A birthday tribute to one of my heroes: illustrator and caricaturist Al Hirschfeld.
Both June 21, 1903, in St. Louis, MO.
His style was unique: he tried to capture a likeness with a minimum of lines.
He got his start drawing Broadway stars for newspaper theater reviews, and went on to draw almost every celebrity of the 20th century. He died on January 20, 2003, at age 99.
After his daughter Nina was born in 1945, he began hiding her name in his drawings. If he hid more than one, he’d indicate the number of concealed NINA’s by writing a number next to his signature. I always loved looking for them. I hope you will, too.
Come on, Dover!! The Ascot Race scene from My Fair Lady: Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison.
The Captain calls for order in The Sound Of Music: Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer.
Left: Mr. Hirschfeld and his daughter Nina in 1961; right: date unknown.
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Thoughts? I’d appreciate your feedback.
