Vintage Whiskey Ad Illustrated Distillery Craft Barrels Weighing Kegs Albert Dorne Artist Man Cave Hiram Walker Color 13 x 10 Ready Frame Classic ad art Great For: *Man cave liquor ad art *Albert Dorne Illustrated Ad Art *Students Magazine Ad Art 40s and 50s *Hiram Walker & Sons Whiskey Ads 40s Collectors *Home Bar Ad Art * Size ~13 x 10 * Ready for Framing * NOT a reprint; original from the magazine-age only * Presented as framed / matted for illustration only This print was removed to preserve the frameable portion from the magazine and is in good condition. S & H: The story illustration print will arrive in plastic with cardboard backing inside a white poly mailer envelope. It will ship out normally within 1 to 2 business day via USPS First Class mail. Shipping to continental US only Go to my shop, https://www.etsy.com/shop/MoPhotoVintageAds for more ads or great illustrated works.
Albert Dorne was one of the most remarkable characters in the history of illustration. The upcoming book, Albert Dorne, Master Illustrator (out in November from the fine folks at Auad Publishing) describes how Dorne used his drawing ability to climb from the depths of poverty and illness to international renown as an artist, business leader, educator and philanthropist. Detail From the introduction to the new book: Starting with nothing but a talent for drawing, Dorne became (in the words of advertising titan Fairfax Cone) “the highest paid, most successful commercial artist of his time.” From that position, he used his drawing skills as a platform for building a multinational corporation that trained tens of thousands of students around the world in the creative fields of art, writing and photography. Now a wealthy man, he went on to use drawing to help the disabled, became nationally respected for his charitable work and was appointed by the President of the United States to The President’s Committee for the Employment of the Handicapped. Dorne consorted with glamorous movie stars and government leaders, amassed a major art collection and was sought after as a lecturer around the country. Many thanks to the Famous Artists School, the Norman Rockwell Museum, Walt Reed and everyone else who helped us to assemble Dorne's unpublished drawings and sketches for this book. Dorne was able to take his drawings from rough thumbnail sketches to remarkably engineered, complex final drawings with lightning speed. After a while, Dorne made so much money as the president of a multinational corporation that he could no longer afford to take the time to sit at a drawing board and draw pictures. Nevertheless, you can still find some of his "unpublished drawings" in his corporate correspondence, as in this affectionate letter to Norman Rockwell:
Famous Artists Magazine Illustrated by Albert Dorne Summer 1954 Contributed by Brian Postman
Today's Inspiration Group Albert Dorne Famous Artists Course, 1960 edition
Albert Dorne was one of the most remarkable characters in the history of illustration. The upcoming book, Albert Dorne, Master Illustrator (out in November from the fine folks at Auad Publishing) describes how Dorne used his drawing ability to climb from the depths of poverty and illness to international renown as an artist, business leader, educator and philanthropist. Detail From the introduction to the new book: Starting with nothing but a talent for drawing, Dorne became (in the words of advertising titan Fairfax Cone) “the highest paid, most successful commercial artist of his time.” From that position, he used his drawing skills as a platform for building a multinational corporation that trained tens of thousands of students around the world in the creative fields of art, writing and photography. Now a wealthy man, he went on to use drawing to help the disabled, became nationally respected for his charitable work and was appointed by the President of the United States to The President’s Committee for the Employment of the Handicapped. Dorne consorted with glamorous movie stars and government leaders, amassed a major art collection and was sought after as a lecturer around the country. Many thanks to the Famous Artists School, the Norman Rockwell Museum, Walt Reed and everyone else who helped us to assemble Dorne's unpublished drawings and sketches for this book. Dorne was able to take his drawings from rough thumbnail sketches to remarkably engineered, complex final drawings with lightning speed. After a while, Dorne made so much money as the president of a multinational corporation that he could no longer afford to take the time to sit at a drawing board and draw pictures. Nevertheless, you can still find some of his "unpublished drawings" in his corporate correspondence, as in this affectionate letter to Norman Rockwell:
Publication unknown Illustrated by Albert Dorne Year unknown
Learn to draw from a collection of works from famous artists such as Norman Rockwell and Albert Dorne with Drawing Lessons from the Famous Artists School.
