Bernard Safran Art !

Bernard Safran .

Bernard Safran - Self Portrait 

Was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1924. A great artist who is in truth was more famous for his paintings on the covers for the famous Time Magazine .From 1957 through to 1965 he produced 73 covers for Time and illustrated stunning portrait covers of top political and religious leaders .

But during the years from 1947 up to 1957 he was a commercial artist and needed money to support his family, these may have not been some of his greatest moments in the art world but to lovers of pulp art they are true classics !

I will show the art and with some book covers that I own and some more photo's of him in his studio around this period.

Bernard Safran in his studio in Bronxville.

Below is the original art and the Croydon cover (the guy in foreground is Bernard Safran with cigar in hand) Bernard was payed just $100 for this art !!!

Croydon # 85

Below are a selection of great Safran covers from my collection .

Stallion Book # 214

Croydon #37

Croydon #48

Bernard as you can see from above did a lot of art for the Croydon book company. And as is widely known these were produced just for the money and although superb to look at, he was in truth just going through the motions, art like this was in big demand around the early 1950's and Bernard like others was in the right place at the right time .

Love Cult - Croydon # 52

Original Art for 'Love Cult' - 1953

Warped Desires 'Croydon' # 53 below again great art with dancing lady center stage and sax player in background honking away, but the character in the foreground again is a self portrait of Bernard himself !

Croydon # 53

Here are some great Safran art covers from the mighty Croydon books !

Croydon # 32

Croydon # 51 

Bernard was also a highly rated photographer in his later years and his photo's of life in New York City in the 1970's are superb but he also took pre plan photo's for his art in the early 50's and here is a photo with Bernard looking slightly lecherous posing with model (used on cover below 'Secrets Of A Paris Nights' # 41.

Add caption

Below is some great original art (that I do NOT own) from again the early 1950's

Girl-Crazy Professor # 46

Art used on Croydon # 46 

Art used on Croydon # 70 - Confessions Of A ladies Chauffeuer

Art used on Croydon # 62 - Night club Sinner

Here is another selection below of covers I own which all have Bernard's face on the cover.

Croydon # 67

Croydon # 17

Croydon #57

Mountain Sinner below before and after !!

Original artwork 

Croydon Book # 28

On this great cover 'Back-Road Motel' according to his family both gents here are based on the image of Bernard Safran and the woman is based on his wife !

 This original art by Safran of 'High-Priced Party Girl'

Croydon Book # 33

Original art by Safran of 'French Nurse' was sold in 2016 for $1400 ! used on Croyon covers # 30 and # 79.

Croydon Book # 79 (2nd edition)

Here is an example of Bernard Safrans work on the left and the inferior French edition which was crudely redrawn a few years later, This was normal for 'Les Romans Americains' who never just copied they either traced the original before letting some non-artiste lose with some crayons to finish the job !

Croydon # 59 

If you compare his work during the early 50's to his stunning portrait work for 'Time' magazine during the 60's you can easily see that his early work was rather crude in comparison to his beautiful later work . But even so his pulp art has a certain charm and I for one love this style and period of his art.

Just to finish off here are some beautiful covers from the Croydon/Safran stable !

Croydon # 33

Croydon # 34

Croydon # 43

Croydon # 18

Bernard Safran died from a sudden heart attack in 1995 . He leaves behind his widow Adele and two daughters Barbara and Elizabeth .

Les Romans Americains !

Bonjour ......right, that's all the French I know out of the way so let's move on with a great digest book company 'Les Romans Americains', printed in Paris, France from 1952 through until 1957 from numbers 1 - 68.

They were re-printing all books from the likes of Cameo, Quarter, Venus, Uni, Intimate and Original, obviously all were translated into French and all covers were re drawn (sometimes very badly) .

Where I can I will list the book with the original publisher and translated title.

OK .......let's head to sunny gay Paris !

LES ROMANS AMERICAINS .

