FLAIR Annual 1953.

The creator of one of the most extravagant and innovative print magazines ever published, Fleur Cowles, died last month at the age of 101(?). FLAIR, her short-lived publication designed for the elite, had a lifespan of only 12 issues from February 1950 to January 1951. It was simply too costly to produce with its incorporation of diecuts, fold-outs, pop-ups, removable reproductions of artworks and variety of paper stocks even though it sold for 50 cents when Time and Life were selling for 20 cents. (*cough*)

01. Embossed Cloth Hardcover with Metallic Ink & Diecut Window.

A few years ago an artist friend gifted me with the above copy of the original hardcover FLAIR Annual 1953 which was published in 1952. This 230 page, oversized annual (10″ x 13.5″) was designed to showcase the best of FLAIR with a selection of its most popular articles on fashion, decor, travel, art, literature and other enthusiasms of Ms. Cowles’ in addition to new features. According to her editor’s note at the beginning of the book, Ms. Cowles hoped to see the FLAIR Annual become a yearly publication. Unfortunately, that did not happen and this 1953 Annual was the first and last one published making it highly collectible just like the original magazines.

02. Interior Cover.
Flair for Americana, Flair for Art, Flair for Winter, Flair for Travel, Flair for Communication, Flair for Sentiment.
Illustrated by Federico Pallavicini.

The complexity of this book is very difficult to convey in photographs. I tried my best to capture a few of my favorite elements but it still falls quite short. I wish there was a magical manner in which you could virtually hold this work of art in your hands and feel the many different paper stocks while unfolding and folding the scored pages, pulling out the pop-ups, flipping through the layered diecuts and more.

The Annual itself was the personal labor of only 3 people, Ms. Cowles plus 2 assistants unlike the original magazines which were the product of a very large staff. Assisting were Robert Offergeld, who contributed his writing talents, and Federico Pallavicini, who designed the pages as well as contributing many of the “highly imaginative drawings” like the interior cover above, drawings which Ms. Cowles described as “some sly and witty, others strangely beautiful.”

03. SALVADOR DALI’S MIMICRY IN NATURE. (multiple diecut pages)

This 7 page Salvador Dali feature was very popular with readers. The article includes multiple diecut page layers of Dali’s eery surreal imagery complete with his 1950 and 1952 signatures.

04. GIRLS IN THE WATER.  (foldout)
Illustration: Saul Steinberg. Photography: International News Source & Percy C. Byron.

This article includes a humorous poke at the history of our Miss America contest including a photo you can see at the top of our very first lady of honor in 1921, Miss Jean Gorman, who is clad with our flag.

05. LONDON PAST & PRESENT (foldout)
Illustrator: Leonard Rosoman.

Above is a cropping of a full page illustration spread from this “London May 1, 1851 vs. London May 3, 1951″ feature. Illustrator Leonard Rosoman was at that time an art teacher at Edinburgh University. He added illustrations of characteristic city sights to his own, personally annotated map of London.

06. NEW YORK CITY 1952/1900.
Photography: Harold Rhodenbaugh. Illustration: Saul Steinberg.

A stark contrast of the Big Apple in a mere 52 year span. The pages that follow include more fantastic illustrations plus early 1900 NYC photos.

07. Interior Back Cover.
COWLES Magazines, LOOK, FLAIR Annual.
Illustrated by Federico Pallavicini.
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The information in my initial paragraph was taken in part from Ms. Cowles’ June 2009 obituary in the New York Times. It is definitely worth reading in its entirety right here.
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