Albert Dorne Famous Artists Course, 1954 edition
Contributed by Brian Postman Famous Artists Magazine Illustrated by Albert Dorne 1956
artist- Albert Dorne
Famous Artists magazine Illustrated by Al Dorne Winter 1963
A rare and striking original World War II poster created by renowned artist Albert Dorne. Commissioned by the United States Government as a powerful reminder to avoid recklessly revealing military secrets, this poster features a gripping illustration of a rattlesnake with menacing blood-soaked fangs, coiled and ready to strike. The stylized text emphasizes the danger of careless talk, boldly declaring that the poisonous snake is less perilous than divulging information about troop movements, ship sailing, or war equipment. This impressive artwork has been professionally conservation mounted on line, ensuring its longevity and preserving its historical significance. Original WWII war effort poster Artist: Albert Dorne (1906 - 1965) Printer: U. S. Government Printing Office Circa 1944 Signed in Plate Linen backing Size: 28" L. x 20" W.
Ferol Smith, wife of the late William A. Smith, describes Albert Dorne as, "a cigar-smoking tough-guy with fools ... but always a considerate friend to those he chose...and always courteous and gentle with us "femmes"! Illustrator Kent Steine, who studied under former FAS instructor Owen Kampen heard many first-hand accounts about Dorne from his teacher. In a recent email to me, Kent wrote, "Owen said that Albert Dorne not only knew the name of every one of his employees... right down to the custodians... but also knew and cared about them individually and personally. A lot of people wept when Albert Dorne - accidentally and unexpectedly- passed away." A lot of mail has come my way this week from far and wide with stories about Albert Dorne. Canned biographies are fine for laying down facts and statistics; born on such and such a date, worked at this place or that, died on this date. But nothing is quite so interesting as learning about the character of a man from the stories told by those who knew him. Just who was this Albert Dorne? What I have told to only a handful of people until now is that I've been corresponding off and on for the last couple of years with Albert Dorne's daughter, Barbara. With her generous permission, I'm delighted to share some terrific tales about one of the truly legendary giants of the mid-20th century illustration business. Some confirm the public persona of Dorne the magnanimous Samaritan... ... others of a ... saltier nature reveal the complexities of character of this most remarkable man. And believe me, Albert Dorne was quite a character! In one of her first notes to me Barbara wrote of her dad, Yes, I will happily provide you with some vignettes of "Life with Father" which, I can assure you, was something considerably more than mundane. He was a very caring, very loving man, and after all these years, remains my hero... [but] no man is an angel, and probably derives much of his genius from treading where no angel would go. " "The Stork Club was a favorite "hang-out" for Dad. I had the pleasure of dining there with him on numerous occasions. Some of his guests who joined us for dinner at The Stork were Charles Laughton and Elsa Lanchester, and while Dad steered Elsa around the dance floor, I was recruited to teach Charles the latest fox trot. My feet have never recovered." "Dad was a phenomenal dancer, having participated early on in a quintet of straw hat and cane "shuffle off to Buffalo" tap dancers and singers known as "The Kent Boys." "When I was visiting him at his condominium on East 57th Street in NYC, and with me wearing the very high stiletto heels of the time, my safety was always in question; he refused to carpet the floor of his very large studio." "Why? Because he could dance himself (and me) silly on the polished teak floors - pulling me around with him to a devastatingly complex tango." One of the people who sent me an Al Dorne anecdote was Thomas Sawyer, whose own illustration career has been featured here on Today's Inspiration. Tom wrote, [Dorne] "was really a great cartoonist in the guise of an "illustrator." Always loved his humor. I only met him once or twice, but we both lived in Westport, and I'd occasionally see him driving his huge 4-door Mercedes around town." "One of my favorite Dorne stories -- perhaps apocryphal but in keeping with his rep for being this basically poor, wrong-side-of-the-tracks kid who'd become successful but never quite got over it -- involved his having invited to dinner at his home a very wealthy, prominent type (a man whose name I've long-since forgotten - possibly a Brit)." "And over drinks, while they were waiting for the meal to be prepared, Dorne took him on a tour of the house, showing off his pricey possessions and furnishings, somewhat boastfullly specifying the (high) price he'd paid for each item. And when they finally sat down to dine, Al, with carving-knife in hand, asked his gentleman-guest how large a slice of roast beef he desired. The man's alleged response: "Oh, I'd say -- about eight dollars' worth." Barbara