“Other People’s Dogs” (Among Us Mortals, 3/21/1954)

“Other People’s Dogs” (Among Us Mortals, 3/21/1954)
by W.E. (William Ely) Hill (1887-1962)
18.5 x 15 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

W.E. (William Ely) Hill (1887-1962) was known for his masterful black and white Sunday page, “Among Us Mortals,” sometimes referred to as the Hill Page. Please see the Gallery description for more about Hill.

From this March 21, 1954 edition, titled “Other People’s Dogs” some quotes:

“Some dog owners think their pet is just about perfect, while any dog outside their family circle is worth about two cents. (This couple isn’t poodle-minded, and think it’s a sissy dog. Their canine is part beagle, part collie, and they very fond of it.)”

“The boy who volunteered to look after friend’s dog over the weekend. Things aren’t going too well. Rover is on a hunger strike, and won’t touch the lovely horse meat. He smells liver and bacon cooking!”

1941.02.14 “Vot Could Be Sweeter?”

1941.02.14 “Vot Could Be Sweeter?”
by Sam Nash, Jr. (1906-1952)
11 x 15 in., ink on paper
Coppola Collection

A prolific young artist as a child, Sam Nash had a long career as the editorial cartoonist for the Tyler Courier-Times-Telegraph, Tyler TX.

A 1941 Valentine motif. An attack on Greece by Italy in October 1940 was turned back. A Greek counterattack threatened Italian positions in the Balkans. Germany then decided to intervene in the Balkans in order to secure a southeastern flank for military operations against the Soviet Union. Hello, darlingk… ve are home.

“Men are Forgetful” (Among Us Mortals, 10/10/1954)

“Men are Forgetful” (Among Us Mortals, 10/10/1954)
by W.E. (William Ely) Hill (1887-1962)
18.5 x 15 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

W.E. (William Ely) Hill (1887-1962) was known for his masterful black and white Sunday page, “Among Us Mortals,” sometimes referred to as the Hill Page. Please see the Gallery description for more about Hill.

From this October 10, 1954 edition, titled “Men are Forgetful” some quotes:

“Meet the husband who forgets birthdays and anniversaries unless the wife reminds him. (Today she’s being very cool to him, because he’s forgotten it’s their wedding anniversary.)”

“And this husband is a chronic forgetter of little errands the wife asked him to see to before he came home; really important things, like the head of lettuce, the tube of tooth paste, and the book of three cent stamps.”

1947.02.20 “Already Sprouting”

1947.02.20 “Already Sprouting”
by Max P. Milians (1907-2005)
11 x 14 in., ink of board
Coppola Collection

Milians signed his cartoons with nine zeros (“millions”) as an underline. His work was syndicated across America from the 1930s up until the 1970s.

So-called “International Brigades” were formed during the Spanish Civil War, 1936-1939, made up of large ideological factions that were backing one side or the other. The blueprint for how powers would interfere in other civil wars (Korea, Viet Nam) was laid down in Spain just before WW2.  The Greek Civil War of 1946–1949 echoed the Spanish conflict of a decade earlier. An earlier, left-wing resistance movement (1941-44) had been led by the Greek Communist Party, and it flared up again just after the end of WW2.

In early 1947, there was (as it turns out) wild speculation that an International Brigade would come to fight alongside the communist guerrillas, but it has been imagined as originating from the apocalyptic fears of the Greek government on whose side the United States and Britain were interested. The concern, by waiting around and not acting, was that foreign communists, including Spanish Civil War veterans, might join the Greek guerrillas.

On February 9, a report appeared in Paris about a group of French socialist volunteers who had formed and were ready to take up the cause in Greece. On March 13, US President Truman enunciated the doctrine of containing communism world-wide, starting from Greece. The Truman Doctrine became the metaphor for the containment of communist expansion and the eventual domino theory that dominated the Cold War for 30 years.

1950.11.02 “Might As Well Be…”

1950.11.02 “Might As Well Be…”
by Burris A. Jenkins, Jr. (1897-1966)
7 x 9, crayon on paper
Coppola Collection

http://www.original-political-cartoon.com/cartoon-gallery/artists/jenkins-jr-burris-1897-1966/

Burris Jenkins Jr. was the son of a prominent Kansas City minister, war correspondent and newspaper editor. Jenkins Jr. was a popular sports cartoonist, whose work appeared in the New York Journal-American from 1931. His humorous published verses were also popular. Although best known for his sports themes, Jenkins was also a skilled courtroom illustrator and editorial cartoonist.

Jenkins was not afraid to provoke, and he has some strong WW2 examples, including one of the rare direct commentaries on concentration (death) camps. Among his best-remembered cartoons are his angry piece on the discovery of the dead Lindbergh baby, and his sentimental image of Babe Ruth’s farewell to Yankee Stadium.

He was fired from his first job at the Kansas City Post for a series of pessimistic Christmas cartoons, a firing that prompted his father’s resignation from the same newspaper.

His father was an interesting guy. Jenkins, Sr (1968-1945) was ordained in 1891 and served as a pastor in Indianapolis. He received advanced degrees from Harvard and went on to serve as a professor and president of the University of Indianapolis and president of Kentucky University. He left Kentucky to return to Kansas City as pastor of the Linwood Boulevard Christian Church. The church burned in 1939, and Jenkins chose Frank Lloyd Wright as the architect for the church’s new home overlooking the Country Club Plaza.

