An Abe Birnbaum Children’s Book
I was browsing Ebay this morning when the below caught my eye: a 72 year old children’s book by one of my all-time favorite New Yorker cover artists, Abe Birnbaum. I’d never heard of it, never seen the cover before.
Here are a few pages from the book. I just love Birnbaum’s style — the casual charm of it. It reminds me, ever so slightly, of William Steig’s later style.
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And here’s a sample of Birnbaum’s New Yorker cover work. How I wish there was a collection of his New Yorker covers!
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Mr. Birnbaum’s A-Z Entry:
Abe Birnbaum Born, New York City, 1899. Died June 19, 1966, New York City. New Yorker work: 1929 -1974. Mr. Birnbaum began at the New Yorker as a cartoonist, contributing a handful before switching to cover work, of which he produced 141. He also provided spot drawings and illustrations. According to Mr. Birnbaum’s New York Times obit, his work was exhibited at The Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Carnegie Institute.