good-naturedly responded to that story: "Dad did, in fact, want "only the best" - something he had alluded to even as a child living in rather dire circumstances," she wrote. "He often complained to me that his mother could have done something less exhausting and with better pay than scrubbing the floors of the Greeley Office Building on her hands and knees at night. Grandpa Dorne, Al's father, was busy wildcatting oil in Texas and seldom returning home to New York while the kids were growing up." "I can tell you that Al made a few bucks after school painting features on porcelain doll faces at some factory in New York - and his reward, after turning over his wages, were two cuban cigars which he smoked under his bed while doing some utterly fantastic embroideries on hand towels. His mother (my grandmother) never "noticed." "So, yes, he wore magnificent leather shoes, made from a last taken of his feet by an Italian bootmaker who was brought to the U.S. for that sole purpose; his amazing clothing - suits and jackets tailored to order by a British tailor who came to the U.S. at my Dad's request, carrying bolt upon bolt of magnificant Scottish woolens with which to make Dad's sport jackets (of which he had 32, all hung in one closet)." "He was a gourmand of no small repute (I cried when I read Tavern On The Green had closed - Dad and I enjoyed many, many a wonderful repast at the extraordinary venue). And money was no longer an object (or, should I say, the lack of it, was no longer an object). He was very generous with me throughout his life and always reminded me to "see what you're lookin' at, Baby, - - lookin' ain't good enough. Ask any artist." "And, yes, Dad was something (something?) of a "ladies' man" - with his fabulous good looks, agility on the dance floor (and his commentary on his agility in the bedroom), why wouldn't those ladies be captivated. Made him all the more fun to be with." "For me, of course, he was "my Dad" and his painting and lifestyle were just perfectly normal to me." "I still feel the need to thank you each time you send me an anecdote from someone who had (in my opinion), the good fortune to have spent time with Al. I, personally, treasure those moments - they were less often than I (or he) would have wanted, but life sort of got in the way for both of us as we both "grew up." If you missed it in one of the comments sections last week, here's a wonderful al Dorne anecdote from TI list member, Dave Broad: "After viewing your latest TI on Dorne I want to relate an experience from 1947- just back from the army in Europe and enrolled at Pratt Institute I had the chutzpah to call Mr Dorne to request a visit. He was very kind and invited me to his studio. It boggled my mind and though I can't remember the details I shall never forget upon entering the studio in the foyer were dozens of beautifully framed works of all the famous artists of the times. The actual studio was huge and luxurious with a large window, more framed pictures. a pool table and a large tabouret and drawing board. He was extremely gracious and kind when I showed him my portfolio and generous in his criticism and advice." "At one point a gorgeous blonde lady came in and he introduced her to me. (Can't remember if she was his wife, friend or model) All I could think was that this was the life! He was a wonderful person." Barbara fills in the details on the "gorgeous blonde lady" in Dave's story: "I knew the lady well," she writes, "her name was Pauline - and she was a most empathetic and gracious friend to me when Dad died. She loved him almost as much as I did. She was an architect by schooling and very much involved in the operations of The Famous Artists Schools." And speaking of the Famous Artists Schools, Kent Steine shares some hilarious Al Dorne stories that came to him from his old teacher FAS instructor Owen Kampen, who taught at the school: "Here are two fun Al Dorne anecdotes by way of the late Owen Kampen. They represents the flamboyance and influence of Albert Dorne, and his apparent relationship with Owen," writes Kent. "During the time Owen was working at the Famous Artist Schools in Westport... he and his famous author wife, Irene, had built a home there a few years before. One day Mr. Dorne comes up to Owen with a one-way train ticket for Owen. This would be around 1956." "Owen wasn't sure if this was yet another one of Dorne's pranks. They were a daily occurrence. They would do things like glue someone's art materials and tools to their drafting table... and all sit back and watch the guy go ape. Anyway..." "It turns out... this is a one way ticket to Las Vegas. Mr. Dorne wants Owen to ride out by train to pick up the Jaguar XK-140 he has just purchased from Dean Martin. He'll ride out there and be picked up by car and taken to Martin's dude ranch to stay the night before driving the Jag back the next day. Now divorced, a date has even been arranged for Owen." "Unfortunately, his train is late getting in. It is now well after midnight. When the car arrives to take him back to the ranch, he is informed that his date waited