Al Hirschfeld Books

"OVER 400 HIRSCHFELD DRAWINGS AND PHOTOGRAPHS MANY NEVER BEFORE COLLECTED
Essays by Whoopi Goldberg, Arthur Miller, Mel Gussow, Kurt Vonnegut, Grace Mirabella, Louise Kerz Hirschfeld, and Nina!

Commentary by Hirschfeld Throughout.
[from the book of the back cover of the jacket]

What a joy of a book. Not just the great grafics but very interestng information about the Great Hirschfeld

I really enjoyed looking through this book. I am absolutely in love with theater and I love seeing how he depicts all of my favorite shows and actors. He's been through the "Golden Age" of theater and has also done so much work for modern entertainment. I also have tons of fun looking for all the hidden "Nina"s. Just in case you might not know what I'm talking about, let me explain. After his daughter was born, Hirschfield began hiding her name in his drawings. The number by his "signiture" indicates the number of "Nina"s in the drawing. "Nina" is also written all in caps. Because of this, this book is not going to be just some ordinary coffee table book that only his fans might check out. It could also be a great deal of amusement for those who like to play the kind of "Where's Waldo" games.

Al Hirschfeld rose above titles like "cartoonist" and "illustrator", and every other tag specifically applied to visual artists who inject design and humor into their work. His intelligent blend of the caricaturist's eye and the designer's sense of the beauty in flat forms add up to an entirely unique contribution to twentieth century popular culture- and a highly influential one. His recent passing at age 99 marks the end of the century that he witnessed and commented upon so wittily and so stylishly. His legions of admirers (and imitators) will be well served by this 1999 book, assembled by the artist himself, with an excellent selection from his career, his invaluable commentary, and a fairly satisying selection of his amazing (and less celebrated) color work. The reproductions are fine here, and the volume is designed and presented well. It can only be hoped that more comprehensive releases and reissues of earlier books are in the near future.

Here is the indispensible Hirschfeld book - a must for any fan of his work, or of line in general. From his earliest pieces, all the way through his long career with New York theatre, his work is showcased - and done so through his eyes. Each piece is described by this great artist - his inspirations, methods, and thoughts. I cannot imagine a better way to present his wonderful drawings, and I am so very, very thankful that this collection was printed before his death. Although, yes, the work would show just as beautifully without, his commentary alongside each piece just opens up an entirely new viewpoint. This is a truly timeless book, and I highly recommend it.

All hail Hirschfeld, and, more importantly, all hail this trio of tomes featuring works by the premier theater and entertainment illustrator of the 20th century. For decades, Big Al's works adorned the cover of Sunday's New York Times Arts and Leisure sections, sketches celebrating plays, musicals, movies and celebrities gracing Gotham that particular week. The bearded, rotund artist (sort of a secular Santa for show-biz folk) was ubiquitous at opening nights in and out of town. And, of course, each week, there were the "Ninas," his daughter's name, hidden, sometimes once, sometimes up to eight times, in each sketch. (The number next to his signature would clue us in on the number of times Nina's name was hidden.) Cross-country phone calls wailing, "Where's the last Nina?" ensued on many a Sunday afternoon.
Nina-searchers can now glut themselves on Hirschfeld's British Aisles, a collection culled from the New York Times; as a special treat, there are welcome commentaries from such big name Brits as Julie Andrews, Dame Edna, Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Lynn Redgrave.
A veddy nice job, but the real treats are Hirschfeld's Harlem and The Speakeasies of 1932. In Harlem, we can see the artist's style develop; before the detailed line drawings we have come to expect came almost impressionistic pencil shadings, at once more personal and mysterious, more abstract, and evocative and startling in their originality. Harlem has, as well as several historical essays, text by a band of authorities, including Bobby Short, Lena Horne, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee and Savion Glover.
The Speakeasies of 1932 is a fascinating look at the dives and divine watering holes of that noble experiment, prohibition. Sketches of bars, bartenders and patrons, along with a written description of the joints, are included. Added to this fizzy mix are drink recipes from each bar; we should, perhaps, avoid the cocktail simply called "Smoke," from an establishment called O'Leary's on the Bowery. The principle ingredient? Two cans of Sterno.
Art should teach us something about the past, about ourselves, about our society. But it should also be fun. Al Hirschfeld accomplished all of this with pencil, pen and ink. If you aren't familiar with his work, meet this terrific triumvirate. And if you are familiar with dear Al (and Nina), then enjoy a reunion with old and treasured friends.

