A Very Hirschfeld Holiday! Celebrating the Season Through the Famed Artist's Pen
Turns out that Santa loves the spotlight.
Al Hirschfeld
This is the earliest piece of Hirschfeld Holiday art in existence. Circa1925, this playful drawing documents the city dweller’s predicament at Christmas.
Al Hirschfeld
Christmas in July! Four years before Irving Berlin published his classic song, actor Philip Merivale wrote a drawing -room comedy of the same name. It premiered at the Red Barn Theater in Long Island, but never made it to Broadway.
Al Hirschfeld
S.J. Perelman used to joke that he raised turkeys on his farm in Bucks County and occasionally showed them on Broadway. This 1941 comedy, written with his wife, was one of those turkeys. It ran 22 performances. Adapted for the film the following year, titled Larceny, Inc., Woody Allen would revisit this idea in Small Time Crooks.
Al Hirschfeld
Mr. and Mrs. Irving Berlin meet up with Mr. and Mrs. Bennett Cerf and author John O’Hara at Lindy’s after the premiere of the classic holiday film, White Christmas.
Al Hirschfeld
Hirschfeld’s series “Unlikely Casting” for Playbill in 1964 and 1965 parodied celebrities in roles that they would never play. He created this drawing of Merrick as a nasty Santa complete with bell, book, and candle as an insult to the producer who he did not like. Merrick would eventually purchase the drawing, add a burning Christmas tree, and use it as a holiday card.
Al Hirschfeld
Here, one white-bearded jolly fellow draws another. Hirschfeld, of course, is seated in his barber chair.
Al Hirschfeld
This television production was marketed with the tagline, “A new powerful presentation of the most loved ghost story of all time!” Scott was nominated for an Emmy for the role.
Al Hirschfeld
Beach Blanket Babylon is America’s longest running musical revue. It opened in 1974 and continues to run today in San Francisco with frequent changes and spoofs of pop and political culture.
Al Hirschfeld
When Broadway Cares assembled an all-star roster of cabaret singers for a Christmas album, the organization naturally turned to Hirschfeld to create iconic album art.
Al Hirschfeld
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The Algonquin Hotel Celebrates The Hirschfeld Century features over 30 over-sized Hirschfeld portraits depicting some of The Algonquin's most famous residents. From the top of the lobby's iconic oak paneling up to the 22-foot high ceilings, the likes of John Barrymore, Harpo Marx, Tennessee Williams, Ella Fitzgerald, peer down at visitors. The artwork for the hit musical, My Fair Lady, which was written in Lerner and Loewe's suite on the ninth floor of the hotel, will be shown. The Round Table returns home at last as Hirschfeld's definitive portrait featuring Dorothy Parker, Robert Benchley, Alexander Woollcott, Edna Ferber, George S. Kaufman, Lynn Fontanne and Alfred Lunt, and more,is displayed at the spot where the original vicious circle once gathered over spiked drinks and witticisms. Additionally, the installation features favorite Hirschfeld portraits of Charlie Chaplin, Elvis Presley, Carol Channing, John Lithgow, David Letterman, Jack Lemmon, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Laurel & Hardy, Fanny Brice & George Jessel, Frank Langella, Mary Martin, Issac Stern and more legendary Broadway, Hollywood and recording artists.
The art installation at The Algonquin Hotel coincides with the recent release of The Hirschfeld Century: Portrait of an Artist and His Age, published by Alfred A. Knopf, edited and with text by David Leopold.
The hotel encourages all to share photos and memories with both the Algonquin and Hirschfeld Foundation. Complimentary WiFi is available in the lobby and restaurant. Guests can use #AlgonquinHirschfeld to tag posts and share them with @AlgonquinNYC and @AlHirschfeld on Instagram and Twitter.
