-breaking dinner in the White House sold for $6,871.
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com). For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Friday, December 4, 2009
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Comic Legend Joe Kubert Opens His Vault to Fans
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Article Title: Comic Legend Joe Kubert Opens His Vault to Fans
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Arts and Crafts, History
Word Count: 661
Keywords: World War II, Joe Kubert, war, Sgt. Rock, Heritage Auctions, Tarzan
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
One of comics' legendary artists and creators was barely 12 years old when he began a career that would lead to work on some of comics' most popular characters. But ask Joe Kubert about the most fulfilling part of his journey and he won't mention his work on Sgt. Rock, Hawkman, the Flash, Tarzan, Enemy Ace, or Batman.
"The most satisfying work is the work on my table right now," Kubert, 83, says from his studio in New Jersey. "The more I can get into the work I'm doing, the more satisfaction I get from the work."
On cue, Kubert tells how his latest work -- a graphic novel about a Special Forces team fighting in Vietnam -- was born, starting with the soldier he met decades ago while working on the Tales of the Green Berets newspaper comic strip to the true Vietnam war stories that "made the hair on my neck stand up." The book from DC Comics is due in stores in early 2010.
It's the latest accomplishment in a storied career. "It's funny," Kubert says, "but I got into this business thanks to pure, unadulterated luck."
It began with typical classroom drawings. One of Kubert's junior high friends liked the art and said he should show it to a relative who worked at MLJ Publications, a pulp and comic book house whose most successful title would be Archie.
"It was an entirely different world and business at that time," Kubert says. "Comics were 10 cents apiece with 64 pages of material. They needed a lot of stuff coming through, and that gave guys like me an opportunity. I made some drawings, pencil sketches, and took the subway into New York went up to MLJ. They were very kind. They gave me some real art paper to work on and said, 'Come back again and we'll take another look.' After a year or so, I got my first work. It was a six-page story that paid me $5 a page, which was a heck of a lot! It was more than my father made!"
Over the decades, Kubert would work for DC Comics, EC, Harvey and Timely, drawing, writing, editing, inking and coloring some of the biggest characters in comics. In 1976, he founded the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. He completed the acclaimed graphic novels "Abraham Stone," "Fax From Sarajevo," "Jew Gangster," and "Yossel: April 19, 1943." He was inducted into the Harvey Awards' Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998.
"Anyone who was a kid from the 1940s through the 1980s will recognize Kubert's distinctive style at a glance," says Jared Green, vice president of business development at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. "He drew almost every Sgt. Rock story for decades and the cover to almost every DC war comic. Not only is he a favorite among fans, but when other comic book artists talk about their influences and whom they admire, his name is invariably mentioned."
Pieces of original Kubert art from his personal collection are featured in Heritage Auctions' comics and comic art auction scheduled for Feb. 25-26, 2010. Among the items for sale is Kubert's original cover art for Star Spangled War Stories #157, published by DC Comics in 1971. It has a pre-auction estimate of $4,000 to $6,000. His cover art for The Unknown Soldier #247, from 1981, also is expected to fetch between $4,000 and $6,000.
For Kubert, it's a way to share his art with fans. After all, he says, he's an artist, a writer, an editor, a teacher -- though not necessarily a collector. "I would be doing what I'm doing even if I wasn't getting paid," Kubert says. "It's something I have to do. I have two sons in the business now, Adam and Andy, and they are doing very well. To have them feel the same way about their work ... it's a miracle. It's the cherry on top of the whip cream."
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
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Article Title: Comic Legend Joe Kubert Opens His Vault to Fans
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Arts and Crafts, History
Word Count: 661
Keywords: World War II, Joe Kubert, war, Sgt. Rock, Heritage Auctions, Tarzan
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
One of comics' legendary artists and creators was barely 12 years old when he began a career that would lead to work on some of comics' most popular characters. But ask Joe Kubert about the most fulfilling part of his journey and he won't mention his work on Sgt. Rock, Hawkman, the Flash, Tarzan, Enemy Ace, or Batman.