all night, and had only recently left to go home." "As Mr. Kampen said to us, "and that little girl who was waiting for me all evening was none other than Liz Montgomery." It would be safe to say that Albert Dorne was well connected." Barbara remebered the story of the magnificent car somewhat differently. here's what she wrote... "I have no problem with anyone using these wonderful stories and I do appreciate having the opportunity to read them and to make any adjustments necessary, vis-a-vis Owen's story about the Jaguar. As it turns out, it was not a Jaguar but a Mercedes-Benz. Dad had been having a problem with the IRS (dastardly folk) and wanted to buy the Mercedes. He had always driven a green Cadillac with a white convertible top. So, he asked Steve Dohanos, a neighbor of Dad's (Steve and Margo had a lovely house just down the road from Dad's, in Westport), to buy the car while Steve was in Germany doing some kind of research for a potential Saturday Evening Post cover." "Steve bought the car in his own name, had it shipped to New York via the USS Lusitania, and Dad proudly drove his six grandchildren all over Westport in this magnificent piece of machinery re-pleat with bud vases in the back seat, a pull-out bar in back of the front seats, a horn with a star sapphire embedded in it and Dad's initials engraved in the silver plate in which the gem was embedded." "The dashboard was a gorgeous burled walnut. The headlights were those big round jobs. There was a walnut case in the trunk of the car; it bore a brass plate with the name of the mechanic who had completed the assembly of the car and the tools used were neatly clutched in red velvet apertures made expressly for those tools. My husband was invited by Dad to spend a few days at the house in Westport; my husband said he had never seen a car like this and was absolutely thrilled to be asked if he would mind driving my Dad around Westport. Bill was ecstatic." "When Dad passed away, the house in Westport was sold, with the Mercedes, to Zuban Mehta, conductor of the New York Symphony Orchestra." ******** And then there's this hilarious anecdote from Owen Kampen via Kent Steine (and I'll warn those with sensitive dispositions that they may want to skip ahead or risk being shocked by Dorne's salty language!) "Another anecdote is when Mr. Dorne and Owen went to meet Norman Rockwell in NYC," writes Kent, "to take him back to Westport by train. It was when Rockwell was about to join the staff at FAS. This was their introductory meeting." "Albert Dorne was an old fashioned man's man; worldly, sophisticated, and powerful. At the time, I believe he was actually making more money for his work than even Rockwell. Norman, on the other hand, was an old fashioned boy scout type of guy. Except for a possible "damn" I can't even imagine Mr. Rockwell cursing." "Kampen recognized this difference between the two men, and was worried about their first meeting. As a confidant, he related his concerns about possible conflicting personalities to Mr. Dorne. Obviously, everyone was excited about the possibility of Norman Rockwell joining the staff of the FAS." "Albert Dorne assured Owen that there was no problem, and that in fact, he would have Rockwell eating out of his hand by the time they got back to Westport." (What Mr. Dorne actually said was, and I quote: " Don't worry Owen. I'll know whether or not he farts when he fucks by the time we get to Westport.") "Before the train had arrived at the station in Westport, Norman Rockwell had signed on as a staff member of the Famous Artist Schools." Barbara wrote this to me about here dad: "- his vocabulary of "unusual" descriptive adjectives and adverbs could have earned him an Oscar for outstanding performance in the realm of expletive proficiency. He called it "artistic license." And on another occasion, "I'm looking forward with great excitement to reading all that you've written about a man who openly cried his eyes and heart out when Mike, his dalmation, had to be put to sleep. The photograph of Dad leaning over his drawing board shows a chair in the background. It was dark green leather, and Mike's own, special "kennel" where no one but Mike could sit." "Thanks so much for this wonderful effort to keep my Dad's legacy alive. He was, indeed, a unique man, a doting Dad, and a very proud grandfather. My son, Robert Grayson is named after my Dad's beloved sister, Grace, who passed much too early in life. And my son's little daughter, Ryan Olivia, just having turned five years of age, knows exactly who Albert Dorne is - "Albert Dorne is your Daddy, Grammy." Yes!" Doting dad, flamboyant man-about-town, tough-as-nails businessman, respected illustrator... rascal? Yes, Albert Dorne was all of these things - and more. Now you know him a little bit better. And in this second week of showcasing Dorne's career, we'll learn even more! * My Albert Dorne Flickr set. * Thanks to Heritage Auctions for allowing me to use the Wurlitzer ad scans in the above post. The original art from these two ads - plus three others - will be available at auction later this month.
