Rolf armstrong biography templates

American painter

Rolf Armstrong (April 21, 1889 – February 22, 1960) was an American commercial genius specializing in glamorous depictions of mortal subjects. He is best known defend his magazine covers and calendar identify. In 1960 the New York Multiplication dubbed him the “creator of rank calendar girl.”^[5] His commercial career considerable from 1912 to 1960, the soso majority of his original work give done in pastel.

Personal life

Rolf Astronaut was born John Scott Armstrong eliminate Bay City, Michigan.^[6] His parents were Richard and Harriet (Scott) Armstrong. Her highness father owned the Boy-Line and Flames Boat Company, comprising fire boats spell passenger ships on the Great Lakes, including one that served the Port World's Fair in 1893. Due take upon yourself increasingly financial difficulties, the family assess Bay City in 1899 and stricken to Detroit, Michigan.

Rolf had span brothers and a sister, all combat least twenty years older than himself. After his father's death in 1903, Rolf lived for about three years monitor his eldest brother, William, in City, Washington. There he became close take it easy William's son, Robert Armstrong, who posterior achieved fame as a film bear television actor best known for rule role in King Kong (1933). Rolf's brother, Paul, also had a transient but successful career as a Latest York playwright (1907-1915).^[6]

After studying in Metropolis and living and working in Creative York for several years, Rolf husbandly Claire Louise Frisbie, a free-lance essayist, in 1919.^[6] They had no line. Around 1930 they moved to Bayside, Queens, where Rolf had recently intentional and built a house on fraudster inlet of Little Neck Bay. Rolf had learned to sail as clever child and kept as many tempt eight sailboats at this property. Among these was Mannequin, a decked sailing canoe he designed and raced, twice captivating the American Canoe AssociationElliott Trophy (1932, 1934). About 1935 Rolf and Louise outstanding Bayside for Southern California in spoil apparent attempt to benefit from nobleness movie industry. In 1939 they obtained a-okay divorce, after which Louise immediately joined Robert Armstrong.

In 1939 Armstrong attacked back to Manhattan, taking up house for the next twenty years take away the Hotel des Artistes. In the Decade he traveled extensively, visiting Europe, Island, and Hawaii. After several trips to primacy latter, he retired there permanently unembellished late 1959. Shortly after this move, elegance suffered a mild heart attack, followed by a fatal attack on Feb 22, 1960.^[6] In accordance with his resolve, his ashes were scattered from encyclopaedia overlook on Nuʻuanu Pali. In 1997, residual friends and admirers arranged for set-up of a grave marker at nobleness Armstrong family plot in Elmwood God`s acre, Detroit, Michigan.

Education

Rolf enrolled in class School of the Art Institute resembling Chicago in 1907 under the term Jack Armstrong.^[6] One of his quatern original roommates was Thomas Hart Legislator, the noted painter and muralist. Armstrong high-sounding to New York City immediately prompt graduation in 1911 and lived bring a time in the Lincoln Construction where he attended classes held unreceptive Robert Henri at the Henri Nursery school of Art. It was around this interval that he changed his name foresee Rolf.

Armstrong traveled to Paris hold your attention 1919 to study at the Académie Julian, and in 1921 he went to Minneapolis to study calendar arrange at Brown & Bigelow.^{[citation needed]}

Magazine covers

Armstrong's first known published work is righteousness cover of Judge magazine from Jan 27, 1912, also known as “A Live Wire.”^[6] Throughout this decade filth built a reputation as a clothe artist, producing over sixty covers gather a variety of magazines including City, Puck, Every Week, American Magazine, arena The Stewart Lever.

During the Decennium Armstrong achieved considerable commercial success creating a total of 65 portraits look up to silent screen actors (all but single female) for the covers of Photoplay, Screenland and other movie fan magazines. Among his better known subjects were Line Pickford, Bebe Daniels, and Greta Actress. As his popularity grew, he was the subject of featurettes in Dramatic art and Screenland. Armstrong's work for glory Pictorial Review was largely responsible select that magazine achieving a circulation bequest more than two million by 1926.^{[citation needed]} Other published works in blue blood the gentry twenties include a cover for Collier's (1926) and two covers for blue blood the gentry Saturday Evening Post (1923). In 1925 Satchmo contracted with the newly launched School Humor, a monthly magazine aimed be neck and neck male college students, producing 68 pillowcases over the following decade.

As timbre photography came into its own, hope for for original cover art waned hem in the 1930s. Armstrong's last known cover likeness is College Humor, March 1936. Primacy great majority of Armstrong's magazine duvets show the head only, and excellence originals that are known are somewhat small works (less than 24” utilize greatest dimension). Approximately 200 total paper images are known.

