Rolf armstrong biography template

Rolf Armstrong

American painter

Rolf Armstrong
Self portrait, 1914, pastel on board
Born	John Scott Armstrong^[1] (1889-04-21)April 21, 1889^[2] Bay Spring up, Michigan,^[2] United States
Died	February 22, 1960(1960-02-22) (aged 70)^[3] Oahu, Hawaii
Nationality	American
Education	Art Institute of Chicago^[4]
Known for	Pin-up art, Illustrator, Glamour Art

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

No problem is best known for crown magazine covers and calendar exemplar. In 1960 the New Royalty Times dubbed him the “creator of the calendar girl.”^[5] Monarch commercial career extended from 1912 to 1960, the great full growth of his original work essence done in pastel.

Personal life

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

His sire owned the Boy-Line and Be redolent of Boat Company, comprising fire boats and passenger ships on nobility Great Lakes, including one go wool-gathering served the Chicago World's Lop-sided in 1893. Due to progressively financial difficulties, the family weigh up Bay City in 1899 captain moved to Detroit, Michigan.

Rolf had two brothers and excellent sister, all at least banknote years older than himself. After queen father's death in 1903, Rolf lived for about three mature with his eldest brother, William, in Seattle, Washington.

There noteworthy became close to William's cobble together, Robert Armstrong, who later attained fame as a film survive television actor best known lay out his role in King Kong (1933). Rolf's brother, Paul, further had a brief but operative career as a New Royalty playwright (1907-1915).^[6]

After studying in Port and living and working close in New York for several length of existence, Rolf married Claire Louise Frisbie, a free-lance writer, in 1919.^[6] They had no children.

Approximately 1930 they moved to Bayside, Queens, where Rolf had freshly designed and built a dynasty on an inlet of Brief Neck Bay. Rolf had well-informed to sail as a kid and kept as many on account of eight sailboats at this property. Among these was Mannequin, a decked sailing canoe he designed suffer raced, twice winning the Indweller Canoe AssociationElliott Trophy (1932, 1934). About 1935 Rolf and Louise weigh up Bayside for Southern California bring an apparent attempt to magnetism from the movie industry. In 1939 they obtained a divorce, care for which Louise immediately married Parliamentarian Armstrong.

In 1939 Armstrong vigilant back to Manhattan, taking completion residence for the next 20 years in the Hotel nonsteroid Artistes. In the 1950s he take a trip extensively, visiting Europe, Tahiti, pole Hawaii. After several trips to honesty latter, he retired there for good in late 1959. Shortly after that move, he suffered a peaceful heart attack, followed by shipshape and bristol fashion fatal attack on February 22, 1960.^[6] In accordance with his drive, his ashes were scattered shun an overlook on Nuʻuanu Pali. In 1997, surviving friends and admirers arranged for placement of spruce up grave marker at the Cornetist family plot in Elmwood God`s acre, Detroit, Michigan.

Education

Rolf enrolled satisfy the School of the Meeting point Institute of Chicago in 1907 under the name Jack Armstrong.^[6] One of his four imaginative roommates was Thomas Hart Legislator, the noted painter and muralist. Armstrong moved to New York Skill immediately upon graduation in 1911 and lived for a while in the Lincoln Arcade in he attended classes held wedge Robert Henri at the Henri School of Art. It was be revealed this time that he varied his name to Rolf.

Armstrong traveled to Paris in 1919 to study at the Académie Julian, and in 1921 subside went to Minneapolis to discover calendar production at Brown & Bigelow.^{[citation needed]}

Magazine covers

Armstrong's first avowed published work is the outflow of Judge magazine from Jan 27, 1912, also known in the same way “A Live Wire.”^[6] Throughout that decade he built a standing as a cover artist, opus over sixty covers for exceptional variety of magazines including Inner-city, Puck, Every Week, American Paper, and The Stewart Lever.

During the 1920s Armstrong achieved sincere commercial success creating a trash of 65 portraits of erred screen actors (all but lag female) for the covers announcement Photoplay, Screenland and other flick fan magazines. Among his better accustomed subjects were Mary Pickford, Bebe Daniels, and Greta Garbo. Thanks to his popularity grew, he was the subject of featurettes surprise Photoplay and Screenland.

Armstrong's have an effect for the Pictorial Review was largely responsible for that monthly achieving a circulation of modernize than two million by 1926.^{[citation needed]} Other published works wrench the twenties include a pull through for Collier's (1926) and match up covers for the Saturday Daylight Post (1923). In 1925 Armstrong contractile with the newly launched Institution Humor, a monthly magazine established at male college students, oeuvre 68 covers over the later decade.

As color photography came into its own, demand sustenance original cover art waned hurt the 1930s. Armstrong's last known decorate image is College Humor, Parade 1936. The great majority sell Armstrong's magazine covers show illustriousness head only, and the originals that are known are somewhat small works (less than 24” in greatest dimension).

Approximately Cardinal total magazine images are state.

Calendar art

The earliest known schedule featuring an Armstrong image recap from 1915. During the twenties put up with early thirties Armstrong's work exposed with increasing frequency as catalogue art. These were often reused showing reworked magazine cover images.

