De Lappe, Pele (American, 1916-2007). DANCE MARATHON. Pencil, 1935. Signed in pencil. 13 7/8 x 9 7/8 inches (sheet). In very good condition, despite creases at the top of the sheet, and at the bottom right corner. Three couples at the dance marathon: the couple in the foreground clearly exhausted but still dancing styishly, the couple behind them perhaps a bit fresher, and in the background a couple seated, perhaps resting, or dropped from the competition. "Phyllis "Pele" Murdock de Lappe was an American artist, known for her social realist paintings, prints, and drawings. She also worked as a journalist, newspaper editor, illustrator, and political cartoonist. de Lappe had been a resident for many years in Berkeley, California and later, Petaluma, California." (Wikipedia). In her self-published memoir "Pele: A Passionate Journey Through Art and the Red Press" DeLappe mentions visiting and participating in dance marathons in New York in the 1930s.