Colophon

1 - La Passante De Minuit - Gene Harvey ( Cameo #305 Pick Up At Midnight)
2 - Tout Pour Le Peche - Kermit Welles (Cameo #307 Sin Preferred)

Pick-Up At Midnight # 1

Sin Preferred  # 2

3 - Levres Pourpres - Peggy Gaddis ( Venus #127 Painted Lips)
4 - Les Amours Et Les Nuits Alice Brandt - Gene Harvey ( Cameo #301)

The Loves Of Alice Brandt # 4

5 - En Voulez-Vous ? Elle Ena - Kermit Welles ( Venus #128 She Had What It Takes)

She Had What It Takes # 5 - 1952

6 - Elle Essaya D'Ectres Sage - Florence Stonebraker (Venus #133 She Tried To Be Good)
7 - Une Fille Appelee Joy - Gene Harvey ( Cameo #309 A Girl Called Joy)

She Tried To Be Good # 6

A Girl Called Joy # 7

 8 - Une Vie De Peches - Glenn Watkins (Stork # 3 Sinful Life)

Sinful Life # 8

9 -  Infirmiere De Nuit - David Charlson (Venus #135 Night Nurse)

10 - Assernie Au Plaisir - Kermit Welles (Cameo #310 Pleasure Bound)

11- Pas D'Homme A Elle - Florence Stonebraker (Cameo #300 No Man Of Her Own)
12 - Ne Regarde Pas Le Mal - Kermit Welles (Original #710 See No Evil)

No Man Of Her Own # 11

See No Evil # 12

13 - L'amant Passionne - Harmon Bellamy (Venus #109 Lover Boy)

Lover Boy # 13

14 - Carrefour Du Desir - Amos Hatter (Cameo #321 Crossroads Of Desire)

Crossroads Of Desire # 14

15 - L'imprudente - Joan Sherman (Venus #138 Reckless)

Reckless # 15

16 - Femme De Feu - Peggy Gaddis (Cameo # 317Woman Of Fire)
17 - Appelez Ca Mariage - Gail Jordan (Venus #146 Call It Marriage)

Woman Of Fire # 16

Call It Marriage # 17

18 - Amants Au Soleil - Joan Sherman (Venus #143 Lovers In The Sun)
19 - Infedele - Peggy Gaddis (Venus #142 Unfaithful )

Unfaithful # 19 

20 - Affaire Secrete - Amos Hatter (James W. Lampp) (Cameo #308 Secret Affair)
21 - Vouee Au Mal - Harry Whittington (Original #208 Forever Evil)

Secret Affair # 20

Forever Evil # 21

22 - Les Amants Traques - Peggy Gaddis (Venus #149 Runaway Lovers)
23 - La Passion Est Femme - Kate Nickerson (Venus #152 Passion Is A Woman)

Passion Is A Woman # 23

24 - Un Amor Condamne - Harry Whittington
25 - Le Bel Amour D'une Infirmiere - Sylvia Erskine ( Cameo #324 Young Nurse)

Young Nurse # 25 

26 - La Fugitive - Lewis Dixon (Cameo #335 Wild Girl)

Code Name Love # 24 

Wild Girl # 26

27 - Les Amants De Minuit - John Caldwall (Carnival #902 Midnight Sinners)

Midnight Sinners # 27

28 - Les Amours D'une Vedette - Jane Manning (Venus #150 Affairs Of A Leading Lady)

The Affairs Of A Leading Lady #28

29 - L'ardente Carriere D'un Modele - Norman Bligh (Ecstasy #1950/07)

Intimate Confessions of an Artists Model #29

30 - Le Fleur de la Passion - Richard Grant ( Uni Book # 30 Eurasion Girl)

Eurasion Girl # 30 

31 - Un Amour Dechaine - Whit Harrison (Harry Whittington) (Original # 718 Savage Love)

Savage Love # 718

32 - Le Club Du Peche - Harry Whittington
33 - Le Fille Des Marais - Perry Lindsay (Intimate # 11 Swamp Girl)

Swamp Girl # 33 - 1955

Right that takes us very nicely to the half way point and into 1955. Some great books in the above list, as you can see the artwork reproduction is of a very poor quality but none the less they are still highly collectable and trust me they do not appear on auction sites very often but when they do,the early editions go for a decent price and maybe that is what has hindered me from buying more over the years.

