Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

Stephen Longstreet
Ragtime Piano

1969

$800
£599.23
€692.68
CA$1,123.45
A$1,223.62
CHF 647.62
MX$14,971.38
NOK 8,013.78
SEK 7,564.51
DKK 5,170.03

About the Item

Ragtime Piano Collage, 1969 Signed and dated '69 lower right Address stamp verso Provenance: Acquired from the artist Joseph M. Erdelac, friend and patron of the artist Stephen Longstreet (1907-2002) The artist’s own grandchildren attempt to fathom the real life and nature of Stephen Longstreet, prolific author, artist, screenplay writer, and jazz aficionado. Born Chauncy Weiner (sometimes spelled Wiener) in New York City in 1907, Longstreet reinvented himself on a regular basis. Changing his name first to “Henry,” then “Henri,” he started his career as a commercial artist for a department store. In various public biographies he claimed to have studied in New York, London, and Paris, and said he was a student of cartoonist Ralph Barton (1891-1931). Facts that can be documented are that he was art editor for Golfer and Sportsman magazines, and was a contributor to various other magazines including The New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Life, and Hooey, among others. He wrote sketches for NBC radio and the Rudy Vallee Show. In the 1930s, Longstreet worked and wrote under the names Thomas Burton, David Ormsbee, and Paul Haggard before settling on the name Stephen Longstreet in 1939. He wrote 12 novels under this name as well as numerous screen plays, most notably The Jolson Story, The Greatest Show on Earth, and The Helen Morgan Story. Longstreet claimed to have been introduced to ragtime and jazz by no less a legend than singer Paul Robeson while Robeson was an All-American football player at Rutgers University. However it happened, the world of jazz was a constant theme throughout Longstreet’s life. He drew and painted such notables as Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, and Duke Ellington. His media included collage, watercolors, and ink drawings. In 1989 Longstreet published his 100th book, Jazz from A to Z: a Graphic Dictionary. One of the more curious aspects of Longstreet’s art is his method of dating his material. He dated his works by the year depicted, not by the date of actual execution. Art signed “Longstreet” and dated before 1939 was actually done much later, as Stephen Longstreet did not exist prior to that! Early works from the late 1920s and 1930s will be signed “Henri” or “He” since Longstreet was still Weiner in those days. Later he often signed his work SL inside a circle. His collages dated in the 1950s or earlier were most likely done in the 1970s or 1980s. Longstreet spent most of his life in the Los Angeles area with his wife and oft-times collaborator, Ethel Longstreet. The artist remained active and prolific into his 90s. He died in Los Angeles in 2002 at the age of 94. Courtesy: Stephen Longstreet
  • Creator:
  • Creation Year:
    1969
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 22.94 in (58.27 cm)Width: 15.75 in (40.01 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Fairlawn, OH
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: FA93821stDibs: LU14015404902

More From This Seller

View All
Easy Rider Blues
By Stephen Longstreet
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Easy Rider Blues Paper collage, post 1969 Inspired by the Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper movie of the same title Signed lower right (see photo) Titled lower left (see photo) Condition...
Category

1960s Abstract Mixed Media

Materials

Magazine Paper

Miles Davis Plays Cool Jazz
By Stephen Longstreet
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Miles Davis Plays Cool Jazz Collage, c. 1970 Unsigned Titled by the artist lower left margin (see photo) Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by his friend and patron Joseph...
Category

1970s Abstract Mixed Media

Materials

Magazine Paper

Untitled
By Ray H. French
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Signed and dated lower left Created in 1964 while the artist was living in Florence, Italy Collage with tissue paper and printed images and text From the Estate of the Artist
Category

1960s Abstract Expressionist Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media

