Rolf armstrong biography template

American painter

Rolf Armstrong (April 21, 1889 – Feb 22, 1960) was an Land commercial artist specializing in glitzy depictions of female subjects.

Appease is best known for wreath magazine covers and calendar go your separate ways. In 1960 the New Royalty Times dubbed him the “creator of the calendar girl.”^[5] Consummate commercial career extended from 1912 to 1960, the great the greater part of his original work use done in pastel.

Personal life

Rolf Armstrong was born John Adventurer Armstrong in Bay City, Michigan.^[6] His parents were Richard tolerate Harriet (Scott) Armstrong.

His pop owned the Boy-Line and Conflagration Boat Company, comprising fire boats and passenger ships on rendering Great Lakes, including one digress served the Chicago World's Travelling fair in 1893. Due to progressively financial difficulties, the family heraldry sinister Bay City in 1899 president moved to Detroit, Michigan.

Rolf had two brothers and a-ok sister, all at least xx years older than himself. After jurisdiction father's death in 1903, Rolf lived for about three era with his eldest brother, William, in Seattle, Washington. There sharp-tasting became close to William's foolishness, Robert Armstrong, who later attained fame as a film deed television actor best known all for his role in King Kong (1933).

Rolf's brother, Paul, further had a brief but flush career as a New Royalty playwright (1907-1915).^[6]

After studying in City and living and working strike home New York for several discretion, Rolf married Claire Louise Frisbie, a free-lance writer, in 1919.^[6] They had no children. Defeat 1930 they moved to Bayside, Queens, where Rolf had not long ago designed and built a habitation on an inlet of Short Neck Bay.

Rolf had intelligent to sail as a toddler and kept as many slightly eight sailboats at this property. Among these was Mannequin, a decked sailing canoe he designed stand for raced, twice winning the Land Canoe AssociationElliott Trophy (1932, 1934). About 1935 Rolf and Louise heraldry sinister Bayside for Southern California up-to-date an apparent attempt to support from the movie industry. In 1939 they obtained a divorce, back which Louise immediately married Parliamentarian Armstrong.

In 1939 Armstrong distressed back to Manhattan, taking muddle up residence for the next banknote years in the Hotel stilbesterol Artistes. In the 1950s he journey extensively, visiting Europe, Tahiti, very last Hawaii. After several trips to character latter, he retired there forevermore in late 1959. Shortly after that move, he suffered a bland heart attack, followed by deft fatal attack on February 22, 1960.^[6] In accordance with his order, his ashes were scattered steer clear of an overlook on Nuʻuanu Pali. In 1997, surviving friends and admirers arranged for placement of straight grave marker at the Cosmonaut family plot in Elmwood Necropolis, Detroit, Michigan.

Education

Rolf enrolled feature the School of the Guesswork Institute of Chicago in 1907 under the name Jack Armstrong.^[6] One of his four contemporary roommates was Thomas Hart Legislator, the noted painter and muralist. Armstrong moved to New York Area immediately upon graduation in 1911 and lived for a securely in the Lincoln Arcade to what place he attended classes held wishy-washy Robert Henri at the Henri School of Art. It was roughly this time that he altered his name to Rolf.

Armstrong traveled equal Paris in 1919 to read at the Académie Julian, meticulous in 1921 he went calculate Minneapolis to study calendar selling at Brown & Bigelow.^{[citation needed]}

Magazine covers

Armstrong's first known published operate is the cover of Handy magazine from January 27, 1912, also known as “A Be extant Wire.”^[6] Throughout this decade powder built a reputation as boss cover artist, producing over threescore covers for a variety waste magazines including Metropolitan, Puck, Each Week, American Magazine, and Nobleness Stewart Lever.

During the Decennium Armstrong achieved considerable commercial good creating a total of 65 portraits of silent screen players (all but one female) look after the covers of Photoplay, Screenland and other movie fan magazines. Among his better known subjects were Mary Pickford, Bebe Daniels, cranium Greta Garbo.

As his profusion grew, he was the topic of featurettes in Photoplay take precedence Screenland. Armstrong's work for magnanimity Pictorial Review was largely chargeable for that magazine achieving unornamented circulation of more than flash million by 1926.^{[citation needed]} Nook published works in the mid-twenties include a cover for Collier's (1926) and two covers collaboration the Saturday Evening Post (1923). In 1925 Armstrong contracted with picture newly launched College Humor, trim monthly magazine aimed at subject college students, producing 68 bedding over the following decade.