"The most satisfying work is the work on my table right now," Kubert, 83, says from his studio in New Jersey. "The more I can get into the work I'm doing, the more satisfaction I get from the work."
On cue, Kubert tells how his latest work -- a graphic novel about a Special Forces team fighting in Vietnam -- was born, starting with the soldier he met decades ago while working on the Tales of the Green Berets newspaper comic strip to the true Vietnam war stories that "made the hair on my neck stand up." The book from DC Comics is due in stores in early 2010.
It's the latest accomplishment in a storied career. "It's funny," Kubert says, "but I got into this business thanks to pure, unadulterated luck."
It began with typical classroom drawings. One of Kubert's junior high friends liked the art and said he should show it to a relative who worked at MLJ Publications, a pulp and comic book house whose most successful title would be Archie.
"It was an entirely different world and business at that time," Kubert says. "Comics were 10 cents apiece with 64 pages of material. They needed a lot of stuff coming through, and that gave guys like me an opportunity. I made some drawings, pencil sketches, and took the subway into New York went up to MLJ. They were very kind. They gave me some real art paper to work on and said, 'Come back again and we'll take another look.' After a year or so, I got my first work. It was a six-page story that paid me $5 a page, which was a heck of a lot! It was more than my father made!"
Over the decades, Kubert would work for DC Comics, EC, Harvey and Timely, drawing, writing, editing, inking and coloring some of the biggest characters in comics. In 1976, he founded the Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. He completed the acclaimed graphic novels "Abraham Stone," "Fax From Sarajevo," "Jew Gangster," and "Yossel: April 19, 1943." He was inducted into the Harvey Awards' Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1997, and the Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1998.
"Anyone who was a kid from the 1940s through the 1980s will recognize Kubert's distinctive style at a glance," says Jared Green, vice president of business development at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. "He drew almost every Sgt. Rock story for decades and the cover to almost every DC war comic. Not only is he a favorite among fans, but when other comic book artists talk about their influences and whom they admire, his name is invariably mentioned."
Pieces of original Kubert art from his personal collection are featured in Heritage Auctions' comics and comic art auction scheduled for Feb. 25-26, 2010. Among the items for sale is Kubert's original cover art for Star Spangled War Stories #157, published by DC Comics in 1971. It has a pre-auction estimate of $4,000 to $6,000. His cover art for The Unknown Soldier #247, from 1981, also is expected to fetch between $4,000 and $6,000.
For Kubert, it's a way to share his art with fans. After all, he says, he's an artist, a writer, an editor, a teacher -- though not necessarily a collector. "I would be doing what I'm doing even if I wasn't getting paid," Kubert says. "It's something I have to do. I have two sons in the business now, Adam and Andy, and they are doing very well. To have them feel the same way about their work ... it's a miracle. It's the cherry on top of the whip cream."
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Hulk Comic Book Sells for $125,000
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Article Title: Hulk Comic Book Sells for $125,000
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Movies, Men's Issues
Word Count: 415
Keywords: Hulk, Heritage Auctions, Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
A near-mint edition of The Incredible Hulk #1, considered one of the most difficult Silver Age Marvel comics to find in high grade, has sold for $125,475.
Barry Sandoval, director of comics operations at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, said the auction Nov. 19-21 showed that the vintage comic market remains "quite strong."
"Collectors took full advantage of great prices on a broad and striking array of superb books and vintage art and our consignors fared just as well," Sandoval said. "We had seven consignors bring in more than $100,000 and four of those surpassed $200,000."
The Hulk was Marvel's second Silver Age superhero series, with his first issue dated May 1962. It was preceded by the Fantastic Four. Spider-Man and Thor followed before the end of 1962.
Unlike the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, the green giant was not an overnight success and the book was canceled after six issues. "It's probably why so few copies of the first issue survive," Sandoval said. "Those that did were mostly in poor condition, as the midnight blue cover background ruthlessly exposed even the smallest imperfection in any given copy."
The Hulk issue sold at Heritage Auctions' November sale was CGC graded near mint 9.2.
