Three-Dimensional Illustrated Correspondence

Alfred Joseph Frueh (1880-1968) was a cartoonist and illustrator, who was probably best known for his caricatures of theater personalities appearing in The New Yorker from 1925 to 1962. In addition, he was also a creator of paper sculptures, pop-ups, cut-outs and toy animals. Frueh (pronounced "free") began his career working in the art department of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch until 1908. After studying in Europe, he settled in New York, and began a tenure with The World. In 1913, he married Giuliette Fanciulli while on assignment in Europe, and they resettled in New York a year later. While on assignments for The World, he would often write illustrated letters to his wife and family. These and other printed materials, artworks and photographs documenting his notable career, are contained in the Smithsonian's Archives of American Art. The 3D illustrated letter seen above, is designed to inform his wife about the details of an art gallery before her visit, and it was included in the 2007 exhibition More Than Words, at the Archives of American Art's New York Research Center. A companion publication featuring these artful letters was published by Princeton Architectural Press. Check out the entire online exhibition of artist illustrated letters here. Below is a 1913 New Year's greeting sent to his fiancée Giuliette Fanciulli.