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Few Broadway and pop culture entertainment personalities in the past 75 years have escaped the caricature pen of Al Hirschfeld. His skillful and graceful line drawings capture not only the appearance but the persona of those he draws. A catalog of Hirschfeld drawings becomes a history of American theatre and entertainment.
Born in St. Louis in 1903, his mother was advised to take her artistically talented son (and family) to New York City for formal training. At age 26, after education and some travel, he returned to New York City, had his first Broadway caricature published, and within a year began to draw regularly for “The New York Times.” He is still at it. His drawings have appeared on the covers of major magazines including “Time” and “Fortune,” on album covers, and on two special sets of postage stamps, one honoring comedians and the other featuring silent screen stars. Since the birth of his daughter Nina in 1945, he has hidden her name at least once in most drawings he has produced. (He once stopped this, but clamor of his readers forced the resumption of the ritual.) To find and count the “Ninas” becomes a challenge for his audience.
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Webportfolios for Gallery of Storytellers
