Sketchbooks 1930 - 1939

 
1937
Cummington, Massachusetts Includes many abstract sculpture drawings, sketches of Renee Gross, as well as sketches of Gross's 'The Hauptmann/Lindbergh Trial.'
many sculptural drawings; 1932 Hauptmann/Lindbergh trial sculpture drawing; writing in Hebrew, back pages
1938-1939
Subjects, Ideas for Sculpture Includes notes on sculpture.
-Sketches of cabins, landscapes, similar to Commington sketches; sketch of Laocoon; inscription: "The earliest sculpture/ors used whatever materials were at hand- bones of animals, the great tusks of the mammoth, the stone walls of the caves, wood, clay, almost anything's that could be carves, hammered, or shaped as the centuries rolled by man became civilized, certain substances were found more desirable and thus became more popular. Today most people think of sculpture in terms of statues."
1938
Various Subjects Includes sketches of sprinters and athletes, also beach scenes.
July 28, 1938; sprinters (in motion and handing off baton), athletes; drawings of dancers and tumblers; Chaim Gross working on the sculpture Harvest (in plaster) for the French Building at the Court of Peace, New York World's Fair 1939.
1938
Sculpture Sketches Contains preparatory sketches for sculptures, including small-scale drawings for 1940 'Girl on a Wheel'. Also includes notes on sculpture.
Inscription: "Briefly, the difference between carving approach and modeling approach in sculptural art can be illustrated as follows, whatever its plastic value, a figure carved in stone is fine carving when one feels that not the figure, but the stone through the medium of the figure, has come to life. Plastic conception, on the other hand, is uppermost where this material with which or from which a figure has been made appears no more than as so much suitable [for] the creation."
1939
Various Subjects Includes female busts, figures, son Yehudah Gross, musicians, and notes on back cover about The Sunday Star, Washington D.C., Nov. 12, 1939 and Carl M. Einstein's Die Kunst des 20. Jahrhunderts.
-Female busts on first page; Georg Schreiber (German journalist/politician); woman swinging young girl by the arms (in motion)- several images, different angles/points of motion; two figures embracing and kissing; Yudi 1939; Musicians playing as sculptor works; Tug-of-war sketches; ssketch of man in profile (sepia wash); The Sunday Star, Washington D.C., Nov. 12, 1939-----[In Germany... Hundreds of dissidents and Jews are arrested in the search for the Munich bombers]; Carl M. Einstein's Die Kunst des 20. Jahrhunderts (note on back pages)
1939
Surrealist Drawings Contains writings on Surrealism, specifically the work of Salvador Dali and Max Ernst.
July 14, 1935- Sonata Recital, Commington; men in parlor/at bar; laborers. Inscriptions: "The dream alone leaves man his right to liberty" The subconscious Mind "Repressed desires the imagery of dreams" "In his best work, has created a humorous fantasy which is different in spirit from the paranoiac obsessions of Dali. He has restricted icons himself and lyrics dream- shapes that written could twist with a musing lack of logic." "Dali paints symbols of his obsession with a fine talent for the -----. Whatever the source of his art, there is no precedent in painting for his subject matter, which comes direct from the dreams of Krafft (craft?) Limp watches and swarming ants. This he once wrote that The Element of Time the insects which swarmed over petrified flesh were for the element of time, capable of appearing as hard and flashing --- with erotic symbols. Andre Breton Says that Max Ernst most magnificently haunted brain of today, I think Mr. Breton would reply that is better than being ---. A statue, history which is quite devoid of interest inn proper place. [note: very fragmented, hard to read, writes all over the page]
1939
Various Subjects Includes drawings of Renee Gross and scenes from Cummington, MA.
Penciled sketch of Renee (2)- standing; several of Renee reading a newspaper; Commington, MA 1939 (lecturer and audience); man reading the newspaper; musicians; group portrait; first recorded date: Sept, 1939; Oct. 15, 1939- Renee's father
1939
Nude Drawings Contains drawings of male and female nudes.
-Bust of woman, Applewood *Busts (Cycladic influence?) *Face and squatting figure -Tuba player -Jan 6, 1941 (first date recorded) -Dear Mom, Will you please come in to see me when you are in the city on Tuesday, also with you bring some unreturnable comic books for Yudi ?? -Harold K. Zimmerman? *Onkle Leo/n -Renee's father -Onkle Leo *Back view of nude man, front (several views/angles) *Back view of female nude **Portrait of older woman -Practicing his signature *Male nude bent over forward -Map of cities for auction sale in (Shehandoah (VA), Shamokin (PA), Mauck, Easton (PA), Philly; For cars go to: Auction Sale 13th St. East of Fourth Ave)- Car sale? -Drawing of sculpture in the collection of Boris Aronson