"New York After Dark",

A bold map of Midtown Manhattan is emblazoned on this square silk scarf. The map was created by Russell Patterson and shows the locations of night clubs, restaurants, taverns and hotels between 40th and 63rd Streets and between First and Eighth Avenues. The streets are filled with dancing couples, musicians and taxis while the border lists the names of head waiters for various restaurants in Midtown. This map was commissioned by Macy's Department Store for the 1939 New York World's Fair, which is noted on the map at top right. This map was also printed in a tablecloth size, an example of which is held by the New York Historical Society.

Russell Patterson (1893-1977) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and set designer who led an interesting and varied career. He studied art during his twenties both at the Chicago Art Institute and under Claude Monet in Paris, France. Although the title cartouche notes Patterson as a "New York artist," he lived in Nebraska, Montreal, Chicago and Paris before moving to New York in his early thirties. During his height, Patterson became known for his illustrations of Jazz Age women that graced the covers and interiors of magazines such as Life, Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Cosmopolitan. He also worked on movies in Hollywood as a costume and set designer, as well as illustrated comic strips for newspapers, including "Mamie" from 1951 to 1956.

References:

Condition: A

A lovely example with a small stain in Columbus Circle, minor soiling in the red border, and a few small imperfections in the silk around the edge of the scarf.