At the same auction, a CGC near mint 9.4 unrestored copy of Human Torch #2 sold for $92,612. "This comic, which comes from the Gary Keller Collection, was purchased by Keller in 2006 for $74,750," said Sandoval. "In just three years, the book gained almost $18,000 in value. The fact that it went for more now shows what a savvy collector he is and also that the market is still strong."
A CGC-certified very fine/near mint 9.0 copy of Showcase #22 Green Lantern, one of the two highest graded copies known, sold for $59,750. Keller's collecting savvy showed once again as this comic, also bought by Keller in 2006, more than tripled in value over what he paid for it, Sandoval said.
Original Peanuts comic strip artwork also performed well at the Heritage auction, led by a June 25, 1961, Sunday strip featuring Snoopy. It sold for $53,775.
Heritage Auctions set a record for original fanzine illustration art with Steve Ditko's Comic Crusader #4 Mr. A "Debaters" splash page, from 1968. It sold for $38,837 against a pre-auction estimate of $5,000-plus.
Todd McFarlane's original 1989 cover art for Amazing Heroes Preview Special #170 sold for $26,000. "In 1989, there was no bigger star in comic art than McFarlane and this cover appeared when he was still the regular artist on Amazing Spider-Man," Sandoval said.
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com). For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
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Article Title: Hulk Comic Book Sells for $125,000
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Movies, Men's Issues
Word Count: 415
Keywords: Hulk, Heritage Auctions, Marvel Comics, Stan Lee, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
A near-mint edition of The Incredible Hulk #1, considered one of the most difficult Silver Age Marvel comics to find in high grade, has sold for $125,475.
Barry Sandoval, director of comics operations at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions, said the auction Nov. 19-21 showed that the vintage comic market remains "quite strong."
"Collectors took full advantage of great prices on a broad and striking array of superb books and vintage art and our consignors fared just as well," Sandoval said. "We had seven consignors bring in more than $100,000 and four of those surpassed $200,000."
The Hulk was Marvel's second Silver Age superhero series, with his first issue dated May 1962. It was preceded by the Fantastic Four. Spider-Man and Thor followed before the end of 1962.
Unlike the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man, the green giant was not an overnight success and the book was canceled after six issues. "It's probably why so few copies of the first issue survive," Sandoval said. "Those that did were mostly in poor condition, as the midnight blue cover background ruthlessly exposed even the smallest imperfection in any given copy."
The Hulk issue sold at Heritage Auctions' November sale was CGC graded near mint 9.2.
At the same auction, a CGC near mint 9.4 unrestored copy of Human Torch #2 sold for $92,612. "This comic, which comes from the Gary Keller Collection, was purchased by Keller in 2006 for $74,750," said Sandoval. "In just three years, the book gained almost $18,000 in value. The fact that it went for more now shows what a savvy collector he is and also that the market is still strong."
A CGC-certified very fine/near mint 9.0 copy of Showcase #22 Green Lantern, one of the two highest graded copies known, sold for $59,750. Keller's collecting savvy showed once again as this comic, also bought by Keller in 2006, more than tripled in value over what he paid for it, Sandoval said.
Original Peanuts comic strip artwork also performed well at the Heritage auction, led by a June 25, 1961, Sunday strip featuring Snoopy. It sold for $53,775.
Heritage Auctions set a record for original fanzine illustration art with Steve Ditko's Comic Crusader #4 Mr. A "Debaters" splash page, from 1968. It sold for $38,837 against a pre-auction estimate of $5,000-plus.
Todd McFarlane's original 1989 cover art for Amazing Heroes Preview Special #170 sold for $26,000. "In 1989, there was no bigger star in comic art than McFarlane and this cover appeared when he was still the regular artist on Amazing Spider-Man," Sandoval said.
