Jun 24, 2021 - Sale 2574
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Sale 2574 - Lot 91

Unsold
Estimate: $ 1,500 - $ 2,500
JOHN FALTER (1910-1982)
"Tom Sawyer." Preliminary sketches and supporting material for The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (New York: Macmillan Company, 1962).

The lot includes:

Approximately 105 rough sketches in various media. Most are charcoal on paper, some are graphite, two are marker, and three have added watercolor. Sheet sizes vary, but most are approximately 356x280 mm; 14x11 inches. All unsigned, except for one color study initialed "JF" in lower left image.

One preliminary sketch in graphite on vellum. 362x317; 14 1/4x12 1/2-inches (sheet). Initialed "JF" in lower left image.

Approximately 130 preparatory photographs to aid in Falter's compositions. Most are 125x180 mm; 5x7 inches. Fifteen are 107x82 mm; 4 1/4x3 1/4 inches. Primary subjects include children and some adults posing for various iconic scenes in the book. Some photographs have accompanying negatives. Also included are 6 handwritten receipts for film development and prints, which were issued to Falter from Michael's Studio Photography in Skippack, Pennsylvania, with various dates between January 27 and April 14, 1962.

A 9x9 1/2-inch photographic reproduction of Falter's illustration of Tom holding a brush in front of a partially whitewashed fence.

A working list of illustrations for the book written in Falter's hand with his notations.

A cover sheet written in Falter's hand: "Rough pencil comps / for Tom Sawyer / Page situations marked / from Harper & Bros. edition ©1930 / J. Falter [signed]."

A typed receipt dated March 19, 1963 written to Falter on The Macmillan Company letterhead to acknowledge their receipt of the artist's illustrations and to outline a return date for artwork on exhibition.

Falter was a prolific illustrator and is best known for his more than 120 covers produced for The Saturday Evening Post. He received commissions for other leading publications of the day, including Esquire, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, Cosmopolitan, Life, and Look. This archive, with its conceptual photographs and corresponding sketches with varying stages of detail, give insight into Falter's working process as he developed compositions over time.
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