THE SORROWS OF GIN

Painter John Koch’s “Cocktail Party” classic portrait of New York cocktail party in 1956. Leo Lerman is in the foreground in profile (with dark beard) conversing with pianist Ania Dorfmann. The other guests, left to right, are artist Roger Baker, artist and critic Maurice Grosser, the Dr. Leonard Smileys, the painter John Koch (mixing drinks), Mrs. Edgar Feder, an unidentified woman, composer Virgil Thomson, music critic Noel Straus, Dora Koch (standing), an unknown seated woman, artist Felicia Meyer Marsh, artist Aaron Shikler, art dealer Roy Davis, butler Leroy Lowry, artist Raphael Soyer, and biographer Frances Winwar.