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com). For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Ring Linked to Media Tycoon William Randolph Hearst Up For Auction
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Article Title: Ring Linked to Media Tycoon William Randolph Hearst Up For Auction
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Jewelry, Investing
Word Count: 342
Keywords: William Randoph Hearst, Marion Davies, Heritage Auctions, Gone With the Wind, jewelry
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Kendall Brown was only a teenager, but he already was being mentioned in the national gossip columns of Louella Parsons.
It was the 1950s and Brown kept company with some of America's most famous celebrities. His dad Horace had a small role in "Gone with the Wind," and appeared as a bit player in numerous Hollywood movies. Along the way, the elder Brown befriended media mogul William Randolph Hearst and his companion Marion Davies.
In the months following Hearst's death in August 1951, the relationship between Davies and Brown blossomed and the two were married (Horace's own wife had died 10 years earlier). Visitors to the home included Clark Gable, Dick Powell, Glenn Ford, Mary Pickford and Joe Kennedy.
Ken Brown and his brothers were immediately thrust into the celebrity spotlight. "We were in Life magazine," says Brown, now 77. "One day, [champion boxer] Jack Dempsey's daughter showed up at our home in Beverly Hills to meet us, and we started dating."
The first Christmas after his father married Davies, the actress gave her new husband and stepsons cat's eye rings made from one of her favorite brooches. "I later learned that Hearst had given Marion the brooch on one of their trips to Europe," Brown says. "It was a special gift."
Brown's father, who died in 1972, lost his ring, while the rings given to his brothers are now in private hands. After all these years, Brown has consigned his ring to Heritage Auctions' upcoming jewelry auction, scheduled for Dec. 7-9, 2009, in Dallas. The cat's eye chrysoberyl, gold ring -- inscribed "To Kendall Xmas '51 From Marion" -- is expected to fetch between $10,000 and $15,000.
"People today see Marion Davies as William Randolph Hearst's mistress," Brown says. "In those days living with somebody was taboo. But she was much more than that. She was a smart woman. She was adventurous. She was a pilot and flew her own plane. She was charitable and gave to children's hospitals. Marion was the nicest person I ever meet in my lifetime and we all loved her very much."
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
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Article Title: Ring Linked to Media Tycoon William Randolph Hearst Up For Auction
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Jewelry, Investing
Word Count: 342
Keywords: William Randoph Hearst, Marion Davies, Heritage Auctions, Gone With the Wind, jewelry
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Kendall Brown was only a teenager, but he already was being mentioned in the national gossip columns of Louella Parsons.
It was the 1950s and Brown kept company with some of America's most famous celebrities. His dad Horace had a small role in "Gone with the Wind," and appeared as a bit player in numerous Hollywood movies. Along the way, the elder Brown befriended media mogul William Randolph Hearst and his companion Marion Davies.
In the months following Hearst's death in August 1951, the relationship between Davies and Brown blossomed and the two were married (Horace's own wife had died 10 years earlier). Visitors to the home included Clark Gable, Dick Powell, Glenn Ford, Mary Pickford and Joe Kennedy.
Ken Brown and his brothers were immediately thrust into the celebrity spotlight. "We were in Life magazine," says Brown, now 77. "One day, [champion boxer] Jack Dempsey's daughter showed up at our home in Beverly Hills to meet us, and we started dating."
The first Christmas after his father married Davies, the actress gave her new husband and stepsons cat's eye rings made from one of her favorite brooches. "I later learned that Hearst had given Marion the brooch on one of their trips to Europe," Brown says. "It was a special gift."
Brown's father, who died in 1972, lost his ring, while the rings given to his brothers are now in private hands. After all these years, Brown has consigned his ring to Heritage Auctions' upcoming jewelry auction, scheduled for Dec. 7-9, 2009, in Dallas. The cat's eye chrysoberyl, gold ring -- inscribed "To Kendall Xmas '51 From Marion" -- is expected to fetch between $10,000 and $15,000.
"People today see Marion Davies as William Randolph Hearst's mistress," Brown says. "In those days living with somebody was taboo. But she was much more than that. She was a smart woman. She was adventurous. She was a pilot and flew her own plane. She was charitable and gave to children's hospitals. Marion was the nicest person I ever meet in my lifetime and we all loved her very much."
