Typewritten narrative about Los Angeles Library murals and Dean Cornwell (pg. 1), 1932

Item Overview

Title

Typewritten narrative about Los Angeles Library murals and Dean Cornwell (pg. 1), 1932

Creator

Bartlett, Adelbert, $d 1887-1966

Date Created

1932

Date

1932

Language

English

Collection

Adelbert Bartlett Papers, 1922-1950

Notes

Description

This article is about Dean Cornwell, an American painter and illustrator who was prominent in the early 20th century. His works include illustrations for Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Good Housekeeping. He also painted several other murals besides those for the L.A. library, including for the locations: the Warwick Hotel New York, 10 Rockefeller Plaza New York, and the Sevier State Office Building in Tennessee. He is mentioned in several L.A. Times articles, including one dated June 21, 1931, which covers his research process for the murals for the L.A. library.
This narrative, most likely written by Bartlett, contains information on the career of Cornwell, from his early education to the time the narrative was written in 1932.

Caption

Text: Caption for Photograph of Dean Cornwell. Dean Cornwell =, winner of the $50,000 contract for murals for The Los Angeles Public Library. Caught by his friend, the camera-man, Adelbert Bartlett, as he sketched in the Rotunda of the Library, the great room in which his murals are to be placed. photographer and artist met here for the first time in two years and renewed the friendship begun in Palestine where Cornwell's famous paintings of the streets of Jerusalem were made. Dean Cornwell, at the age of thirty-five, finds himself with the enviable title of the highest paid illustrator in the world, and the award of the mural contract for the Los Angeles Public Library one of the great modern public buildings, the last and crowning conception of the architect, Bertram Grosvenor Goodhue. Mr. Cornwell's contract with the Hearst Corporation for exclusive rights to his illustrative work for magazines and books, marks him as the highest paid illustrator in America, and hence in the world. His vignettes in the Cosmopolitan Magazine have established a school of illustration which has been widely imitated. The acceptance of the Los Angeles contract involves sacrifice of much time and temporary postponement of the "highest salary", but the new venture is characteristic of the career of this young American. Born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1892, young Dean went to Chicago at the age of nineteen, became connected with the art section of the Chicago Tribune, and studied at the Art Institute. On the strength of a single order of illustration of the Red Book, he went to New Work, the mecca of artists. Many a story could be told of his struggles for a foothold. His opportunity finally cam with [...]
Text from negative sleeve: 2334 p 1 to 14, 1932, Los Angeles Library, Dean Cornwell, Artist, 206 E. 33rd St NY city, Los Angeles Library.

Physical Description

Extent

1 page

Keywords

Genre

typescripts

Names

Cornwell, Dean, 1892-1960
Los Angeles Public Library

Location

California-Los Angeles

Resource type

still image

Subjects

Murals--California--Los Angeles
Painters (Artists)--American--California--Los Angeles
Libraries--California--Los Angeles