Merle Armitage to Edward Weston, January 5, 1935

Merle Armitage by Sonya Noskowiak, Carmel, 1934. Center for Creative Photography.

Merle Armitage by Henrietta Shore, pencil drawing ca. 1933. From "Naturally Modern" by Victoria Dailey in LA's Early Moderns, Balcony Press: Los Angeles, 2003, p. 51.

I just put together a quick photo album to illustrate the below letter from larger than life impresario Merle Armitage to Edward Weston. In the letter Merle discusses Schindlers-Westons mutual friends Ramiel McGehee, Rockwell Kent, Schindler client artist Giovanni Pasquale Napolitano, pianist/composers John Charles Thomas, Josef Hofmann and Igor Stravinsky, and his latest flame Elise Cavanna. (For much more on McGehee's fascinating early life in the Los Angeles dance community see my "Bertha Wardell Dances in Silence at Kings Road, Olive Hill and Carmel").

Merle Armitage to Edward Weston, typed letter signed, January 5, 1935. Center for Creative Photography.

Ramiel McGehee in Japanese Noh Dance, 1919. Edward Weston photograph. From Merle Armitage Dance Memoranda edited by Edwin Corle, Duell, Sloan & Pearce, 1946. 

Ramiel McGehee, ca. 1929 by Edward Weston. Center for Creative Photography.

De Soto Airflows at gas station, 1935. From internet.

Rockwell Kent by Merle Armitage, New York: Weyhe, 1932.

Napolitano by Merle Armitage. New York: Weyhe, 1935. Sm.8vo, 10pp, 15 plates, frontispiece portrait by Brett Weston, original signed lithograph by Napolitano.

Giovanni Pasquale Napolitano by Brett Weston, 1935.

Sculpture class at Otis Art Institute, 1924: Pasquale Napolitano fourth from left, instructor Harold Swartz in center; continuing right: Ruth Sowden, who encouraged Harris to discover Frank Lloyd Wright; Viola Kepler (model); George Stanley (future designer of the "Oscar"statuette; Clive Delbridge (Harris's client for his first building, the Lowe house); and Harwell Hamilton Harris. From Otis College of Art and Design web site.

The Weston Family, 1934. Center for Creative Photography.

John Charles Thomas, photographer and date unknown. From Wikipedia.

Josef Hofmann, photographer and date unknown. From Wikipedia.

Stravinsky by Merle Armitage, New York: Weyhe, 1935. Photographs by Edward Weston. Center for Creative Photography.

Elise Cavanna Armitage, 1936. Photo by Edward Weston. From "Naturally Modern" by Victoria Dailey in LA's Early Moderns, Balcony Press: Los Angeles, 2003, p. 80. Center for Creative Photography. 

Elise by Merle Armitage, 1934. New York: John Becker, 1933.

Elise by Merle Armitage, 1934. New York: John Becker, 1933.

For many related articles referencing Edward Weston in the context of his friendship with Pauline and Rudolph Schindler and their circle go to my related blog at socalarchhistory.blogspot.com.