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Movie Poster a Treasure for California Family
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Article Title: Movie Poster a Treasure for California Family
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Movies, Investing
Word Count: 341
Keywords: Sherlock Holmes, Freaks, antiques, movie posters, collecting,
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
In 1978, Anne Stafford was shopping for a gift for her husband's birthday.
"He is a B horror movie fan and he loved Dracula and Sherlock Holmes and stuff by Roger Corman," says the California mom.
Stafford ended up in an antiques store, not certain what she was looking for or what she would find when a stack of movie posters caught her eye. She began flipping through the sheets when one in particular stood out. "When I saw it, it was just stunning," Stafford recalls. "I knew I had a terrific hit on my hands.
"It was the perfect gift," she continues. "There were maybe 10 movie posters on that table, but honestly I don't remember what the others were. I just remember the 'Freaks' poster."
Stafford paid $10 for the 14-by-36 inch poster and her husband was delighted with the gift.
When released in 1932, 'Freaks' shocked moviegoers. It was based on a short story about circus performers published in February 1923 in Munsey's Magazine. Rather than using actors in costumes and makeup, director and producer Tod Browning cast real performers as "freaks."
It was too much for audiences of the time and MGM quickly pulled the movie from theaters. The studio called it an error in judgment, but decades later, it would become a cult classic at revival houses and on college campuses.
For 30 years, the Staffords had little idea that the poster hanging on their wall was one of the last remaining original posters for the controversial movie. "Movie posters from the original release are virtually unheard of," says Grey Smith, director of vintage movie posters at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. "It's one of the hobby's greatest rarities."
While researching the poster, at least one dealer offered the Staffords $60,000. But the family decided an auction was the best option for them. In March 2009, an East Coast collector purchased it for $107,550 at a Heritage auction.
"We all like nice things," Stafford says, "but we certainly can't take it with us. We enjoyed it for 30 years. It was fun having it."
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
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Article Title: Movie Poster a Treasure for California Family
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Movies, Investing
Word Count: 341
Keywords: Sherlock Holmes, Freaks, antiques, movie posters, collecting,
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
In 1978, Anne Stafford was shopping for a gift for her husband's birthday.
"He is a B horror movie fan and he loved Dracula and Sherlock Holmes and stuff by Roger Corman," says the California mom.
Stafford ended up in an antiques store, not certain what she was looking for or what she would find when a stack of movie posters caught her eye. She began flipping through the sheets when one in particular stood out. "When I saw it, it was just stunning," Stafford recalls. "I knew I had a terrific hit on my hands.
"It was the perfect gift," she continues. "There were maybe 10 movie posters on that table, but honestly I don't remember what the others were. I just remember the 'Freaks' poster."
Stafford paid $10 for the 14-by-36 inch poster and her husband was delighted with the gift.
When released in 1932, 'Freaks' shocked moviegoers. It was based on a short story about circus performers published in February 1923 in Munsey's Magazine. Rather than using actors in costumes and makeup, director and producer Tod Browning cast real performers as "freaks."
It was too much for audiences of the time and MGM quickly pulled the movie from theaters. The studio called it an error in judgment, but decades later, it would become a cult classic at revival houses and on college campuses.
For 30 years, the Staffords had little idea that the poster hanging on their wall was one of the last remaining original posters for the controversial movie. "Movie posters from the original release are virtually unheard of," says Grey Smith, director of vintage movie posters at Dallas-based Heritage Auctions. "It's one of the hobby's greatest rarities."
While researching the poster, at least one dealer offered the Staffords $60,000. But the family decided an auction was the best option for them. In March 2009, an East Coast collector purchased it for $107,550 at a Heritage auction.
"We all like nice things," Stafford says, "but we certainly can't take it with us. We enjoyed it for 30 years. It was fun having it."