Right lets complete the series.

34 - Passion - Gail Jordan (Stork #5 Passionate Lover)
35 - Le Septieme Femme - Barry De Forrest (Intimate # 12 Seventh Wife)

Seventh Wife # 35

36 - Flamme - Ray Booth (Uni Romance #2 Red Hot )

Flame # 36

37 - L'Amour De L'amour - Wright Williams ( Stork #2 Lust For Love)
38 - Une Fille Solitaire - Peggy Gaddis (Venus #172 Farmers Woman)

Lust For Love # 37

Farmers Woman # 38

39 - Casse-Cou - Luthor Gordon (Quarter #31 Wicked)
40 - Veronica - Gerald Foster (Quarter # 43 Vera Is A Tramp)

Casse-Cou #39

Veronica #40

41 - Le Mauvais Ange - Peggy Gaddis (Croydon # 69 Scandalous Nurse)
42 - Amours De Plage - Ralph Douglas (Cameo # 319 Beach Party)

Beach Party # 42

43 - Ellesle Veullent Toutes - Mathew Clay (Cameo #343 Slum Doctor)
44 - La Pente Dangerouse - Whit Harrison (Harry Whittington)
45 - La Brulante Filles Des Collines - Ann Lawrence (Uni #36 Hoydon Of The Hills)
46 - La Fille Des Iles - Amos Hatter (Cameo #318 Island Ecstasy)
47 - Les Soeurs Rivales - Kermit Welles (Venus #144 Innocent Wanton)

Island Ecstasy # 46

Innocent Wanton # 47

48 - Jerry Fait Du Scandale - Bart Frame (Croydon 59 Scandals At A Country Club)
49 - La Chair Est Faible - Sylvia Erskine (Cameo #332 Nurses' Quarter)
50 - Le Chasse-Croise Amoureux - Watkins E. Wright .
51 - Une Blonde Du Tonnerre - Florence Stonebraker (Cameo #304 Naughty Blonde)

Naughty Blonde # 51

52 - Deux Garcions Et Une Fille - Ross Sloane (Quarter # 52 Three Naked Souls)
53 - Jeunesse Damnee - Jane Manning.

Young Sinners # 53

54 - Cleo - Frederic Spencer (Cameo #327 Cleo)

Scandals At A Country Club # 48

Cleo # 54 - 1956

55 - L'entraineuse - Ruth Lyons
56 - La Fille De Sheila - William Arnold (Original # 717 Sheila's Daughter)

Sheila's Daughter # 56

57 - Suzanne Se Reveille - Thomas Stone 
58 - L'ile Du Peche - William Vanneer (Croydon # 49 Sinful Island Vacation)
59 - Etude De Nu - William Arnold 
60 - Le Guet-Apens - Joan Sherman (Croydon #60 Two-Timing Wife)

Two-Timing Wife # 60 - 1957

61 - Une Parfaite Secretire - Gail Jordan (Croydon # 23 Sins Of A Private Secretary)
62 - Anne Prend Un Amant - Sylvia Erskine 
63 - Tristes Paradis - Kate Nickerson (Original #729 Street Of The Blues)
64 - Martha S'ennuie - Arthur Marin (Venus # 134 Doctor's Wife)
65 - Jusqu'au Crime - Peggy Gaddis (Venus #65 Beach Party)
66 - Un Garcon Inoubliable - Norman Bligh .

Beach Party # 65 - 1957

67 - Les Femmes En Blanc - Norman Bligh 
68 - Trop De Fric - Frank Haskell ( Venus Book # 157 Women's Doctor ) 

Women's Doctor # 68 - 1957

As usual Peggy Gaddis provided 17 titles towards the French digest collection and Harry Whittington with 5 novels.

These digest books are great to collect, you can, on a lucky day find them for just a few pounds in pretty good condition and I have never paid more than a fiver for a single edition.

Good luck if you wanna search further titles.......next time ....who knows ?