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Three original pencil sketches on tracing paper by Mexican artist Leon Helguera, dated 1959 in pencil, with hand-written identifying notes in ink and signed in ink by the artist. The size of each sketch is listed below. Also includes a mint, hinged set of the two UN stamps as issued. Leon Helguera (1899-1970) designed the United Nations stamp issued October 23, 1959 to commemorate the UN Trusteeship Council, founded in 1945 as the successor to the League of Nations mandates for non-self-governing territories. For the central male nude figure, he used a drawing of Auguste Rodin's 1877 bronze sculpture, The Age of Bronze. See photo for comparison (photo by Daniel Ullrich, from Wikimedia Commons). His initial sketch shows a full-figure frontal nude, but the first sketch he sent to the UNPA shows the figure from the waist up – the artist apparently thought the UNPA and/or the public were not ready for full male nudity. Helguera is perhaps most famous for the design of a WWII poster encouraging Mexicans to support the U.S. – "Americanos todos." These sketches are from the United Nations Postal Administration archive, which was auctioned off in one lot by Feldman Galleries in Geneva on May 12, 2003 to Arthur Morowitz, who in turn sold it to Greg Manning Auctions for an undisclosed price. Manning then auctioned off many of the best items on November 18-21, 2003, which is how I acquired these sketches. I am including the Greg Manning Auctions backer which came with the sketches. I punched holes in the backer, but the sketches are, of course, completely intact and have been kept since the auction in acid-free, archive-safe Avery sleeves with acid-free white paper backers. An interesting side note on the rest of the story: the Manning auction also included two artist's proofs (which I couldn't afford at the time) for the finished stamp, one of which showed Helguera's figure but with distinctly African features. This might have seemed appropriate, since much of the trust territory was in Africa and none in Europe, but the design with more European-looking features won out. See the attached scan of the stamps as issued, included with this lot. I can email you higher resolution scans of the sketches if you wish. Items included: "Initial sketch for the Trusteeship council stamp." Signed by Leon Helguera. Size of page: 6 x 9 inches. "Rough for first sketch sent to UN." Signed by Leon Helguera. Size of page: 6-1/4 x 8-1/2 inches. "Tracing for finished stamp with proper dimensions specified." Signed by Leon Helguera. Size of page: 6-1/4 x 8-5/8 inches. Blue and white cardstock backer, sent out with material from the Manning auction, punched for a three-ring binder. Size: 8-12 x 11 inches. Unused set of 4 cent and 8 cent UN stamps issued October 23, 1959, mounted (hinged) on paper.
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