Today's title is actually the title of a short story from the now infamous, at least around here, Saturday Evening Post magazine, April 14, 1934. The first few lines of the story written by Everett Rhodes Castle :
"It was generally conceded by our family that when Uncle Draper married Aunt Hattie he added no luster to the family name. Not that the family had any illusions about Uncle Draper. He never did an honest day's work in his life. Nor was there any of this you-couldn't-help-but-like-him about Uncle Draper's shiftlessness. He was a drunkard and a bully."
Okay. I'll have to decide if I want to read more.
From what I'm able to find about Mr. Castle he was a writer of short stories (a list can be found here), including one that was turned into a 39 episode tv series in 1953 entitled Colonel Humphrey Flack.
The illustrations shown here were done by George Brehm, with the one to the left and below used to illustrate the Saturday Evening Post story in April 1934.
I've spent some time searching for information about George Brehm, but I'm coming up pretty empty. He was born in 1878 in Anderson, Indiana, and died in 1966 in New York state. The only personal information I've found is:
"Noted illustrator George Brehm lived in Witherbee Court, where he also maintained his studio and from where he could cross the street to pursue his other great passion, golf, at the Pelham Country Club. Brehm's illustrations were featured on the covers of most major publications through the early decades of the 1900's. He also painted portraits of several Manor residents including that of Mrs. James F. Secor which hangs in the Manor Club." (SOURCE: Historic Pelham)
Pelham Manor is located in Weschester County in New York State.
Mr. Brehm also has art in the Brandywine River Museum collection in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
Here is a list of work he did for various magazines. If I ever find other illustrations in any of my old publications I'll post them. Otherwise I've only found a few others online.
Here is one that was from a Saturday Evening Post cover March 19, 1910.
And here's one found at Ask Art. There are a few more at this site unless you belong to the site and then I guess there's about 25.
And one I really like found at icollector.com with the following text:
Description George Brehm (1878-1966) Original Magazine Story Illustration (1934). Cosmopolitan July, 1934, for How Far is it to Hollywood? by Bess Streeter Aldrich. Caption: "The two girls hung on tightly as the bandits' car gathered speed. They heard the men arguing excitedly about the plan to be followed. And then Emma-Jo had an idea!" Charcoal on board (40 x 30), image size approximately 35 x 20.
Well, that's it for today. Have no idea what will strike my fancy next.
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