Thelonius Monk- Little Rootie Tootie
By Stephen Longstreet
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Thelonius Monk- Little Rootie Tootie Collage, 1989 Signed and dated lower right: "Longstreet 89" Titled by artist lower left Excellent, with usual imperfections associated with the collage medium Image/Sheet size: 17 1/8 x 23 1/16 inches Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist Joseph M. Erdelac, Cleveland Noted art collector and friend and aptron of Longstreet. Stephen Longstreet (1907-2002) At the website, the artist’s own grandchildren attempt to fathom the real life and nature of Stephen Longstreet, prolific author, artist, screenplay writer, and jazz aficionado. Born Chauncy Weiner (sometimes spelled Wiener) in New York City in 1907, Longstreet reinvented himself on a regular basis. Changing his name first to “Henry,” then “Henri,” he started his career as a commercial artist for a department store. In various public biographies he claimed to have studied in New York, London, and Paris, and said he was a student of cartoonist Ralph Barton (1891-1931). Facts that can be documented are that he was art editor for Golfer and Sportsman magazines, and was a contributor to various other magazines including The New Yorker, Saturday Evening Post, Colliers, Life, and Hooey, among others. He wrote sketches for NBC radio and the Rudy Vallee Show. In the 1930s, Longstreet worked and wrote under the names Thomas Burton, David Ormsbee, and Paul Haggard...
Category

1980s Contemporary Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media

Untitled
By Peter Marks
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled Collage of small oil on canvas fragments, c. 2006 Unsigned Provenance: Estate of the artist Image size: 15 x 9 7/16 inches Sheet size:: 17 x 14 inches Peter Marks (1935 -2...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media

Untitled
$750 Sale Price
50% Off
Untitled
By Peter Marks
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Untitled Collage of small oil on canvas fragments, c. 2006 Unsigned Provenance: Estate of the artist Image size: 15 x 9 7/16 inches Sheet size:: 17 x 14 inches Peter Marks (1935 -2...
Category

Early 2000s Abstract Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media

You May Also Like

"Collage Composition"
By Dwinell Grant
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Jim’s of Lambertville is proud to offer this artwork by: Dwinell Grant (1912 – 1991) Non-objective artist, Dwinell Grant, was born in Springfield, Ohio in 1912. His interest in the...
Category

20th Century Abstract Mixed Media

Materials

Paper, Mixed Media

"Collage"
By Dwinell Grant
Located in Lambertville, NJ
Jim’s of Lambertville is proud to offer this artwork by: Dwinell Grant (1912 – 1991) Non-objective artist, Dwinell Grant, was born in Springfield, Ohio in 1912. His interest in the...
Category

20th Century Abstract Mixed Media

Materials

Mixed Media

YNR-0020
Located in Signal Mountain, TN
This framed mixed media painting by Eric Mack combines his grid work created through collaged pieces of paper, nylon mesh, ink, gesso, and acrylic. Imagery i...
Category

2010s Abstract Mixed Media

Materials

Gesso, Nylon, Paper, Acrylic, Pigment

Lloyd Martin, Shim 3, 2012
By Lloyd Martin
Located in Boston, MA
Artist: Lloyd Martin Title: Shim 3 Size: 30 x 22 inches Medium: Mixed media, acrylic, pastel, graphite, collage on paper Year: 2012 Price: 3,500 American...
Category

2010s Abstract Geometric Mixed Media

Materials

Acrylic, Graphite, Archival Paper

Abstract I
Located in San Francisco, CA
This artwork titled "Abstract I" c.1990, is an original color screenprint by noted American Artist Jeffrey Long, b.1948. It is hand signed and numbered 30/150 in pencil by the artist...
Category

Late 20th Century Abstract Abstract Prints

Materials

Screen

Collage 3
By Wayne Timm
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Paper and Adhesive collage by Wayne Timm. measures 11 1/2 x 15 3/4 in. In the 1960's, Wayne Timm rubbed elbows with the likes of Warhol, Lichtenstein, Rauchenburg and many others, ...
Category

1960s Abstract Mixed Media

Materials

Paper, Adhesive, Magazine Paper