An invoice by Andy Warhol addressed to a certain “Mr. Grove, Consumers Report”, found in the archives of the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh during my visit and research a few years ago, drew my attention. Consumer Reports (typically misspelled by Warhol) was (and still is!) a magazine by a nonprofit consumer organization, doing independent product testing and giving consumer advice.

To my knowledge no Warhol illustrations for this magazine were known, so I was curious and bought a few different copies of Consumer Reports from the year 1954. And bingo! It turns out all drawings listed, for a total of $300, were published in one and the same issue: the November 1954 Christmas Buying Issue.

Warhol’s name is not mentioned nor credited anywhere in the issue, which is the reason a magazine like this, with really great Warhol illustrations, can remain undiscovered for ages. Glad I was able to help rescue it from oblivion.

It also clearly shows how well paid Warhol was as an illustrator, in 1954. $75 each for three large drawings, and $25 each for two smaller ones. A total sum of $300, for just one publication. All drawings are in Warhol’s signature blotted line technique. The larger drawings are: a magnificent, joyful drawing of jazz musicians, accompanying an article about new jazz record releases; a drawing of two pairs of skies, superimposed on travel agency posters of ski resorts, accompanying the article ‘A guide to buy ski equipment’; and drawings of hands exchanging gifts, and gift boxes ready to put under the Christmas tree. The smaller drawings show: two hands holding what seems to be a Rolleiflex camera, and children reading a book.

The magazine is one of the many items on view at my exhibition Andy Warhol: From Ads To Books And Back Again, opening on Friday Oct 28 in Antwerp, Belgium, and runs until November 20th.