E. Simms Campbell Paintings
American, 1906-1971
Elmer Simms Campbell (January 2, 1906 – January 27, 1971) was an American commercial artist best known as the cartoonist who signed his work, E. Simms Campbell. The first African-American cartoonist published in nationally distributed, slick magazines, he created Esky,the familiar pop-eyed mascot of Esquire. Campbell was born in St. Louis, Missouri, the son of educators, Elizabeth Simms Campbell & Elmer Campbell
He then enrolled in the University of Chicago. After one year, Campbell left the University of Chicago and transferred to and received his degree from the Chicago Art Institute.
He spent two years at Triad Studios before moving to New York City in 1929. taking classes at the National Academy of Design. During this time, he contributed to various magazines, notably Life, & Judge.
Following the suggestion of cartoonist Russell Patterson to focus on good girl art, Campbell created his "Harem Girls", a series of watercolor cartoons that attracted attention in the first issue of Esquire, debuting in 1933. Campbell's artwork was in almost every issue of Esquire from 1933 to 1958 & he was the creator of its continuing mascot, the cartoon character in a silk top hat.
He also contributed to The Chicagoan, Cosmopolitan, Ebony, The New Yorker, Playboy, Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life, Pictorial Review, and Redbook.
His commercial artwork for advertising included illustrations for Barbasol, Springmaid,Hart Schaffner & Marx.
Campbell also was the author of a chapter on blues music in the 1939 book Jazzmen, a seminal study of jazz's history and development.
Campbell died in White Plains, New York, in 1971
His gag panel, Cuties, was syndicated by King Features in more than 145 newspapers "A Night-Club Map of 1930s Harlem"
Of enduring cultural & historical interest is the witty, cartoon-filled map Campbell drew in 1932 – "A Night-Club Map of 1930s Harlem" identifying the attractions of Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance and adding his personal notes. He captures the intensity of the scene: within a few blocks of each other he has cartooned Cab Calloway singing at the Cotton Club, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson doing his step dance at the Lafayette Theater – "Friday night is the Midnight show, Most Negro revues begin and end here." Lissome "cafe au lait girls" dance at Small's Paradise. Outside, doormen welcome White swells in top hats, while an elegant Black couple in evening dress dance "the Bump"
Campbell's map appears in the book version of Ken Burns's documentary Jazz. The map in its entirety also appears as the inside front cover of "Of Minnie the Moocher and Me", the autobiography of Cab Calloway by Cab Calloway and Bryant Rollins (TY Crowell, 1976). Jazz historian Mike Thibault reports that the original was displayed by the Smithsonian in 1996.The map is currently held at the Yale Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library.
On April 4, 2017, National Geographic published an article on the map that included the map and several enlarged sections of it. They featured it again during 2020 to subscribers of their newsletter, among a collection of unique maps of New York City.
Recognitionto
4
Overall Width
to
Overall Height
to
4
4
2
1
4
4
4
2
2
2
1
1
1
1
4
4
4
3
3
6
787
690
651
578
4
Artist: E. Simms Campbell
Harem: Sexy Nude Girl Illustration for Playboy. First Black Illustrator
By E. Simms Campbell
Located in Miami, FL
Playboy Magazine ran this joke cartoon illustration in color on page 43 for the October 1960 edition.
Signed lower right.
The work is executed on a heavy Whatman Illustration board....
Category
1960s American Modern E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Illustration Board, Pencil, Gouache
Santa Claus Sexy Playboy Cartoon First African American Illustrator, Elmer Simms
By E. Simms Campbell
Located in Miami, FL
Santa has a quickie with Mom.
Elmer Simms Campbell was the first African American Illustrator to work for major newsstand magazines.
Published December, 1963
Signed in pencil lower...
Category
1960s Realist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Illustration Board, Pencil
Nude Playboy Cartoon, First African American Illustrator Elmer Simms Campbell
By E. Simms Campbell
Located in Miami, FL
E. Simms Campbell was the first and top black commercial artist in the USA for decades.
In "Grandma," we see a deeply conceptual work, with the blank canvas as the main point of the...
Category
1960s Impressionist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Illustration Board, Pencil
Beautiful Maidens Nude Women Harem, Playboy Cartoon African American Illustrator
By E. Simms Campbell
Located in Miami, FL
E. Simms Campbel was the first major African American Illustrator. He did covers for Esquire Magazine starting in the 1930s.
He created the famous bulging-eyed Esquire Mascot “Esky.”
He also worked for The Chicagoan, Cosmopolitan, Ebony, The New Yorker, Playboy, Opportunity: A Journal of Negro Life, Pictorial Review, and Redbook.
This work, "What do you mean your wife doesn't understand you ---- I'm your wife!" is from Cuties Daily Comic Strip, June 18, 1950
He was inducted into the Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame in 2002.
His work demonstrates a deep and masterfully understanding of drawing figures and faces in an academic but stylized style.
"My pleasure, boys. Always glad to see a delegation from the States." From the Playboy Collection...
