Shemin, Michael Phillip (Micky Shemin, Pict-O-Graph Company)
Michael 'Mickey' Phillip Shemin (January 5, 1950 - January 19, 2021) was an Aspen, Colorado, based publisher and illustrator who produced distinctive pictorial views of various U.S. towns and cities. Shemin was born in Bayonne, New Jersey. Beginning his career in advertising, he transitioned to journalism and publishing in 2001 when he founded the Bayonne Evening Star Telegram, a local newspaper that drew a following for its innovative art and strong opinions. Shemin moved to Aspen, Colorado, where he was known for his love of vintage brick-a-brack, coins, books, and stamps. He opened antique shops in Aspen and Cripple Creek specializing in antique books and prints. Sometime around 1970, he founded the Pict-O-Graph Company, which published maps of resort cities throughout the United States, but primarily in Colorado and Massachusetts. Although the work of multiple artists, the maps have a consistent, intricate, almost miniaturist style, combining elements of 19th-century bird's-eye views, complex decorative borders, and mottled or toned paper to achieve a 'vintage' look, sometimes highlighted with gold printing. The print runs were small, typically in the low hundreds. Later in life, he left Aspen to settle in Recoleta, a wealthy district of Buenos Aires, Argentina. There, he drew and issued his last map of Recoleta, of which we have identified no examples. Shemin died in Buenos Aires of liver cancer.
AKA: Micky Shemin, Pict-O-Graph Company
The Little Grey Lady of the Sea.
A charming 1973 pictorial view of Nantucket, Massachusetts, produced by Mickey Shemin and Henry Royster. Employing Shemin's distinctive style, the view evokes 19th-century city views, though representing the island as it was in 1973. (more details)
Legendary Skiing Destination.
This is a 1975 promotional pictorial view of Breckenridge, Colorado, drawn by Jerli Perine and published by Pict-o-graph. It depicts the town as it was in the process of becoming a well-known skiing destination, a project begun in the early 1960s. (more details)
Evolution of Harvard Yard and Harvard Square.
This is Blaise Domino's large-format 1978 pictorial bird's-eye view of Harvard Square and environs in Cambridge, Massachusetts, including Harvard Yard and much of the campus of Harvard University. (more details)