This is a very impressive and moving collection of artwork that captures a robust culture from a unique perspective. While best known for his apparently goofy caricatures (a common opinion that is a caricature in itself), Al Hirschfeld is actually a keen and insightful observer of culture. Hirschfeld came of age in New York City almost next door to Harlem, and was heavily influenced by the culture of the Harlem Renaissance, and this spirit informed his interpretation of African American culture for the next 75 years.

Before embarking on his well-known celebrity caricatures, Hirschfeld captured the spirit of Harlem culture and nightlife in narrative paintings of regular people, which are collected impressively in this book's opening gallery. Here Hirschfeld's misleadingly simple style captures a full range of motion and emotion - capturing dancing, music making, and street culture with incredible power. The same goes for the uncharacteristically haunting "Ebony Sister" which speaks volumes on black experience. Next is a fantastic collection of caricatures of African American celebrities, covering a good 75 years of showbiz greatness, in which Hirschfeld uses simplicity and humor to bring out each performer's most eye-catching strengths.

As usual, it is great fun to search for the Nina's that Hirschfeld always slipped into his portraits - the best is one of Whoopi Goldberg, whose dreadlocks are made up almost entirely of Nina's. This book is well-supported by an outstanding essay on the Harlem Renaissance by Gail Lumet Buckley, as well as commentary by many black entertainers who have been moved by Hirschfeld's documentation of their culture, and who sure don't treat him like any sort of outsider. This is truly a winning collection not just of great artwork, but of its place in culture and history. [~doomsdayer520~]

This book is a must for any Hirschfeld fan. A great addition to my Hirschfeld collection of books.

Everything about Hirschfeld was already said. He's a genius. He's the Line King. He's almost 100 years old. And he's alive. Get this damn book. Buy the old ones. Collect them. Buy the video. Cut his drawings from the Sunday NYTimes. Stop buying stupid eletronic gadgets, save the money, and then spend 2 thousand in an original lithograph. I did it. Twice. And there's nothing in the world that can make me feel better. Maybe another one.

Posters used to publicize movies are an art form that has largely been lost. Modern forms of publicity rely on computer-generated images, web sites and animation. Al Hirschfeld was one of the outstanding drawers of such posters and this is a collection of some of his best. Nearly all depict older movies or the stars of those movies, the most recent poster for a movie is from the early 1990's. There are also some figures of old stars that he drew for postage stamps.
I enjoyed the artwork, but I also enjoyed the nostalgic look back through a history of some of the greatest movies ever made and the stars that made them great. It is a history of the movies from a perspective quite different than reading about the plots and the trials and tribulations of making them.

Buy this book. It's very very cheap. If you stop and visit online book sellers as Alibris or even Abe books, you'll find out that the average price for Hirschfeld's books is 200 dollars. They are all out of print now (except for Hirschfeld Online) and one day, this one will be too. So do yourself a favor: if not because the guy is a genius and the illustrations are all spectacular, buy this book because you are a smart investor.

When my son was seven, he used to eagerly check the arts and leisure section of the Sunday New York Times each weekend to see if there was a new drawing by the "Nina Man". If there was, there would follow an intense exploration of the drawing, usually followed by a crow of delight, "I found the Ninas!" The "Nina Man" is, of course, Al Hirschfeld, still merrily among us at 99, and Nina is the name of is daughter, ingeniously hidden among the pen strokes of whichever person he was caricaturing. Hirschfeld is, purely and simply, a genius; a simple drawing brings out not only a person but a persona. The drawings in the book represent some of the best of his work, which spans six decades; and although the caricatures are named at the foot of the pages, the reader will have a lot of fun not only recognizing who the people are without the help of the captions, but also -- yes -- in searching for and finding the Ninas.

This serial is the best theatre series in existence. The plays that are covered are: Ragtime, The Lion King, Art, The Beauty Queen of Leenane, Gross Indecency and Pride's Crossing.

This book provides useful synopsis of each book, as well as an incredible summary of the year in New York Theatre.

The Lion King: If you only see one musical, see this one. I can't believe some people didn't like it. In a surprisingly tight race between this and Ragtime, The Lion King beat it out to win the best msuical Tony. It is easy to see why. To watch it on stage is stunning. The opening ten minute sequence has made history. I cannot even begin to describe the impact that it had on me, and the audience (by the time the elephants appeared in stage, the audience was weeping).

