Hirschfeld's Harlem: Manhattan's Legendary Artist Illustrates This Legendary City Within a City [Hardcover]

Al Hirschfeld (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 1, 2003

Decades before the PBS documentaries, before Bill Clinton, Al Hirschfeld went to Harlem. No artist ever captured Harlem's dangerous highs and bluesy lows like this Master of the Performing Curve. Hirschfeld began his artistic Harlem odyssey six decades ago, charting that legendary New York neighborhood's special rhythms and moods in splashy feverish hues. Hirschfeld's Harlem opens onto a special portfolio of these full-color works, a pictorial essay of the Swing Era. Wynton Marsalis, Quincy Jones, Lena Horne and Harry Belafonte, among a dozen other Harlem artists and critics, supply accompanying commentary, reminiscences and analysis - each voice focusing on one portrait. Then it's back to Hirschfeld in his signature black and white takes on forty Harlem artists and public figures: Gregory Hines, Duke Ellington, James Earl Jones, Ethel Waters and dozens more - all have been caught in the creative act by one of our greatest artists. Each drawing is accompanied by a thumbnail narrative by Hirschfeld about the most famous inhabitants and transients of these fabled streets. Hirschfeld's Harlem opens a picture window into nearly a century of Black American artistry and life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

It's a thin line between essence-capturing caricature and insulting cartoon, particularly when it comes to race, so it takes as practiced and bighearted an artist as Hirschfeld (1903-2003), whose caricatures of various cultural figures graced the pages of the New York Times for decades, to take on the challenge of depicting historical Harlem. Parts of this extensive 9"×12" collection, featuring 30 full-color plates and 90 black-and-white drawings printed on art stock, were originally published, as Hirschfeld says, "in a book the size of a swinging door" the day before Pearl Harbor, with the publisher going bankrupt a few months later. This edition is roughly divided between this original "Harlem Portfolio" of color lithographs and selections from more recent black-and-white line drawings of leading African-American figures, with new commentary by such stars as Eartha Kitt, Bobby Short, Lena Horne, and Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis. Each commentator focuses on a single piece, which allows drawings that might appear disturbingly dated to be interpreted into a common past. Hirschfeld's own commentary on his sketches, in the last third of the book, leaves no doubt as to his admiration for the talents of actors, musicians and dancers like Paul Robeson, Sidney Poitier, Marian Anderson, Duke Ellington and scores of others, as well as of his anger at the way promising talents, such as Canada Lee's, were squandered. Perhaps most fun are the drawings, such as "Stompin' at the Savoy," in which Hirschfeld loses himself in the infectious energy of nighttime Harlem, where stern-faced, impeccably dressed residents blur into crackling lines of movement, individuals becoming manifestations of a neighborhood amazingly rich in history, culture and expression.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"A beautiful valentine to African-American artists and beyond. Hirschfeld’s Harlem is well-worth a visit." -- The Baltimore Sun, February 5, 2004

"Smoky, sultry, sinuous. . . . as exhilarating as a breath of late-night air." -- O - The Oprah Magazine, March 2004

"The artist’s tribute to the famous neighborhood . . . the spirit that is Harlem—in all its bluesy, legendary splendor." -- Black Issues Book Review, January-February 2004

"‘Glorious’. . . .a feast for the eyes. Thank you, Mr. Hirschfeld!" -- The New York Observer, December 22-29, 2003

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 128 pages
• Publisher: Glenn Young Books/Applause (December 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1557835179
• ISBN-13: 978-1557835178
• Product Dimensions: 12.2 x 9.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #103,947 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hirschfield's Harlem, January 18, 2009

By 

Betty Wilson "Author of Mr. Jefferson's Piano... (New York City, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hirschfeld's Harlem: Manhattan's Legendary Artist Illustrates This Legendary City Within a City (Hardcover)

Abe Hirschfield was a genius with lithographs. I loved the bare simplicity of his artwork in this book. He captured the spunk and spirit of Harlem in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s and 90s.

His book contains exquisite line drawings of Black characters one might find on the streets of Harlem; getting plastered in its speakeasies; stomping at the Savoy on a Saturday night doing the Lindy Hop or the Boogie Woogie; or buying a smoke from the reefer man and asking God forgiveness come Sunday morning in a storefront church.

In this book, most of his lithographs have a companion piece--usually a short story, but sometimes a song or a poem. There's a great story by Zora Neale Hurston written the slang of the day complete with slang definitions. Once I read it, I felt I knew how people looked and communicated back then.

Hirschfield created a wonderfully lush, colorful vision of Harlem. Thank You Abe.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 75 Years of Brilliance, March 4, 2004

By 

doomsdayer520 (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Hirschfeld's Harlem: Manhattan's Legendary Artist Illustrates This Legendary City Within a City (Hardcover)

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~]

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars HIRSCHFELD IS STILL DRAWING RAVES, January 31, 2006

By 

Alan W. Petrucelli (THE ENTERTAINMENT REPORT (ALAN W. PETRUCELLI)) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hirschfeld's Harlem: Manhattan's Legendary Artist Illustrates This Legendary City Within a City (Hardcover)

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.