Category
1960s Impressionist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Pencil
Related Items
French Expressive Charcoal Sketch of a Standing Nude Figure
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Standing Nude Figure
black pen drawing on artist paper
painting: 13.75 x 9 inches
provenance: private collection, England
condition: very good and sound condition
Category
20th Century Impressionist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Ballpoint Pen
French Seated Figure Sketch Drawing of a Pensive Seated Nude in Profile
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Collection of Nude drawings
book of watercolour nude paintings on artist paper
painting: 12 x 9.5 inches
provenance: private collection, England
condition: very good and sound condition
Category
20th Century Impressionist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
H 12 in W 9.5 in D 1 in
"Morning sunshine, flowers and a cup of coffee" (oil still-life painting )
Located in VÉNISSIEUX, FR
This contemporary painting "Morning sunshine, flowers and a cup of coffee" features a living room, an armchair, a wall with a painting hanging on it, a coffee table with a vase of fl...
Category
2010s Impressionist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Paper, Oil
H 11.82 in W 11.82 in D 0.04 in
French Pointillist Reclining Male Nude Mid 20th Century Painting
By Louis Bellon
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pointillist Reclining Male Nude
by Louis Bellon (French 1908-1998)
initialled lower right
gouache painting on paper, unframed
measurements: 5.5 x 10 inches (overall the sheet measures 8.25 x 11.9 inches)
provenance: private collection of the artists work, Provence, France
Condition report: very good, colour strong, thin paper, margins of sheet show light marks but image is clean
Beautiful Neo-Impressionist 1940's French pointillist...
Category
Mid-20th Century Pointillist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Gouache
French Impressionist Nude Female Figure Pencil Sketch Painting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Nude Figure
by Louise Alix (French, 1888-1980) *see notes below
provenance stamp to the back
pencil drawing on artist paper, unframed
measures: 10 high by 8 inches wide
condition: o...
Category
Mid-20th Century Impressionist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Color Pencil
French Vintage portrait of nude by Antoine Calbet - pastel signed
By Antoine Calbet
Located in PARIS, FR
Mint condition, vivid colors. Free US CONTINENTAL shipping, incl Europe and Asia.
Antoine Calbet: A Master of Academic Realism in the Third Republic
A Distinguished Journey
Antoine...
Category
Late 19th Century Impressionist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Pastel, Gouache
Nude Woman Drying Her Hair
By Raymond Debieve
Located in London, GB
'Nude Woman Drying Her Hair', crayon and pencil on fine paper (1967), by Raymond Debiève (1931 - 2011). A shapely woman has just finished bathing and is drying her hair in the privac...
Category
1960s Modern E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Paper, Oil Crayon, Graphite
Untitled (Abstract Male Reclining Nude)
By Ian Hornak
Located in Fairfield, CT
Artist: Ian Hornak (1944-2002)
Title: Untitled (Abstract Male Reclining Nude)
Year: 1963
Medium: Watercolor on heavy archival paper
Size: 29.5 x 21 inches
Condition: Good
Provenance:...
Category
1960s Impressionist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Watercolor
French Neo-Impressionist Pointillist Reclining Nude Mid 20th Century Painting
By Louis Bellon
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Pointillist Female Reclining Nude
by Louis Bellon (French 1908-1998)
signed lower right
gouache painting on paper, unframed
measurements: 11 x 7...
Category
Mid-20th Century Pointillist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Gouache, Watercolor
Neoclassical composition of a sculptor kneeling before his statue of the Madonna
Located in Middletown, NY
An allegory of loyalty, with the subject's dog pictured seated, holding his master's chisel in his mouth; fidelity personified.
Italian School, 18th century
Ink wash in gray and bl...
Category
Mid-18th Century Italian School E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Laid Paper, Ink, Watercolor
Gibson Girls - Set of Two 1920's Portraits, Vintage Fashion Illustrations
Located in Soquel, CA
Gorgeous pair of two 1920's watercolor portraits of Gibson girls, one in blue and one in pink, by Charles Hollman (Dutch, 1877-1953). Each portrait renders...
Category
1920s American Impressionist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Watercolor, Paper
Nude Figure in a Dimly Lit Interior Resting on a Bed with Sunlight Filtering
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
Dimly Lit Nude Interior
by Helen Greenfield (British 20th century)
gouache painting on artist paper, mounted in a card frame
mounted: 14.75 x 19 inches
artist paper: 13 x 17 inches...
Category
20th Century Impressionist E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Gouache
Previously Available Items
"What do you mean your wife" First African American Illustrator - Black Artist
By E. Simms Campbell
Located in Miami, FL
E. Simms Campbel was the first major African American Illustrator. He did covers for Esquire Magazine starting in the 1930s.
He created the famou...
Category
1950s Academic E. Simms Campbell Paintings
Materials
Ink, Watercolor, Board
E. Simms Campbell paintings for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic E. Simms Campbell paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. You can also browse by medium to find art by E. Simms Campbell in paint, pencil, watercolor and more. Much of the original work by this artist or collective was created during the 1960s and is mostly associated with the Impressionist style. Not every interior allows for large E. Simms Campbell paintings, so small editions measuring 11 inches across are available. Customers who are interested in this artist might also find the work of Bernie Fuchs, Pauline Palmer, and Robert Philipp. E. Simms Campbell paintings prices can differ depending upon medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $22,000 and tops out at $22,000, while the average work can sell for $22,000.