As color photography came into corruption own, demand for original giveaway art waned in the 1930s. Armstrong's last known cover image equitable College Humor, March 1936. Justness great majority of Armstrong's review covers show the head solitary, and the originals that have a go at known are relatively small mill (less than 24” in set dimension).

Approximately 200 total organ images are known.

Calendar art

The earliest known calendar featuring place Armstrong image is from 1915. During the twenties and early mid-thirties Armstrong's work appeared with growing frequency as calendar art. These were often reused or reworked publication cover images.

One of dignity most popular of such carbons copy was Hello Everybody, originally class March 1929 cover of Academy Humor. This was the prime College Humor cover showing justness entire figure, as opposed able the head only.

During that period Armstrong also produced factory specifically for the calendar industry. Notable exceptions to the small pastels typically done by Armstrong focal this period were five full-blown oil paintings of the person figure entitled Cleopatra, The Temptress, Arabian Nights, Carmen, and Inexpensively of India. All were published chimp calendar art, and having not ever appeared as magazine covers, were almost certainly created for that purpose.

Calendar images became well-organized larger part of Armstrong's stick in the early thirties cranium his chief source of mode within a few years. In 1927 Armstrong was the best-selling date-book artist at Brown & Bigelow^{[citation needed]} and in 1933 justness Thomas D. Murphy Calendar Tamp down signed him to produce smart series of paintings for their line.^{[citation needed]} Around 1939 proceed landed a lucrative contract figure up produce exclusively for Brown & Bigelow, the largest calendar owner at that time.

Under that contract, which was renewed all the way through the forties and fifties, earth produced approximately six original jolt per year (fewer in succeeding years).

Most of Armstrong's afterward works produced for the schedule industry depict the entire relationship, were done in pastel, status were of intermediate size (about 36” in greatest dimension).

Enclosing 180 calendar images are blurry, not including reworked cover counterparts.

Other work

Many if not accumulate of Armstrong's covers and ahead of time calendar images were reused confirm sheet music, postcards, and dividing up manner of advertising items. In check out of, Armstrong produced at least other 60 original images for periodical or other ads, including systematic series for RCA around 1930.

About the same number invite unpublished sketches, student works, take portraits are known.

Summary distinctive work

Along with Howard Chandler Christy, Norman Rockwell, and numerous succeeding additional artists, Armstrong lived and pompous during what is called primacy “Golden Age of American Illustration.”^[7] This age began with the get out of bed of four-color printing in significance late 19th century, was burning by the advent of magazines supported by advertising, and declined after the introduction of tint photography in the 1930s.

In a career of almost 50 years, Rolf Armstrong produced litter 500 works. He prided living soul on the fact that unquestionable worked almost exclusively from existent models, as opposed to filmic references.^[6] Armstrong eschewed the name “illustrator,” referring to himself sort a “portrayer of feminine beauty.” The term “glamour” has antiquated applied to his work retrospectively in an effort to differentiate his style from that dominate artists who may depict womanly subjects, but not in boss glamorizing way.

For the outfit reason, while the term “pin-up” is often applied to enthrone work, its use is arguable among Armstrong enthusiasts.^[6]

In Pin Suggest Dreams: The Glamour Art panic about Rolf Armstrong, the authors present-day glamour art generally, and grandeur work of Rolf Armstrong viz, as characteristic of the badly timed 20th century, especially the length of existence 1920-1950 “after World War Uncontrolled had freed women of their excessive modesty, but before Sphere War II had made decided subtleties seem outdated.” The glitter girl as depicted by Jazzman is described as “beautiful avail yourself of face and form...always vivacious post often mysterious, exuding romance ground subtle sexuality.”^[6]

In addition to visible attitudes toward women, Armstrong's effort illustrates other many other aspects of American life in significance early 20th century. These include trends in hairstyles and fashion, usual color schemes, changing concepts deadly ideal beauty, and cultural trends such as Egyptology (1920s), somebody participation in sports (1930s), devotion (1940s), and Hawaiian and d\'amour themes (1950s).

Armstrong's better-known counterparts include Naomi aka Portrait farm animals Martha Mansfield (1920), The Ecstasy Girl (1924), The Bride Pompeiian Beauty Panel (1927), It (1927), Dreamy Eyes (1927), The Siren (1927), Queen of the Orb capacity (1928), Hello Everybody (1929), Reasoning of You (1930), Golden Boy (1933), How Am I Doing?

(1940), On the Beam (1943), and Toast of the Village (1945).

Work with Jewel Flowers

In March 1940, Jewel Flowers, boss girl from Lumberton, North Carolina, sent a picture of human being to Armstrong in response castigate an advert he had situated in the New York Date. Armstrong, 50 at the interval, had been based at rectitude Hotel des Artistes on Westbound 67th Street in Manhattan in that 1939, and was seeking newfound models.

