Lenox Hill in Manhattan in New York County, New York — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
John Steinbeck
1902-1968
Photographed By Larry Gertner, December 8, 2018
1. John Steinbeck Marker
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Grapes of Wrath (1939) was a prolific writer who showed great compassion for the ordinary person caught up in political and economic circumstances beyond his or her control. Often called The Bard of The People, his novels include Of Mice and Men, Tortilla Flat, and East of Eden. He was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1962, and lived here for the last five years of his life.
Historic Landmarks Preservation Center
Erected by Historic Landmarks Preservation Center.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Arts, Letters, Music. In addition, it is included in the New York, New York City Historic Landmarks Preservation Center Cultural Medallions series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1962.
Location. 40° 46.188′ N, 73° 57.663′ W. Marker is in Manhattan, New York, in New York County. It is in Lenox Hill. Marker is on East 72nd Street near Third Avenue, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 190 East 72nd Street, New York NY 10021, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. John Vliet Lindsay (within shouting distance of this marker); Lexington School for the Deaf (approx. ¼ mile away); Eleanor Roosevelt
this page online
Also see . . . John Steinbeck. Wikipedia biography. (Submitted on April 11, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)
Photographed By Larry Gertner, December 8, 2018
2. 190 East 72nd Street
The marker is barely visible to the left of the main entrance.
Photographed By James Fitzgerald, 1935
3. John Steinbeck
This 1935 portrait of John Steinbeck by James Fitzgerald hangs in the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC.
"Although he was a great contributor to American literature, John Steinbeck retreated from fame. This portrait of the author by James Fitzgerald was executed in 1935, the same year that Steinbeck's first commercially successful novel, Tortilla Flat, was published. Steinbeck claimed to be 'scared to death of popularity,' saying 'it has ruined everyone I know.' In the 1930s and 1940s, both Steinbeck and Fitzgerald belonged to a loosely organized group of artists, writers, and intellectuals in Monterey, California. Although they often argued violently, both men respected each other's talent and shied away from public recognition. Steinbeck's famed novels Of Mice and Men (1937) and The Grapes of Wrath (1939) earned him even more acclaim, and he was awarded the Nobel Pri2e in Literature in 1962. Fitzgerald expresses Steinbeck's reclusive personality by casting half of the author's face in dark shadow." -- National Portrait Gallery
"Although he was a great contributor to American literature, John Steinbeck retreated from fame. This portrait of the author by James Fitzgerald was executed in 1935, the same year that Steinbeck's first commercially successful novel, Tortilla Flat, was published. Steinbeck claimed to be 'scared to death of popularity,' saying 'it has ruined everyone I know.' In the 1930s and 1940s, both Steinbeck and Fitzgerald belonged to a loosely organized group of artists, writers, and intellectuals in Monterey, California. Although they often argued violently, both men respected each other's talent and shied away from public recognition. Steinbeck's famed novels Of Mice and Men (1937) and The Grapes of Wrath (1939) earned him even more acclaim, and he was awarded the Nobel Pri2e in Literature in 1962. Fitzgerald expresses Steinbeck's reclusive personality by casting half of the author's face in dark shadow." -- National Portrait Gallery
Credits. This page was last revised on January 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on December 8, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. This page has been viewed 216 times since then and 17 times this year. Last updated on August 30, 2020, by Bradley Owen of Morgantown, West Virginia. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 8, 2018, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 3. submitted on December 8, 2018, by Allen C. Browne of Silver Spring, Maryland.