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Mel Ramos Sets Himself Apart from Pin-up Art Legends
Hector Cantu offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
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- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to hectorc@HA.com
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Article Title: Mel Ramos Sets Himself Apart from Pin-up Art Legends
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Men's Issues, Art
Word Count: 499
Keywords: Mel Ramos, Pamela Anderson, Heritage Auctions, Gil Elvgren, pin-ups, pinups
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Many art historians consider Mel Ramos a part of the pop art movement, grouping him with Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselmann, and James Rosenquist.
His nudes first caught the public eye in the 1960s when pin-ups were a popular part of American culture. In recent years, original pin-up art by artists such as Gil Elvgren, Earl Moran and Enoch Bolles have attracted attention from collectors, and auction prices for their images of scantily clad women have shot up.
But Ramos doesn't consider himself a pin-up artist. "No," he says from his California studio. "I'm not part of that group."
Ramos, 74, says his inspiration was another art form. "I was attracted to comics back then, because of the eroticism before the Comics Code was imposed," Ramos says. "After that, comic books got kind of boring. The drawings in those early comics books of Sheena and all those sexy comic queens, that's what attracted me. Originally, I was just doing comic book images the way they appeared and then I decided I wanted to make them look more realistic, so I started adding the faces of celebrities, which I still do."
Superman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern all got the Ramos treatment. His Sheena, Queen of the Jungle -- like many of his images -- features vivid colors within sharp contour lines, with the subject's name spelled out in big letters. A private collector recently consigned Ramos' classic Sheena painting to Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.
The New York Times has pointed out that modeling comic-book bodies on those of real women -- movie stars like Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe -- was Ramos' innovation. "So despite their nonrealistic comic style," the Times said, "Mr. Ramos' women had an erotic presence that comic-book women of the day never had."
His later works combined nudes with well-known brands, including images of women, for instance, inside a Baby Ruth candy wrapper or kicking back on a giant roll of Lifesavers. He's also known for his "peek-a-boo" paintings, where women are visible through keyholes. Ramos says he's working on such a painting for actress Pamela Anderson.
Although he owns an original Elvgren painting, Ramos says he's never been particularly inspired by the work of America's great pin-up artists. "The [Spanish painters], Joaquin Sorolla, Diego Velasques, those were the main influences when I was younger," he says. "I aspire to those kind of heights."
As for contemporary artists, Ramos is more likely to identify with his colleagues and friends Tom Wesselmann and Allen Jones. "Most of my career, I have received the brunt of criticism from nudity in my work. It's controversial. I've been the target of feminists over the years. Not so much anymore. But Tom and Allen, we've suffered the same abuse because of the erotic implications of the work.
"When Picasso or Matisse did a painting of an undraped model, a nude model, they were called nudes," Ramos continues. "When I do it, they're called pin-ups. Somebody has a pre-occupation with this. I certainly don't. I consider myself a painter."
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
-----------
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- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
- If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links.
- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to hectorc@HA.com
- Content Crooner (www.ContentCrooner.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Content Crooner does not own this article, please respect the author's copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article.
-----------
Article Title: Mel Ramos Sets Himself Apart from Pin-up Art Legends
Author: Hector Cantu
Category: Collecting, Men's Issues, Art
Word Count: 499
Keywords: Mel Ramos, Pamela Anderson, Heritage Auctions, Gil Elvgren, pin-ups, pinups
Author's Email Address: hectorc@HA.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Many art historians consider Mel Ramos a part of the pop art movement, grouping him with Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Tom Wesselmann, and James Rosenquist.
His nudes first caught the public eye in the 1960s when pin-ups were a popular part of American culture. In recent years, original pin-up art by artists such as Gil Elvgren, Earl Moran and Enoch Bolles have attracted attention from collectors, and auction prices for their images of scantily clad women have shot up.
But Ramos doesn't consider himself a pin-up artist. "No," he says from his California studio. "I'm not part of that group."
Ramos, 74, says his inspiration was another art form. "I was attracted to comics back then, because of the eroticism before the Comics Code was imposed," Ramos says. "After that, comic books got kind of boring. The drawings in those early comics books of Sheena and all those sexy comic queens, that's what attracted me. Originally, I was just doing comic book images the way they appeared and then I decided I wanted to make them look more realistic, so I started adding the faces of celebrities, which I still do."