Original Illustration Artwork For Sale. Albert Dorne was born and grew up on the Lower East Side of New York, and had to leave school in the eighth grade to go to work. In 1963, he fittingly received the Horatio Alger Award for Achievement from the American Schools and Colleges Association, Inc. Through a combination of natural ability and strong drive, Dorne progressed successively from being an unpaid assistant to a commercial artist to one of New York’s most successful advertising artists, while still in his early twenties. He went on to become a leading editorial illustrator, was elected president of the Society of Illustrators (1947-48), and in 1948 became the founder-director of the Famous Artists School in Westport, Connecticut. These remarkably successful correspondence schools sprang originally from Dorne’s interest in helping aspiring artists who continually came to him for advice. Among his achievements, Dorne highly ranked his being co-founder of the Code of Ethics and Fair Practices of the Profession of Commercial Art and Illustration. In 1953, he was awarded the first Gold Medal for a “distinguished career” by the New York Art Directors Club. Adelphi College conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree in 1958.
Q: Have you ever painted what you wanted to paint – for your own pleasure, so to speak? A: I have never felt a need to make pictures for my own so-called pleasure. The anatomy of mid-century America and the post-war carnival of consumption were recorded in exhilarating detail by the illustrators of the period. There are some who had a greater range than Albert Dorne and some who explored in greater depth but Dorne intrigues for his single-minded pursuit of revenue and an absolute absence of artistic pretension. The publication of a book* devoted to the activities of a commercial artist and illustrator is something to be grateful for. It may be churlish to complain because, despite my hope for something a little more definitive and authoritative, it does shed some much needed light on the professional world of the mid-century illustrator. The authors have collected some fascinating detail (especially on the subject of the Famous Artists School) and some first hand reminiscences and a more handsome and comprehensive book was presumably outside the budget. Albert Dorne worked exclusively for advertisers and magazine publishers – there are no illustrated classic books for the likes of the First Edition Club and no collections of paintings of steamships or racing cars or regattas or exotic landscapes. Dorne claimed to have acquired his drawing skills through years of sketching as a teenage visitor to the Metropolitan Museum and he was not uninterested in Fine Art (he admired aspects of Cézanne and Picasso) but he had no ambitions to try his hand at anything outside his core activities. *David Apatoff Albert Dorne: Master Illustrator Auad Publishing, 2012 Dorne saw himself as primarily a businessman – as he became successful he employed a team that eventually expanded to include an accountant, business manager, secretary and studio assistant. Keeping the reference files in good order was the most important responsibility of the studio assistant. Speed of execution and consistent excellence were his selling points in pitching to art editors and advertising agencies and he made a point of never delegating a single brush stroke to an assistant. An exceptional talent for caricature was his most popular attribute and much employed by corporate advertisers to give their product a human face. Shoot-outs, mass brawls and fisticuffs generated enormous volumes of business from Saturday Evening Post, Colliers and Lady’s Home Journal but viewed in retrospect an unrelieved diet of pop eyes, bushy brows, bulbous noses, droopy moustaches, pot bellies, Stetsons, suspenders and dungarees can rapidly get tedious. Rather more impressive is Dorne’s flair for handling animated crowd scenes seen to best advantage in the great series of images painted on behalf of Wurlitzer juke-boxes. These extraordinary tableaux burst with vitality and display a high order of spatial organisation. Dorne was proud to supply his clients with exactly what they wanted, free of all artistic pretension, and what they wanted was mostly caricature surrounded by white space. Coloured inks were his choice of media and he developed a method of application that equalled the density and depth of colour achieved by his colleagues working in body colour or gouache. Dorne’s public persona was formed by his working class New York childhood and he may have had more in common with an artist like De Kooning who liked to present himself as an uncomplicated proletarian. An assertive personality, a pugnacious manner, frequent profanity and an ability to charm when necessary are the qualities he was remembered for. Commercial success translated into a life of suburban affluence, hand-made suits and shoes and a custom Mercedes with all the accessories befitting to a self-made man born and raised in the East Side slums. The illustrations come from a trawl through the tear-sheets – most, but not all of Dorne’s work bears his distinctive signature. A few of these examples have no signature and are a result of guesswork that may stand to be corrected.
