Archive of material inc. correspondence from Chesley Bonestell to James Roth, books, and related ephemera

Bonestell, Chesley and James Roth

Archive of material including correspondence from Chesley Bonestell to James Roth, books, and related ephemera

Comprising: A total of 12 letters from Bonestell to Roth written between 1955-1987 from Altadena, Berkeley, and Carmel, California, being (7) Typed letters signed and (5) Autograph letters signed "Chesley Bonestell" or "Chesley," (ranging in size from 3^1/2 x 5^1/2 to 9^1/4 in. x 6^1/4 in.), 10 in blue ink and 2 in black, the majority on Bonestell's personal letterhead, two stapled with retained copies of Roth's reply; with (1) TLS signed "Hulda Bonestell" in blue ink on Bonestell's letterhead, nearly all in original cancelled covers.

WITH: Retained copies of two letters from Roth to Bonestell, James' Roth's copy of Beyond the Solar System, text by Willy Ley and Paintings by Chesley Bonestell, New York, The Viking Press, 1964, SIGNED AND INSCRIBED: "Best Wishes to James Roth / from Chesley Bonestell / March 3rd 1968;" one copy of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Mercury Press, June 1965, cover illustration by James Roth (illustrating "Admiralty"); one copy of Control Point Measurements on Mariner 10 Pictures of Mercury, by Merton E. Davies, Frank Y. Katayama, & James A. Roth, The Rand Corporation; one copy of The Conquest of Space with paintings by Chesley Bonestell and text by Willy Ley, New York, The Viking Press, 1951, one appointment card for Roth to meet with Bonestell; one copy of the Griffith Observer, Vol. 50, No. 10, October 1986 with black & white illustrations by Bonestell on pp. 12-13, 17, and back cover; negative of archival photograph of Bonestell taken by James Roth, 1^3/4 x 1^3/4 in.; two listings of Bonestell's Space Art with two TLS from 1971 by William C. Ester, curator of the collection; and three black & white photographs of Bonestell's portrait taken by Roth, the largest 8 x 10 in.  

AN EXCELLENT ARCHIVE OF MATERIAL REVEALING A GLIMPSE INTO THE LIFE AND WORK OF A LEGENDARY ARTIST

American painter and illustrator Chesley Bonestell (1888-1986) was born in San Francisco and enjoyed a long and lauded career as "The Father of Space Art," thanks to his hyper-realistic work that graced the covers of science fiction magazines and informational books about space flight and the space program. Bonestell's work has been credited with popularizing crewed space flight and inspiring the American space program itself. After studying architecture at Columbia University, Bonestell's early years had him working first in San Francisco, then London and New York, the later where he helped design the facade for the famed Chrysler building, and then back to California to render illustrations for the engineering plans of the Golden Gate Bridge. These experiences, along with his innate artistic talents combined with his childhood love of astronomy, led Bonestell to execute a series of paintings depicting multi-views of Saturn, paintings which would become some of the most famous and influential in the history of space art.

Cementing his place in the International Space Hall of Fame, Bonestell would go on to have both a crater on Mars and an asteroid (3129 Bonestell) named after him. His work graced dozens of magazine and book covers throughout the 1950s and beyond, igniting both the imaginations of curious children, passionate young adults, and professionals in the fields of aeronautics, space travel, and rocket science. The current lot represents a charming glimpse into Bonestell's personal life, with a series of correspondences to James Roth, a fellow Californian and young artist with an interest in space illustration who worked for a time at The Griffith Observatory. The letters reveal Roth sharing his own artwork and professional accomplishments ("I made 7 Mars globes this year...Jet Propulsion Laboratory ordered 4 of them, NASA ordered 2, and so on...") with Bonestell, who offers encouragement ("The reproductions you enclosed of your work look excellent. Keep at it!") and advice ("You might try to do some covers for John Campbell, editor of Astounding Science Fiction...he publishes a lot of my stuff and it is the best way to get known, which unfortunately is about the only road to financial success.") Other items include books showcasing Bonestell's illustrations, black & white photographs of the artist, and a copy of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction from 1965.

Bonestell died in Carmel, California at the age of 98 with an unfinished painting at his easel.