Get this book (and the next one if you can, along with all the previous ones).

All hail Hirschfeld, and, more importantly, all hail this trio of tomes featuring works by the premier theater and entertainment illustrator of the 20th century. For decades, Big Al's works adorned the cover of Sunday's New York Times Arts and Leisure sections, sketches celebrating plays, musicals, movies and celebrities gracing Gotham that particular week. The bearded, rotund artist (sort of a secular Santa for show-biz folk) was ubiquitous at opening nights in and out of town. And, of course, each week, there were the "Ninas," his daughter's name, hidden, sometimes once, sometimes up to eight times, in each sketch. (The number next to his signature would clue us in on the number of times Nina's name was hidden.) Cross-country phone calls wailing, "Where's the last Nina?" ensued on many a Sunday afternoon.
Nina-searchers can now glut themselves on Hirschfeld's British Aisles, a collection culled from the New York Times; as a special treat, there are welcome commentaries from such big name Brits as Julie Andrews, Dame Edna, Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Lynn Redgrave.
A veddy nice job, but the real treats are Hirschfeld's Harlem and The Speakeasies of 1932. In Harlem, we can see the artist's style develop; before the detailed line drawings we have come to expect came almost impressionistic pencil shadings, at once more personal and mysterious, more abstract, and evocative and startling in their originality. Harlem has, as well as several historical essays, text by a band of authorities, including Bobby Short, Lena Horne, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee and Savion Glover.
The Speakeasies of 1932 is a fascinating look at the dives and divine watering holes of that noble experiment, prohibition. Sketches of bars, bartenders and patrons, along with a written description of the joints, are included. Added to this fizzy mix are drink recipes from each bar; we should, perhaps, avoid the cocktail simply called "Smoke," from an establishment called O'Leary's on the Bowery. The principle ingredient? Two cans of Sterno.
Art should teach us something about the past, about ourselves, about our society. But it should also be fun. Al Hirschfeld accomplished all of this with pencil, pen and ink. If you aren't familiar with his work, meet this terrific triumvirate. And if you are familiar with dear Al (and Nina), then enjoy a reunion with old and treasured friends.

All hail Hirschfeld, and, more importantly, all hail this trio of tomes featuring works by the premier theater and entertainment illustrator of the 20th century. For decades, Big Al's works adorned the cover of Sunday's New York Times Arts and Leisure sections, sketches celebrating plays, musicals, movies and celebrities gracing Gotham that particular week. The bearded, rotund artist (sort of a secular Santa for show-biz folk) was ubiquitous at opening nights in and out of town. And, of course, each week, there were the "Ninas," his daughter's name, hidden, sometimes once, sometimes up to eight times, in each sketch. (The number next to his signature would clue us in on the number of times Nina's name was hidden.) Cross-country phone calls wailing, "Where's the last Nina?" ensued on many a Sunday afternoon.
Nina-searchers can now glut themselves on Hirschfeld's British Aisles, a collection culled from the New York Times; as a special treat, there are welcome commentaries from such big name Brits as Julie Andrews, Dame Edna, Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Lynn Redgrave.
A veddy nice job, but the real treats are Hirschfeld's Harlem and The Speakeasies of 1932. In Harlem, we can see the artist's style develop; before the detailed line drawings we have come to expect came almost impressionistic pencil shadings, at once more personal and mysterious, more abstract, and evocative and startling in their originality. Harlem has, as well as several historical essays, text by a band of authorities, including Bobby Short, Lena Horne, Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee and Savion Glover.
The Speakeasies of 1932 is a fascinating look at the dives and divine watering holes of that noble experiment, prohibition. Sketches of bars, bartenders and patrons, along with a written description of the joints, are included. Added to this fizzy mix are drink recipes from each bar; we should, perhaps, avoid the cocktail simply called "Smoke," from an establishment called O'Leary's on the Bowery. The principle ingredient? Two cans of Sterno.
Art should teach us something about the past, about ourselves, about our society. But it should also be fun. Al Hirschfeld accomplished all of this with pencil, pen and ink. If you aren't familiar with his work, meet this terrific triumvirate. And if you are familiar with dear Al (and Nina), then enjoy a reunion with old and treasured friends.