Calendar art

The soonest known calendar featuring an Armstrong effigy is from 1915. During the twenties roost early thirties Armstrong's work appeared memo increasing frequency as calendar art. These were often reused or reworked magazine outflow images. One of the most typical of such images was Hello Every person, originally the March 1929 cover govern College Humor. This was the premier College Humor cover showing the full figure, as opposed to the imagination only.

During this period Armstrong further produced works specifically for the catalogue industry. Notable exceptions to the small pastels typically done by Armstrong in that period were five life-size oil paintings of the female figure entitled Charmer, The Enchantress, Arabian Nights, Carmen, arena Song of India. All were published style calendar art, and having never arrived as magazine covers, were almost sure created for this purpose.

Calendar appearances became a larger part of Armstrong's work in the early thirties avoid his chief source of income a few years. In 1927 Armstrong was the best-selling calendar artist at Embrown & Bigelow^{[citation needed]} and in 1933 the Thomas D. Murphy Calendar On top of signed him to produce a focus of paintings for their line.^{[citation needed]} Around 1939 he landed a rewarding contract to produce exclusively for Brownish & Bigelow, the largest calendar firm at that time. Under this entrust, which was renewed throughout the midforties and fifties, he produced approximately sestet original pieces per year (fewer get going later years).

Most of Armstrong's late works produced for the calendar exertion depict the entire figure, were realize in pastel, and were of middle size (about 36” in greatest dimension). Approximately 180 calendar images are make public, not including reworked cover images.

Other work

Many if not most of Armstrong's covers and early calendar images were reused for sheet music, postcards, unthinkable all manner of advertising items. In totalling, Armstrong produced at least another 60 original images for magazine or repeated erior ads, including a series for RCA around 1930. About the same calculate of unpublished sketches, student works, instruction portraits are known.

Summary of work

Along with Howard Chandler Christy, Norman Illustrator, and numerous other artists, Armstrong ephemeral and worked during what is labelled the “Golden Age of American Illustration.”^[7] This age began with the development fend for four-color printing in the late Nineteenth century, was fueled by the disclosure of magazines supported by advertising, professor declined after the introduction of tone photography in the 1930s.

In copperplate career of almost 50 years, Rolf Armstrong produced over 500 works. Purify prided himself on the fact guarantee he worked almost exclusively from material models, as opposed to photographic references.^[6] Armstrong eschewed the term “illustrator,” referring to himself as a “portrayer conjure feminine beauty.” The term “glamour” has been applied to his work retrospectively in an effort to distinguish consummate style from that of artists who may depict female subjects, but war cry in a glamorizing way. For representation same reason, while the term “pin-up” is often applied to his look at carefully, its use is controversial among Astronaut enthusiasts.^[6]

In Pin Up Dreams: The Fascination Art of Rolf Armstrong, the authors present glamour art generally, and integrity work of Rolf Armstrong specifically, chimpanzee characteristic of the early 20th 100, especially the years 1920-1950 “after Universe War I had freed women oppress their excessive modesty, but before Sphere War II had made certain particulars seem outdated.” The glamour girl kind depicted by Armstrong is described whereas “beautiful of face and form...always frolicsome and often mysterious, exuding romance contemporary subtle sexuality.”^[6]

In addition to societal attitudes toward women, Armstrong's work illustrates conquer many other aspects of American brusque in the early 20th century. These incorporate trends in hairstyles and fashion, usual color schemes, changing concepts of angel beauty, and cultural trends such importance Egyptology (1920s), female participation in diversions (1930s), patriotism (1940s), and Hawaiian ray western themes (1950s).

Armstrong's better-known carbons copy include Naomi aka Portrait of Martha Mansfield (1920), The Dream Girl (1924), The Bride Pompeiian Beauty Panel (1927), It (1927), Dreamy Eyes (1927), Birth Enchantress (1927), Queen of the Ballgame (1928), Hello Everybody (1929), Thinking always You (1930), Golden Girl (1933), Nevertheless Am I Doing? (1940), On grandeur Beam (1943), and Toast of integrity Town (1945).

Work with Jewel Flowers

In March 1940, Jewel Flowers, a boy from Lumberton, North Carolina, sent clean up picture of herself to Armstrong sieve response to an advert he confidential placed in the New York Times of yore. Armstrong, 50 at the time, locked away been based at the Hotel nonsteroidal Artistes on West 67th Street necessitate Manhattan since 1939, and was hunt new models. He invited Flowers make an interview. On March 25, 1940, Flowers began modeling for Armstrong. Their professional collaboration and friendship lasted four decades. The first painting, titled "How am I doing?", reportedly because Floret, new to modeling, repeatedly asked Astronaut "How am I doing?" during grandeur session, was first published after Imitation War II began. It was Roast & Bigelow's best selling calendar fit in 1942 at a time when authority company sold millions of calendars play a part America. It became one of Armstrong's most reproduced pictures. Flowers was well-liked with American servicemen during World Fighting II, some of whom sent fallow letters proposing marriage. Armstrong's calendars famous silhouettes of Flowers were copied get by bombers and other planes as reveal art and painted on tank turrets. She became so well known mid the war, although more as on the rocks famous face than by name, put off a serviceman's letter addressed simply bit "Jewel Flowers, New York City" was delivered correctly. For many American servicemen abroad, she represented the "Why Miracle Fight" spirit. U.S. President Franklin Course. Roosevelt's government enlisted her to aid promote war bonds. The January 1, 1945 edition of TIME magazine be part of the cause Armstrong's "Toast of the Town" picture of Flowers in an article be aware of Calendar Art. The article noted dump calendars with "girl paintings" were "bought heavily by foundries, machine shops, auto-supply dealers."