Jenkins served as editor of the Kansas City Post from 1919 to 1921, hoping to fight for the establishment of the League of Nations. The Jenkins, Sr., biography tells the story about his leaving the Post slightly differently that for the son: “After two years, it became necessary for him to choose between the newspaper and his pulpit and, without hesitation, he resigned from the Post.”

“Live dangerously!” Jenkins would thunder from the pulpit, embracing his own philosophy against all adversaries. Unconventional in nearly every aspect of his chosen field, Jenkins often preached from non-Biblical texts, such as the latest book or his travels abroad. The church frequently hosted motion pictures, dances, card games, and fundraising boxing matches. These activities led to opposition to Jenkins and his Community Church from other churches in the city.

The 1950 United States mid-term elections were held on November 7, 1950. The election took place during the Korean War, during President Truman’s second term. Voter interest was low, focused on the war and the recovery of the economy. Earlier in 1950, the one-party re-election of the Supreme Soviet painted a broad target on the objective of greater voter participation and democratic rule. I guess jerrymandering was not as much of concern, although voter suppression was still rampant.

“The Night Shift” (Among Us Mortals, 10/17/1954)

“The Night Shift” (Among Us Mortals, 10/17/1954)
by W.E. (William Ely) Hill (1887-1962)
18.5 x 15 in., ink on board
Coppola Collection

W.E. (William Ely) Hill (1887-1962) was known for his masterful black and white Sunday page, “Among Us Mortals,” sometimes referred to as the Hill Page.

From this October 17, 1954 edition, titled “The Night Shift” some quotes:

“The 11 P. M. dog walkers, led by a yawner who didn’t want to come out, but the wife made him, because Margot needed the exercise.”

“Scrublady tidying up the office during the night hours. She’s telling another scrublady how much she enjoyed lovable James Stewart in ‘Rear Window.’”

“Pure Milk” (undated)

“Pure Milk” (undated)
by Robert Lynn (RL) Lambdin (1886-1981)
18 x 22 in., ink and guache on heavy board
Coppola Collection

Lambdin, a Kansas native, studied for a year at the Denver (CO) School of Art with Henry Read and at the Kansas City Art institute with Charles A. Wilimovsky. He began in the art department of the Rocky Mountain News. After working for the Denver Republican, moved to the Kansas City Star as illustrator of feature stories. He settled in New York City in 1917 as a freelance illustrator for magazines and juvenile books. Much of Lambdin’s early work was done in pen and ink but as line drawing went out of style, he worked in watercolor washes and oils. He painted a number of public murals in the 1930s as a WPA artist.

He has a number of illustrations in this spread out sort of composition, which makes me think that this is the way they were printed and encircled by text as part of a story.

There are no clues for the date on this, but it is indicative of his earlier illustration work, so ca. 1920.

https://ctstatelibrary.org/lambdin-robert/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Federal_Art_Project_artists

“The Country Gentleman” (ca. 1920)

“The Country Gentleman” (ca. 1920)
by Robert Lynn (RL) Lambdin (1886-1981)
10 x 15 in, crayon on textured board
Coppola Collection

Lambdin, a Kansas native, studied for a year at the Denver (CO) School of Art with Henry Read and at the Kansas City Art institute with Charles A. Wilimovsky. He began in the art department of the Rocky Mountain News. After working for the Denver Republican, moved to the Kansas City Star as illustrator of feature stories. He settled in New York City in 1917 as a freelance illustrator for magazines and juvenile books. Much of Lambdin’s early work was done in pen and ink but as line drawing went out of style, he worked in watercolor washes and oils. He painted a number of public murals in the 1930s as a WPA artist.

There are no clues for the date on this, but it is indicative of his earlier illustration work, so ca. 1920.

“Well, Didn’t You Get Nothing?” 1920

“Well, Didn’t You Get Nothing?” 1920
by Robert Lynn (RL) Lambdin (1886-1981)
12.5 x 14 in, crayon on textured board
Coppola Collection

In “The Frame-Up” by Harry Kemp
(Munsey’s Magazine, vol LXXI(3), 1920, p 440, 2-page illustration pp 442-443)

Lambdin, a Kansas native, studied for a year at the Denver (CO) School of Art with Henry Read and at the Kansas City Art institute with Charles A. Wilimovsky. He began in the art department of the Rocky Mountain News. After working for the Denver Republican, moved to the Kansas City Star as illustrator of feature stories. He settled in New York City in 1917 as a freelance illustrator for magazines and juvenile books. Much of Lambdin’s early work was done in pen and ink but as line drawing went out of style, he worked in watercolor washes and oils. He painted a number of public murals in the 1930s as a WPA artist.

“Now, See Here…” (1910)

“Now, See Here…” (1910)
by Joseph J Gould, Jr (1880-1935)
13 x 14 in., ink and wash on board
Coppola Collection

Details about Gould’s life are sparse. He has a prolific career creating impressionistic, Art Nouveau posters for Lippincott’s in the mid-1890s. He went on to design 21 covers for The Saturday Evening Post in the early 1900s, and the illustrated stories.

Artist Guernsey Moore had been instrumental in changing the look of The Saturday Evening Post in the early 1900s. In the 1800s, the Post looked like a standard tabloid newspaper; Moore and artist JJ Gould redesigned it to be the illustration-heavy magazine that still exists today.