Superman, Wonder Woman and the Green Lantern all got the Ramos treatment. His Sheena, Queen of the Jungle -- like many of his images -- features vivid colors within sharp contour lines, with the subject's name spelled out in big letters. A private collector recently consigned Ramos' classic Sheena painting to Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.
The New York Times has pointed out that modeling comic-book bodies on those of real women -- movie stars like Jane Russell and Marilyn Monroe -- was Ramos' innovation. "So despite their nonrealistic comic style," the Times said, "Mr. Ramos' women had an erotic presence that comic-book women of the day never had."
His later works combined nudes with well-known brands, including images of women, for instance, inside a Baby Ruth candy wrapper or kicking back on a giant roll of Lifesavers. He's also known for his "peek-a-boo" paintings, where women are visible through keyholes. Ramos says he's working on such a painting for actress Pamela Anderson.
Although he owns an original Elvgren painting, Ramos says he's never been particularly inspired by the work of America's great pin-up artists. "The [Spanish painters], Joaquin Sorolla, Diego Velasques, those were the main influences when I was younger," he says. "I aspire to those kind of heights."
As for contemporary artists, Ramos is more likely to identify with his colleagues and friends Tom Wesselmann and Allen Jones. "Most of my career, I have received the brunt of criticism from nudity in my work. It's controversial. I've been the target of feminists over the years. Not so much anymore. But Tom and Allen, we've suffered the same abuse because of the erotic implications of the work.
"When Picasso or Matisse did a painting of an undraped model, a nude model, they were called nudes," Ramos continues. "When I do it, they're called pin-ups. Somebody has a pre-occupation with this. I certainly don't. I consider myself a painter."
Hector Cantu is editorial director at Heritage Magazine (www.HeritageMagazine.com), where this story originally appeared. For a free subscription, visit www.HeritageMagazine.com.
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Monday, November 23, 2009
Tuareg Crosses of Agadez
wayne kiltz offers the following royalty-free article for you to publish online or in print.
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- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to africa@africaimports.com
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Article Title: Tuareg Crosses of Agadez
Author: wayne kiltz
Category: Jewelry, Import Export, Collecting
Word Count: 428
Keywords: tuareg, tuareg silver, african jewelry, african, jewelry, cross necklace, africa improts
Author's Email Address: africa@africaimports.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Theses silver crosses are uniquely shaped and are named after the town of Agadez from where they originate. The cross bears the jewelers mark on its back. The beaded necklace contains four cylindrical decoratively embossed silver segments. These distinctive crosses are a true work of art and identified as such by the signature of the craftsman on the back of the piece. Written in Tomasheck or Arabic script, there are many different crosses such as these throughout Africa. One estimate is that there are different patterns of crosses in existence.
The different crosses come from different towns; and identify where people come from. They relate back to ancient times before Islam; when tribes were heavily influenced by Christianity. The cross may be the same symbol as in Christianity. It also has been known to symbolize the four corners of the world.
Originally, crosses were passed down from father to son. The father would say to the son: "My son, I give you the four corners of the world, because one can not know where one will die". The cross is often given as a gift among African people, and they will say to the receiver "No matter where you go God and I shall always be with you and protect you". Many Tuareg people in Africa believe that the arms of the cross will disperse all evil from the individual, thus keeping him out of harms way. The crosses are traditionally made from Tuareg silver.
Tuareg silver is the most luxurious jewelry worn in most West African countries. Many Tuareg people who can afford to wear it will save it for only the most special occasions.
The Tuareg people of the Sahara wear jewelry made out of this silver as an indicator of wealth, position and origin.
The highly esteemed Tuareg silversmiths create a wide array of jewelry objects that all tie together using the traditional berber markings that you will see on most of the Tuareg jewelry sold at Africa Imports.
