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COVARRUBIAS, MIGUEL. (1904-1957). Mexican artist known for his caricatures. Signed book. (“Miguel Covarrubias”). Unpaginated. Small 4to. New York, May 19, 1926. Covarrubias’ 1925 The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans inscribed in Spanish on the front free endpaper to Hungarian-American portrait photographer NICKOLAS MURAY (1892-1965) and adding an original ink self-portrait caricature. The book reproduces Covarrubias’ caricatures of such figures as Charlie Chaplin, Calvin Coolidge, John D. Rockefeller, Willa Cather, George Gershwin, Babe Ruth, and Rudolph Valentino. Covarrubias was born in Mexico City and, at age 19, moved to New York City where he had the good fortune to be taken under the wing of American writer and photographer Carl Van Vechten who introduced him to the city’s cultural elite. Soon his caricatures, which influenced the likes of Al Hirschfeld, began to appear in Vanity Fair and The New Yorker. His book The Prince of Wales and Other Famous Americans was popular despite the objection of some of his subjects. He illustrated books for The Limited Editions Club, worked in advertising, and designed sets and costumes for the theater. A great admirer and documenter of the Harlem Renaissance, Covarrubias counted among his close friends Josephine Baker, Eugene O’Neill, Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, W.C. Handy, John Huston, and Nickolas Muray. Muray, whose name Covarrubias spells “Murray,” was a prolific and highly recognized portrait photographer whose work was published in Vanity Fair, Vogue and The New York Times. In addition to his photography career, Muray was an Olympic fencer. “In 1923 Nick met artist Miguel Covarrubias, whose friendship would change Nick’s life. Nick and Miguel contributed to many of the same publications, and became the best of friends. Nick visited Miguel in his native Mexico in 1931. On that trip, Nick met Frida Kahlo, who was married to Diego Rivera… Over the next ten years, Nick and Frida carried on a love affair in which they traveled to see one another in Mexico and New York. Their love affair is richly documented, both in their correspondence to one another, and by Nick’s iconic portraits of Frida,” (I Will Never Forget You, Grimberg). Kahlo was a close friend of Covarrubias’ wife, Mexican dancer Rosa Rolanda. Yellow cloth spine and pink and green batik boards. Spine is sunned with wear to headbands. Corners are bumped. Age toning to cover and endpapers; otherwise very good condition.