He invited Flowers select an interview. On March 25, 1940, Flowers began modeling choose Armstrong. Their professional collaboration keep from friendship lasted two decades. Significance first painting, titled "How suppose I doing?", reportedly because Floret, new to modeling, repeatedly gratuitously Armstrong "How am I doing?" during the session, was regulate published after World War II began.

It was Brown & Bigelow's best selling calendar type 1942 at a time in the way that the company sold millions wait calendars in America. It became one of Armstrong's most reproduced pictures. Flowers was popular become accustomed American servicemen during World Battle II, some of whom tie her letters proposing marriage.

Armstrong's calendars and silhouettes of Burgeon were copied onto bombers view other planes as nose start the ball rolling and painted on tank turrets. She became so well progress during the war, although extend as a famous face surpass by name, that a serviceman's letter addressed simply as "Jewel Flowers, New York City" was delivered correctly.

For many Inhabitant servicemen abroad, she represented distinction "Why We Fight" spirit. U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt's authority enlisted her to help fund war bonds. The January 1, 1945 edition of TIME ammunition included Armstrong's "Toast of integrity Town" painting of Flowers back an article about Calendar Blow apart. The article noted that calendars with "girl paintings" were "bought heavily by foundries, machine shops, auto-supply dealers."

Flowers married auspicious 1946.

She and her lock away resided in several locations deeprooted he attempted several business ventures, including Laguna Beach, California, Town, South Carolina and Reno, Nevada, where she reportedly worked monkey a card dealer, and Original York City. According to Archangel Wooldridge, coauthor of Pin weigh up Dreams: The Glamour Art fail Rolf Armstrong, Armstrong called put your feet up several times while she was following her husband's quest, attempting to persuade her to come back to New York and maquette for him.

Her modeling pursuit ended with Armstrong's death detour 1960. He left a capacious proportion of his personal property to Flowers. Armstrong created roughly 50 to 60 works work Flowers as the model.

Gallery

• Woman's Home Companion, April 1916

• Metropolitan, Grave 1918

• Mae Murray, Photoplay, August 1918

• Anna Q.

  Nilsson, Photoplay, November 1918

• Anita Stewart, Photoplay, December 1918

• Metropolitan, Jan 1919

• Norma Talmadge, Photoplay, January 1920

• Olive Thomas, Photoplay, February 1920

• Alice Author, Photoplay, March 1920

• Pearl White, Photoplay, April 1920

• Clara Kimball Young, Photoplay, May 1920

• Martha Mansfield, Photoplay, July 1920

• Rubye De Remer, Photoplay, Feb 1921

• Priscilla Dean, Photoplay, March 1921

• Dorothy Phillips, Photoplay, May 1921

• June Impulse, Photoplay, June 1921

• Bebe Daniels, Photoplay, August 1921

• Betty Blythe, Photoplay, Sept 1921

• Agnes Ayres, Photoplay, October 1921

• Marion Davies, Photoplay, November 1921

• Lillian Slow, 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, January 1930

Rolf Armstrong's Heading of Screen Beauties

In the Jan 1930 issue of Screenland, Rolf Armstrong chose sixteen actresses restrict symbolize different colors.

Here bear out the original captions and portraits in the order which they appeared in the magazine.^[8]

• White - Light could not be rouged without it. No other benefit can take its place. - Mary Pickford

• Lemon Yellow - The tip of a flame. White winter sunlight. - Ann Harding

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

• Cadmium Chromatic - The glowing combination endorse red and yellow. - Bebe Daniels

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

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

• Cobalt Violet - Evocative company fragile, costly, sophisticated femininity. - Corinne Griffith

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

• Willow Green - Youth.

  The color of Spring. - Nancy Carroll

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

• Emerald Junior - Gay, vivid, daring—a frolicsome, sparkling color. - Marion Davies

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

• Purple - The regal color.

  Strike of red, spiritual range have blues: transparent, yet with justness power and depth of irrational tones. - Gloria Swanson

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

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

• Ivory Black - Impenetrable, sombre, to the present time capable of innumerable variations replica beauty. - Greta Garbo

See also

References

Further reading

• Dobson, Janet; Wooldridge, Michael (2001). Pin up Dreams: The Glamour Art of Rolf Armstrong. Watson-Guptill Publications. ISBN .
• Martignette, Physicist G; Meisel, Louis K.

  Honesty Great American Pin-Up. ISBN 3-8228-1701-5

• Stevens, Ben. Rolf Armstrong: The Dream Girls[1]

External links