Lot 667

GNRR Winold Reiss "Empire Builder" Calendars (2)

Estimate: $500 - $600

Bid Increments

Price Bid Increment
$0 $5
$50 $10
$100 $25
$500 $50
$1,000 $100
$2,000 $250
$5,000 $500
$10,000 $1,000
$25,000 $2,500
$100,000 $5,000
Featured in this lot are two, Great Northern Railway Winold Reiss "Empire Builder" calendars from 1943 and 1945. Winold Reiss was a German-born American artist and graphic designer. In 1920, he went West for the first time, working for months on the Blackfeet Reservation in Montana, painting 36 portraits of tribal members. Over the years Reiss painted more than 250 works depicting Native Americans. These paintings by Reiss became known more widely beginning in the 1920s to the 1950s, when the Great Northern Railway commissioned Reiss to do paintings of the Blackfeet which were then distributed widely as lithographed reproductions on Great Northern calendars. In 1931, and 1934-37, Reiss organized a summer art school, also referred to as an artists' colony near Glacier National Park. The first calendar in this lot shows the artwork titled, "Takes-The-Gun-Strong / Blackfeet Warrior". It shows Takes-The-Gun-Strong holding a feather fan and looking to the left of the viewer. Below the artwork it reads, "Route of the Empire Builder / Between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest via Glacier National Park" with images of the Great Northern Railway logo adorning the sides of the calendar. The calendar features the months of September through December, 1943. The second calendar shows the artwork titled, "Julia-Wades-In-The-Water / Blackfeet Indian". It shows Julia-Wades-In-The-Water sitting on the ground, holding a medicine bag. Below the artwork it reads, "Route of the Empire Builder / Between Chicago and the Pacific Northwest via Glacier National Park". The calendar is full and shows a full year from December 1945 to December 1946. They show good condition overall with slight wear present from their age and use over the years, but no major signs of damage is noted. They measure 33 1/8" L x 16 1/8" W and have a collective weight of under 6 ounces.

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