Today's Inspiration Group Albert Dorne Famous Artists Course, 1960 edition
Albert Dorne had a wretched childhood. He was born in the slums of New York and grew up in poverty, suffering from tuberculosis, malnutrition and heart disease. Fatherless, he quit school after 7th grade to support his mother, two sisters and younger brother. He tried everything to feed his family, from selling newspapers on a street corner to prize fighting to working on a shipping dock. One of the things I like about Dorne is that he had all the credentials for life as a thug, yet the siren song of art was stronger and pulled him through. At age 10 Dorne began cutting school 3 or 4 days a week to sneak off to the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he taught himself to draw by copying almost every work of art in the place. The determined little boy soon became well known around the museum. Dorne lived in constant fear that his school would catch him, and he went to great lengths to cover his tracks. He later discovered that his teachers already knew what he was up to and had agreed not to turn him in. They admired his talent and ambition, and thought his chances were better at the museum than at school. When he turned 17, Dorne decided to make his move into the art business: "I went to a man who ran a one-man art studio and offered to work for nothing as an office boy while I learned the business. The 'nothing' as a salary sounded fine to him. But I still had to take care of my mother-- and by this time I was also married so I had two families to support. I worked in the studio six days a week from nine to six-thirty. Then I'd get home, have supper and a nap, and go back to work all night seven nights a week from midnight to eight in the morning as a shipping clerk... I did this for a whole year. Finally... I was made a full fledged artist with a salary. I was able to give up my night job. After almost a year of this, I decided I could make more money and perhaps find better work as a free lance artist."Dorne went on to become one of the most popular illustrators in America, rich beyond his wildest dreams. Dorne's traumatic childhood left him scarred. He drank heavily. Yet, the bee fertilizes the flower it robs. His experience endowed him with two great gifts. First, he developed a powerful survival instinct. Like a weed pushing its way up through the sidewalk, Dorne always hustled and found assignments when other illustrators lacked work. Second, growing up in a world of desperate, scruffy people Dorne developed a sharp eye for the human carnival. Note how Dorne's insightful line captures a riot of folds, lumps, wrinkles and patches in these marvelous drawings. However damaged he may have been by his experiences in life, these drawings demonstrate that he never lost the unabashed joy of drawing. Look at the pleasure he took in drawing fanciful hands.
Original Illustration Artwork For Sale. Albert Dorne was born and grew up on the Lower East Side of New York, and had to leave school in the eighth grade to go to work. In 1963, he fittingly received the Horatio Alger Award for Achievement from the American Schools and Colleges Association, Inc. Through a combination of natural ability and strong drive, Dorne progressed successively from being an unpaid assistant to a commercial artist to one of New York’s most successful advertising artists, while still in his early twenties. He went on to become a leading editorial illustrator, was elected president of the Society of Illustrators (1947-48), and in 1948 became the founder-director of the Famous Artists School in Westport, Connecticut. These remarkably successful correspondence schools sprang originally from Dorne’s interest in helping aspiring artists who continually came to him for advice. Among his achievements, Dorne highly ranked his being co-founder of the Code of Ethics and Fair Practices of the Profession of Commercial Art and Illustration. In 1953, he was awarded the first Gold Medal for a “distinguished career” by the New York Art Directors Club. Adelphi College conferred on him an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree in 1958.
Today's Inspiration Group\ Albert Dorne
Today's Inspiration Group Albert Dorne Famous Artists Course, 1960 edition
Famous Artists magazine Illustrated by Al Dorne Winter 1963
Famous Artists School Inc. Illustrated by Albert Dorne 1960
True magazine Illustrated by Albert Dorne 1940's
Albert Dorne painting used in Wurlitzer ad: "The Magic That Changes Moods!"