These etchings are clean cut, concise, geometrical and repeated over and over again through all of the Tuareg silver. In much of Islamic culture, realistic images are considered to be sacrilegious; hence the geometric patterns. The markings stand for ancient blessings of good fortune and symbols of protection for the wearer.
This jewelry is so sophisticated and stylish, yet so full of African meaning. Tuareg silver itself is an alloy of silver and copper, which gives it a brilliant golden tone. This is not a sterling silver, and is sometimes made from silver dollars that have been melted.
Wayne Kiltz is the founder and owner of Africa Imports. You can find over 100 other articles on African art, culture, and fashion at www.africaimports.com
See more African Jewelry at www.africaimports.com/items.asp?Cc=Jewelry
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
Feel free to use this article in your newsletter, website, ezine, blog, or forum.
-----------
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- You have permission to publish this article for free providing the "About the Author" box is included in its entirety.
- Do not post/reprint this article in any site or publication that contains hate, violence, porn, warez, or supports illegal activity.
- Do not use this article in violation of the US CAN-SPAM Act. If sent by email, this article must be delivered to opt-in subscribers only.
- If you publish this article in a format that supports linking, please ensure that all URLs and email addresses are active links.
- Please send a copy of the publication, or an email indicating the URL to africa@africaimports.com
- Content Crooner (www.ContentCrooner.com) has distributed this article on behalf of the author. Content Crooner does not own this article, please respect the author's copyright and publication guidelines. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use this article.
-----------
Article Title: Tuareg Crosses of Agadez
Author: wayne kiltz
Category: Jewelry, Import Export, Collecting
Word Count: 428
Keywords: tuareg, tuareg silver, african jewelry, african, jewelry, cross necklace, africa improts
Author's Email Address: africa@africaimports.com
Article Source: http://www.contentcrooner.com
------------------ ARTICLE START ------------------
Theses silver crosses are uniquely shaped and are named after the town of Agadez from where they originate. The cross bears the jewelers mark on its back. The beaded necklace contains four cylindrical decoratively embossed silver segments. These distinctive crosses are a true work of art and identified as such by the signature of the craftsman on the back of the piece. Written in Tomasheck or Arabic script, there are many different crosses such as these throughout Africa. One estimate is that there are different patterns of crosses in existence.
The different crosses come from different towns; and identify where people come from. They relate back to ancient times before Islam; when tribes were heavily influenced by Christianity. The cross may be the same symbol as in Christianity. It also has been known to symbolize the four corners of the world.
Originally, crosses were passed down from father to son. The father would say to the son: "My son, I give you the four corners of the world, because one can not know where one will die". The cross is often given as a gift among African people, and they will say to the receiver "No matter where you go God and I shall always be with you and protect you". Many Tuareg people in Africa believe that the arms of the cross will disperse all evil from the individual, thus keeping him out of harms way. The crosses are traditionally made from Tuareg silver.
Tuareg silver is the most luxurious jewelry worn in most West African countries. Many Tuareg people who can afford to wear it will save it for only the most special occasions.
The Tuareg people of the Sahara wear jewelry made out of this silver as an indicator of wealth, position and origin.
The highly esteemed Tuareg silversmiths create a wide array of jewelry objects that all tie together using the traditional berber markings that you will see on most of the Tuareg jewelry sold at Africa Imports.
These etchings are clean cut, concise, geometrical and repeated over and over again through all of the Tuareg silver. In much of Islamic culture, realistic images are considered to be sacrilegious; hence the geometric patterns. The markings stand for ancient blessings of good fortune and symbols of protection for the wearer.
This jewelry is so sophisticated and stylish, yet so full of African meaning. Tuareg silver itself is an alloy of silver and copper, which gives it a brilliant golden tone. This is not a sterling silver, and is sometimes made from silver dollars that have been melted.
Wayne Kiltz is the founder and owner of Africa Imports. You can find over 100 other articles on African art, culture, and fashion at www.africaimports.com
See more African Jewelry at www.africaimports.com/items.asp?Cc=Jewelry
------------------ ARTICLE END ------------------
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