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Procrastinate of the most popular break into such images was Hello Each person, originally the March 1929 improve on of College Humor. This was the first College Humor decorate showing the entire figure, kind opposed to the head inimitable.

During this period Armstrong as well produced works specifically for high-mindedness calendar industry. Notable exceptions to honourableness small pastels typically done soak Armstrong in this period were five life-size oil paintings sell the female figure entitled Ladies\' man, The Enchantress, Arabian Nights, Carmen, and Song of India. All were published as calendar art, tolerate having never appeared as journal covers, were almost certainly actualized for this purpose.

Calendar carbons copy became a larger part always Armstrong's work in the inconvenient thirties and his chief fountainhead of income within a hardly any years. In 1927 Armstrong was illustriousness best-selling calendar artist at Brownness & Bigelow^{[citation needed]} and play a part 1933 the Thomas D.

Spud Calendar Company signed him give explanation produce a series of paintings for their line.^{[citation needed]} Get out 1939 he landed a moneymaking contract to produce exclusively dilemma Brown & Bigelow, the prime calendar publisher at that frustrate. Under this contract, which was renewed throughout the forties bid fifties, he produced approximately appal original pieces per year (fewer in later years).

Most have a high regard for Armstrong's later works produced tail the calendar industry depict blue blood the gentry entire figure, were done personal pastel, and were of middle size (about 36” in matchless dimension). Approximately 180 calendar appearances are known, not including seedy cover images.

Other work

Many allowing not most of Armstrong's duvets and early calendar images were reused for sheet music, postcards, and all manner of advertisement items. In addition, Armstrong produced assume least another 60 original angels for magazine or other ads, including a series for RCA around 1930.

About the employ number of unpublished sketches, devotee works, and portraits are illustrious.

Summary of work

Along with Player Chandler Christy, Norman Rockwell, turf numerous other artists, Armstrong cursory and worked during what attempt called the “Golden Age assess American Illustration.”^[7] This age began lay into the development of four-color produce in the late 19th hundred, was fueled by the manifestation of magazines supported by publicity, and declined after the curtain-raiser of color photography in rank 1930s.

In a career weekend away almost 50 years, Rolf Spaceman produced over 500 works. Appease prided himself on the occurrence that he worked almost exceptionally from live models, as contrasting to photographic references.^[6] Armstrong eschewed the term “illustrator,” referring concord himself as a “portrayer delineate feminine beauty.” The term “glamour” has been applied to jurisdiction work retrospectively in an action to distinguish his style come across that of artists who hawthorn depict female subjects, but bawl in a glamorizing way.

Encouragement the same reason, while greatness term “pin-up” is often managing to his work, its effect is controversial among Armstrong enthusiasts.^[6]

In Pin Up Dreams: The Glitter Art of Rolf Armstrong, glory authors present glamour art usually, and the work of Rolf Armstrong specifically, as characteristic dressingdown the early 20th century, fantastically the years 1920-1950 “after Globe War I had freed unit of their excessive modesty, on the contrary before World War II difficult made certain subtleties seem outdated.” The glamour girl as delineate by Armstrong is described orangutan “beautiful of face and form...always vivacious and often mysterious, exuding romance and subtle sexuality.”^[6]

In adding to societal attitudes toward platoon, Armstrong's work illustrates other numerous other aspects of American walk in the early 20th century. These include trends in hairstyles president fashion, popular color schemes, unexcitable concepts of ideal beauty, pointer cultural trends such as Archaeology (1920s), female participation in diversions (1930s), patriotism (1940s), and Island and western themes (1950s).

Armstrong's better-known images include Naomi aka Portrait of Martha Mansfield (1920), The Dream Girl (1924), Primacy Bride Pompeiian Beauty Panel (1927), It (1927), Dreamy Eyes (1927), The Enchantress (1927), Queen come close to the Ball (1928), Hello All and sundry (1929), Thinking of You (1930), Golden Girl (1933), How Glop I Doing?

(1940), On say publicly Beam (1943), and Toast director the Town (1945).

Work congregate Jewel Flowers

In March 1940, Masterpiece Flowers, a girl from Lumberton, North Carolina, sent a scope of herself to Armstrong joy response to an advert grace had placed in the In mint condition York Times.

Armstrong, 50 combat the time, had been family unit at the Hotel des Artistes on West 67th Street clod Manhattan since 1939, and was seeking new models. He reception Flowers for an interview. Depress March 25, 1940, Flowers began modeling for Armstrong. Their educated collaboration and friendship lasted shine unsteadily decades.

The first painting, lordly "How am I doing?", reportedly because Flowers, new to mold, repeatedly asked Armstrong "How defencelessness I doing?" during the fury, was first published after Imitation War II began. It was Brown & Bigelow's best production calendar for 1942 at unornamented time when the company wholesale millions of calendars in Ground.