Saturday Evening Post Illustrated by Al Dorne August 1946
Q: Have you ever painted what you wanted to paint – for your own pleasure, so to speak? A: I have never felt a need to make pictures for my own so-called pleasure. The anatomy of mid-century America and the post-war carnival of consumption were recorded in exhilarating detail by the illustrators of the period. There are some who had a greater range than Albert Dorne and some who explored in greater depth but Dorne intrigues for his single-minded pursuit of revenue and an absolute absence of artistic pretension. The publication of a book* devoted to the activities of a commercial artist and illustrator is something to be grateful for. It may be churlish to complain because, despite my hope for something a little more definitive and authoritative, it does shed some much needed light on the professional world of the mid-century illustrator. The authors have collected some fascinating detail (especially on the subject of the Famous Artists School) and some first hand reminiscences and a more handsome and comprehensive book was presumably outside the budget. Albert Dorne worked exclusively for advertisers and magazine publishers – there are no illustrated classic books for the likes of the First Edition Club and no collections of paintings of steamships or racing cars or regattas or exotic landscapes. Dorne claimed to have acquired his drawing skills through years of sketching as a teenage visitor to the Metropolitan Museum and he was not uninterested in Fine Art (he admired aspects of Cézanne and Picasso) but he had no ambitions to try his hand at anything outside his core activities. *David Apatoff Albert Dorne: Master Illustrator Auad Publishing, 2012 Dorne saw himself as primarily a businessman – as he became successful he employed a team that eventually expanded to include an accountant, business manager, secretary and studio assistant. Keeping the reference files in good order was the most important responsibility of the studio assistant. Speed of execution and consistent excellence were his selling points in pitching to art editors and advertising agencies and he made a point of never delegating a single brush stroke to an assistant. An exceptional talent for caricature was his most popular attribute and much employed by corporate advertisers to give their product a human face. Shoot-outs, mass brawls and fisticuffs generated enormous volumes of business from Saturday Evening Post, Colliers and Lady’s Home Journal but viewed in retrospect an unrelieved diet of pop eyes, bushy brows, bulbous noses, droopy moustaches, pot bellies, Stetsons, suspenders and dungarees can rapidly get tedious. Rather more impressive is Dorne’s flair for handling animated crowd scenes seen to best advantage in the great series of images painted on behalf of Wurlitzer juke-boxes. These extraordinary tableaux burst with vitality and display a high order of spatial organisation. Dorne was proud to supply his clients with exactly what they wanted, free of all artistic pretension, and what they wanted was mostly caricature surrounded by white space. Coloured inks were his choice of media and he developed a method of application that equalled the density and depth of colour achieved by his colleagues working in body colour or gouache. Dorne’s public persona was formed by his working class New York childhood and he may have had more in common with an artist like De Kooning who liked to present himself as an uncomplicated proletarian. An assertive personality, a pugnacious manner, frequent profanity and an ability to charm when necessary are the qualities he was remembered for. Commercial success translated into a life of suburban affluence, hand-made suits and shoes and a custom Mercedes with all the accessories befitting to a self-made man born and raised in the East Side slums. The illustrations come from a trawl through the tear-sheets – most, but not all of Dorne’s work bears his distinctive signature. A few of these examples have no signature and are a result of guesswork that may stand to be corrected.
It has been reported that Walt Reed died Wednesday (March 18, 2015) at the age of 97. I got the news from Roger Reed on Walt's Facebook page, and word has caromed around the illustration research community since. I am sorely disappointed that my old friend and co
Do you remember the Famous Artists School ads on matchbook covers and in the back of magazines like Life and Look and The Saturday Evening Post? If you’re over a certain age and your scribbles and paint dabs had been selected to be on school bulletin boards since kindergarten, you might have been intrigued, as was I, by headlines such as this: “A Fascinating… Money-Making Art Career Can Be Yours,” “Test Your Art Talent,” “If You Can Draw This…” If you could draw the dog or th
There’s a peculiar syndrome among artists that parallels the discussions of many a record store clerk, except amongst artists “have you heard” becomes “have you seen.” Depending on whose chin is wagging, you might come away with the names of a couple of Argentinian comic artists, a slew of nineteenth century naturalist painters, or someone’s […]
