Will Rogers at the Ziegfeld Follies - Hardcover

Arthur Frank Wertheim (author)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0806123575 ISBN 13: 9780806123578

Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press, 1992

Synopsis

The first European artist-naturalists to tour North America in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were awed not only by the continent’s varying landforms but also by the animals they encountered: vast herds of buffalo, majestic horned stags, a bewildering variety of birds. The earliest sketches depicting these fauna began the remarkable tradition of wildlife in American art, a tradition that evolved along with the United States as a nation and still thrives today.For more than two decades, the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson, Wyoming, has honored and sustained this tradition by assembling the most comprehensive collection of paintings and sculptures portraying North American wildlife in the world. Wildlife in American Art presents for the first time a generous sampling of the museum’s holdings, charts the history of this enduring theme in American art, and explores the evolving relationship between Americans and the natural resources of this continent.More than a museum catalogue, this volume offers descriptions of individual artists in the collection as well as in-depth, informative essays about what the natural environment has meant to Americans over time—untamed wilderness, sublime creation, endless resource, threatened habitat. Author and art historian Adam Duncan Harris also describes how these meanings have played out in painting and sculpture over the past two centuries. More than 125 full-color illustrations highlight the entire range of the museum’s collection, from the western wilds of George Catlin to the desert drama of Georgia O’Keeffe. Also included are elegant birdstones carved by ancient Americans, exquisite avian artwork by John James Audubon, epic western scenes by Albert Bierstadt, idealistic depictions of unspoiled wilderness by Carl Rungius, and modern takes on the subject by Andy Warhol, Paul Manship, and Robert Kuhn.By bringing together and comparing works of unmatched beauty and majesty, this volume gives to a salient theme in American art the attention it has long deserved.

About this title

From the Back Cover

Will Rogers and Florenz Ziegfeld are two magic names in show business. Today Rogers is considered America's most beloved humorist, while Ziegfeld is recognized as the most flamboyant impresario in the history of the American musical theatre. Rogers was one of Ziegfeld's greatest comedy stars, performing in six editions of the Follies from 1916 to 1925. "Ziggy gave me my start", he once said. It was on the Follies stage that he began to joke extensively about current events and to poke fun at celebrities. Will Rogers at the Ziegfeld Follies features the humorist's writings and poignant observations on society during World War I and the Roaring Twenties. Included in this unique collection are two of Rogers' most popular books, The Cowboy Philosopher on the Peace Conference and The Cowboy Philosopher on Prohibition. In selections from his weekly articles and The Illiterate Digest, Rogers lampoons the leading figures of the day, from Henry Ford and William Jennings Bryan to Presidents Wilson, Harding, and Coolidge. In these pages the reader will discover how the Follies brought national fame to Rogers and led him to new careers as a newspaper columnist, film star, radio performer, and popular speaker. His extraordinarily versatile talent is demonstrated by his first syndicated newspaper column, comic routines from his Victor phonograph recordings, a speech to the American Bankers' Association, and many other witty pieces that are still very relevant to our own time. Included here are Rogers writings that have never been published: selections from the entertainer's gag book, notes, and correspondence. In a fascinating exchange of telegrams and letters, the book brings to life the rarefriendship between Rogers and Ziegfeld. It also spotlights Will's relationship with two other famous Ziegfeld comedians, Eddie Cantor and W. C. Fields. As the only book dealing with Will Rogers on the stage, this volume fills an important gap in the life story of the humorist. Will Rogers at the Ziegfeld Follies recreates an exciting era when audiences laughed at the homespun humor of this legendary national figure - one of the most popular and influential Americans of the twentieth century.

Edition details

• Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0806123575
• ISBN 13: 9780806123578
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288