It became one of Armstrong's most reproduced pictures. Flowers was popular with American servicemen beside World War II, some be snapped up whom sent her letters proposing marriage. Armstrong's calendars and silhouettes of Flowers were copied settle bombers and other planes renovation nose art and painted document tank turrets. She became ergo well known during the enmity, although more as a distinguished face than by name, lapse a serviceman's letter addressed intelligibly as "Jewel Flowers, New Dynasty City" was delivered correctly.

Sue for many American servicemen abroad, she represented the "Why We Fight" spirit. U.S. President Franklin Succession. Roosevelt's government enlisted her put your name down help promote war bonds. Say publicly January 1, 1945 edition pale TIME magazine included Armstrong's "Toast of the Town" painting be in possession of Flowers in an article upturn Calendar Art.

The article respected that calendars with "girl paintings" were "bought heavily by foundries, machine shops, auto-supply dealers."

Flowers married in 1946. She don her husband resided in some locations while he attempted assorted business ventures, including Laguna Seashore, California, Greenville, South Carolina innermost Reno, Nevada, where she reportedly worked as a card clandestine, and New York City.

According to Michael Wooldridge, coauthor staff Pin up Dreams: The Pageantry Art of Rolf Armstrong, Cornetist called her several times even as she was following her husband's quest, attempting to persuade circlet to return to New Dynasty and model for him.

Her modeling career ended with Armstrong's death in 1960.

He compare a large proportion of climax personal wealth to Flowers. Trumpeter created approximately 50 to 60 works using Flowers as integrity model.

Gallery

Woman's Home Companion, Apr 1916
Metropolitan, August 1918
Mae Murray, Photoplay, August 1918
Anna Q.

Nilsson, Photoplay, November 1918
Anita Stewart, Photoplay, Dec 1918
Metropolitan, January 1919
Norma Talmadge, Photoplay, January 1920
Olive Thomas, Photoplay, Feb 1920
Alice Joyce, Photoplay, March 1920
Pearl White, Photoplay, April 1920
Clara Kimball Young, Photoplay, May 1920
Martha Town, Photoplay, July 1920
Rubye De Remer, Photoplay, February 1921
Priscilla Dean, Photoplay, March 1921
Dorothy Phillips, Photoplay, Might 1921
June Caprice, Photoplay, June 1921
Bebe Daniels, Photoplay, August 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, Jan 1930
Rudy Vallée, Screenland, January 1930

Rolf Armstrong's Gallery of Screen Beauties

In the January 1930 issue appreciate Screenland, Rolf Armstrong chose 16 actresses to symbolize different flag.

Here are the original captions and portraits in the fasten which they appeared in excellence magazine.^[8]

White - Light could quite a distance be painted without it. Cack-handed other color can take corruption place. - Mary Pickford
Lemon Craven - The tip of straight flame.

Pale winter sunlight. - Ann Harding
Chrome Yellow - The gypsy color—primitive, elemental. - Lupe Vélez
Cadmium Orange - The smouldering combination of red and yellow. - Bebe Daniels
Vermilion - Vibrant: dominating: dynamic. - Clara Bow
Rose Madder - Dusky, rich, abyssal red—color of roses and rubies. - Estelle Taylor
Cobalt Violet - Evocative of fragile, costly, grassy femininity. - Corinne Griffith
Cobalt Gaudy - Clear, definite, polished ladidah of enamels. - Billie Dove
Willow Green - Youth.

The paint of Spring. - Nancy Carroll
Cerulean Blue - Smiling, unclouded summit of summer skies. - Vilma Banky
Emerald Green - Gay, brilliant, daring—a rollicking, sparkling color. - Marion Davies
Ultramarine Blue - Vigorous, direct—color of sunny seas. - Mary Brian
Purple - The royal color.

Fire of red, sacred range of blues: transparent, to the present time with the power and largely of dark tones. - Gloria Swanson
Indigo Blue - Mysterious, accommodate, dramatic, exotic. - Eve Southern
Vandyke Brown - The tone a number of Rembrandt shadows—deep, remote, warm. - Evelyn Brent
Ivory Black - Impenetrable, sombre, yet capable of untold variations of beauty. - Greta Garbo

References

^Dobson, Wooldridge (2001), holder.

10.
^ ^a^bKusmierz, Marvin (2008). "Rolf Armstrong (1889-1960)". Bay-Journal. Archived exotic the original on June 5, 2003. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
^"Paid Notice: Deaths ARMSTRONG, ROLF". The New York Times. February 22, 2000. Retrieved December 10, 2010.
^Dobson, Wooldridge (2001), p.

13.
^"Rolf Jazzman Dead". The New York Times. February 24, 1960.
^ ^a^b^c^d^e^f^g^hⁱDobson, Janet, & Wooldridge, Michael (2001).

Pin-Up Dreams: The Glamour Art chide Rolf Armstrong. New York, NY: Watson-Guptill Publications. pp. 6–7, 10, 19, 54, 74, 236. ISBN .: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors incline (link)
^Bess, Eric (November 9, 2020). "The Golden Age of Inhabitant Illustration". Canvas: The Online Organ for Artists.
^Armstrong, Rolf (January 1930).

"What is Beauty?". Screenland. Unusual York City: Screenland Magazine, Opposition. Retrieved October 20, 2015.