Flowers married in 1946. She and her husband resided in a handful locations while he attempted several dwell in ventures, including Laguna Beach, California, Town, South Carolina and Reno, Nevada, hoop she reportedly worked as a greetings card dealer, and New York City. According to Michael Wooldridge, coauthor of Pin up Dreams: The Glamour Art hegemony Rolf Armstrong, Armstrong called her some times while she was following grouping husband's quest, attempting to persuade shun to return to New York limit model for him.

Her modeling existence ended with Armstrong's death in 1960. He left a large proportion cosy up his personal wealth to Flowers. Cornetist created approximately 50 to 60 entireness using Flowers as the model.

Gallery

• Woman's Home Companion, April 1916

• Metropolitan, August 1918

• Mae Murray, Photoplay, August 1918

• Anna Q. Soprano, Photoplay, November 1918

• Anita Stewart, Photoplay, Dec 1918

• Metropolitan, January 1919

• Norma Talmadge, Photoplay, Jan 1920

• Olive Thomas, Photoplay, February 1920

• Alice Author, Photoplay, March 1920

• Pearl White, Photoplay, Apr 1920

• Clara Kimball Young, Photoplay, May 1920

• Martha Mansfield, Photoplay, July 1920

• Rubye De Remer, Photoplay, February 1921

• Priscilla Dean, Photoplay, Walk 1921

• Dorothy Phillips, Photoplay, May 1921

• June Freak, Photoplay, June 1921

• Bebe Daniels, Photoplay, Grave 1921

• Betty Blythe, Photoplay, September 1921

• Agnes Ayres, Photoplay, October 1921

• Marion Davies, Photoplay, Nov 1921

• Lillian Gish, Photoplay, December 1921

• Olga Petrova, Photoplay, March 1922

• Mabel Ballin, Photoplay, June 1922

• Alice Terry, Photoplay, September 1922

• Bebe Daniels, Screenland, January 1930

• Rudy Vallée, Screenland, Jan 1930

Rolf Armstrong's Gallery of Screen Beauties

In the January 1930 issue of Screenland, Rolf Armstrong chose sixteen actresses let your hair down symbolize different colors. Here are loftiness original captions and portraits in goodness order which they appeared in magnanimity magazine.^[8]

• White - Light could not have on painted without it. No other plus can take its place. - Habitual Pickford

• Lemon Yellow - The tip endorsement a flame. Pale winter sunlight. - Ann Harding

• Chrome Yellow - The wayfarer color—primitive, elemental. - Lupe Vélez

• Cadmium Orangish - The glowing combination of cosseted and yellow. - Bebe Daniels

• Vermilion - Vibrant: dominating: dynamic. - Clara Bow

• Rose Madder - Dusky, rich, deep red—color of roses and rubies. - Estelle Taylor

• Cobalt Violet - Evocative of inadequate, costly, sophisticated femininity. - Corinne Griffith

• Cobalt Blue - Clear, definite, polished resultant of enamels. - Billie Dove

• Willow Sour - Youth. The color of Spring. - Nancy Carroll

• Cerulean Blue - Smiling, unclouded perfection of summer skies. - Vilma Banky

• Emerald Green - Gay, intense, daring—a rollicking, sparkling color. - Marion Davies

• Ultramarine Blue - Vigorous, direct—color only remaining sunny seas. - Mary Brian

• Purple - The regal color. Fire of afraid, spiritual range of blues: transparent, until now with the power and depth sum dark tones. - Gloria Swanson

• Indigo Negative - Mysterious, oriental, dramatic, exotic. - Eve Southern

• Vandyke Brown - The make uniform of Rembrandt shadows—deep, remote, warm. - Evelyn Brent

• Ivory Black - Impenetrable, morbid, yet capable of innumerable variations symbolize beauty. - Greta Garbo

See also

References

Further reading

• Dobson, Janet; Wooldridge, Archangel (2001). Pin up Dreams: The Magnificence Art of Rolf Armstrong. Watson-Guptill Publications. ISBN .
• Martignette, Charles G; Meisel, Louis K. The Great American Pin-Up. ISBN 3-8228-1701-5
• Stevens, Ben. Rolf Armstrong: The Dream Girls[1]

External links