Collector Richard Merkin, my Dear Friend, Has Died

[barrysloate]

Thank you to all. In my haste I left out a most important fact of Richard's life: many of his paintings were about baseball. He did some amazing portraits and action shots of some of the game's greats. If someone is able to google "Richard Merkin, Haddad Gallery" there are numerous paintings of his, among them two of George and Harry Wright. Maybe someone can post them or any others here, as they are apropos to our thread about the Boston composite.

Yes, as Dan mentioned above about baseball.

[Matt]

My condolences.

[Jacklitsch]

Very touching tribute. Thank you for sharing and best wishes to his family.

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

I am so sorry to hear of this. It would be very interesting to hear the Beatles story. I have read that each of the people featured of the Sgt. Pepper's cover had an influence on the lives of one or more of the Beatles. How is this the case with Richard?

[barrysloate]

Jodi- Richard never even met the Beatles. But he spent the summer of 1966 in England, and became friendly with an associate of Michael Cooper, the photographer who designed and shot the cover. All of the photographs used for the album were assembled, and then each of those pictures were glued to lifesize cardboard backings. After those figures were arranged as they would appear on the cover, the four Beatles came onto the set and stood in the center for the final photograph.

In the 1980's those cardboard figures went to auction- Richard gave me a copy of that catalog many years ago- and they sold for several thousand dollars each. Many of the people pictured did have some significance to the Beatles, but my guess is they did not know who Richard was.

Richard once showed me the actual photo used for the cover. It was originally full length, but was cropped from the shoulders up as it was used.

[Jay Wolt]

Barry, Very sad to hear this.

Here is the cover of the album.

[caramelcard]

Barry,

I'm glad Richard is remembered with such a caring post on our board.

Very sorry you lost your friend.

Rob

[base_ball]

Merkin, a true renaissance man, was often mentioned as one of America's best-dressed men back in the day. In his later years, a pillbox baseball cap replaced a derby atop his head. I only met him twice, but he was quite the fellow.

[Ladder7]

The years soar by. Nice tribute Barry. I'm sorry for the loss of your friend.

[barrysloate]

Thanks everyone. If you look at the back row of the cover, you will see Poe, Fred Astaire (I think), and then Richard to his right.

Richard told the story that when the album first came out, legions of fans tried to identify everyone on the cover. Many were easy, but of course Richard's portrait was the stumbling block. There were many guesses, and the name that most came up was Hitler! True story, and he was both shocked and amused that people thought that's who it was.

[bigtrain]

I believe that it was Mr. Merkin that I met years ago at a Lelands live auction. Don't remember which one but I recall he mentioned that he had illustrated a baseball book by Lawrence Ritter. Is anyone familiar with it?

[barrysloate]

Richard was a fixture at all the Leland's auctions.

The book he did with Larry Ritter, who was one of his closest friends, was: "Leagues Apart, The Men and Times of the Negro Baseball Leagues." Richard did numerous paintings for the book.

I just flipped through the pages of my copy and saw he inscribed it :"to the Sloates with affection, R.M." Very sad.

[benjulmag]

Thank you Barry for that very moving tribute. I too knew Richard and was very saddened when Barry told me of his passing. Richard was a man with tremendous passions in all he pursued, as well as a loyal and trusting friend. I will miss him very much. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.