West, Levon "Ch[ampion] Torohill Trader"

Levon West. "Ch[ampion] Torohill Trader." [cocker spaniel]

Etching. 1934. 14 3/4 x 8 3/4. Signed and dated in plate and signed in pencil. Edition undocumented, probably scarce. Framed. Mat appears to be acidic, not inspected out of frame. Else appears to be very good condition. As is. A/A

Levon West (1900-1968) was an etcher, painter, photographer, writer and teacher.  As a photographer, he used the name “Ivan Dmitri.”  West was born in North Dakota, graduated from the University of Minnesota in 1924 and studied at the Art Student’s League and with Joseph Pennell the following year.  West was a member of the Society of American Etchers and the American Institute of Graphic Arts.  During the Depression he turned to photography and worked for Life magazine and the Saturday Evening Post.  He is best know for his etchings that depict men traveling through rugged areas of the American West.  His work can be found in the collections of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the New York Public Library, the Brooklyn Museum and Metropolitan Museum in New York City.

This cocker spaniel, owned by Leonard J. Buck, won numerous best of dog shows in the 1930s.