Revisiting Jay Hyde Crawford

I first learned about Dean Rhys Morgan in the Dec/Jan issue of House Beautiful. Rhys Morgan is making headlines for his gallery's limited edition giclée prints of Jeremiah Goodman's work, including depictions of Carolina Herrera's glorious red sitting room and Tony Duquette's Dawnridge. When I was perusing Rhys Morgan's website over the holidays, I was excited to see that in addition to Jeremiah, the work of Kenneth Paul Block and other fashion illustrators are also being offered as limited edition prints. Included in this stellar roster of artists is Jay Hyde Crawford. That's Crawford as well as one of his illustrations above.

I only learned of Mr. Crawford a few years ago when I bought a copy of Architectural Digest New York Interiors. Famous for his illustrations for Bonwit Teller, Crawford was also the man behind the famous violet strewn Bonwit's shopping bag. Later, Crawford, his partner Anthony Tortora, Harry Hinson, and Richard Marlin founded the fabric and wallpaper company Quadrille. (Don't you envy people who are talented enough to achieve success in not one but two careers?) Crawford was responsible for all of Quadrille's early designs.

I posted about his Manhattan townhouse almost a year ago, but I love these images so much that I'm showing them again. And, there are a few new pics as well, thanks to a friend of Mr. Crawford who so kindly emailed me an article on Crawford. I especially appreciate the vignette shots as they have given me food for thought for my own tableaux, something which, as you may recall, does not come naturally to me. According to the Art and Antiques article, Crawford prefers to combine seemingly discordant objects and art in his compositions. He said "Putting wonderful things with a great work of art will just enhance it." Words of wisdom indeed.

Manhattan Townhouse circa 1979:




Circa early 1990s:





Helen Frankenthaler's Moondance above a Baroque mantel.


One of my favorite images: Robert Motherwell's Bread and Circuses rests comfortably with a bronze bust of Napoleon.





(Image #1 and 1990s vignette shots courtesy of Art and Antiques, November 1991, Richard Walker photographer; 1979 photos from Architectural Digest New York Interiors; first two 1990 shots from Manhattan Style)