[78-L] RIP Alex Steinweiss

[Thomas Stern]

Please provide the links to the presentation and illustrations which was
posted here a while ago - thought I'd saved it, but can not locate the link.
Thanks!
Best wishes, Thomas.

-----Original Message-----
From: 78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com
[mailto:78-l-bounces at klickitat.78online.com]On Behalf Of Michael Biel
Sent: Wednesday, July 20, 2011 1:36 PM
To: 78-L Mail List
Subject: Re: [78-L] RIP Alex Steinweiss


On 7/20/2011 7:47 AM, David Lewis wrote:
> http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/business/media/alex-steinweiss-originator-of-artistic-album-covers-dies-at-94.html?_r=4&hpw
>
> Dr. Mike has proven that Steinweiss' claim to have "originated ... album covers" is at least a little suspect. But his passing
is certainly a milestone worth observing, and I feel that his work was important.
>
> Uncle Dave Lewis uncledavelewis at hotmail.com

I agree that his passing is a sad event.  I always said that he was an
inventive illustrator and that I had collected many of his covers -- it
was just that he was not THE inventor or originator of the IDEA of
having illustrations on album covers.  That was the theory of the
overworked under-reseaercher Steven Heller who wrote this obit and did
the titles and essatys for the two books on Steinweiss.  This guy has
written waaaaayyyyy too many books and essays on art and has perhaps
become very sloppy in researching his topics, at least in this case.

But I see signs that he has gotten at least part of the message I have
been putting forth.  Note that he now says that " Most albums were
unadorned,"  where he had previously not admitted that there had been
any.  However he continues to show his lack of any first-hand research
by stating next: " and on those occasions when art was used, it was not
original."  This is based on a statement he read that Victor had used
classic paintings on a few covers.  There are two or three where they
did, but there are well over a hundred covers from the two or three
years before Steinweiss' first cover which did have original artwork,
photographs, and/or typography.  Heller has too much invested in his
unresearched theory to give it up.

Mike Biel  mbiel at mbiel.com

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