Manners and claytoonist LOWELL GRANT

This is an odd and interesting little children’s book I bought decades ago at Castle Books on the old Burbank mall. It was a great store and, as you can see by the label on the cover (50 cents), they had good prices. I have no idea if the store exists anymore.


Cover, front and back. Click on image to see it larger.

There’s a lot of information on the title page, but not much online. I cannot find anything about the Sass-Dorne Studio or illustrator Isabel Phillips. I did find out a bit about "claytoonist" Lowell Grant. I can also tell you there were five other books in this series besides Manners (published in 1943): Safety; Cleanliness; Kindness to Pets; Obedience; Going to Bed (and here).



The book, written in rhyme, teaches children proper manners. I do not remember these little characters, Mr. Do & Don’t, from my childhood. I recall the Goops being the ones who tried to teach me manners. To this day if I put my elbows on the table I’m convinced everyone is staring and thinking, “What a goop!”




Illustration by Isabel Phillips. Click on image to see it larger.

Leave it to the net to provided me with just enough information to make me look at this book from a different perspective, all due to the man who created the little characters of Mr. Do and Don’t. The sculptor was Lowell Grant.










Click on any image to see it larger.

I have not found anything definitive about “claytoonist Lowell Grant,” but I have found information about a Los Angeles based sculptor named Lowell Grant, and it’s very sad. According to the site filmforno.com (here and here) , Lowell Grant lived in Echo Park. He did sculptures for the Vincent Price movie Diary of a Madman. He also did work that was in collections all over the country such as churches, libraries, banks, and public buildings. Alas, Lowell Grant died in the 1970s when the kiln in his home blew up killing him and burning down the house. Apparently all that is left is the foundation which can be seen here. The site was used in a movie called Mi Vida Loca.

This book has been on my shelf for decades and I never took the time to do any research. Now when I do I look for information it ends with a sad story. I can’t be positive that the man who did these book illustrations is the same man who died in the explosion and fire, but I think it’s plausible.

When GLAMOUR AND TIRES MET

Yesterday I found a November 1943 National Geographic at the flea market. The country was at war and the advertisers were on board. Corporations were often pulled into production for the war with few of their products available to the general public. Were people making blood money from the war? Sure they were, but it wasn't as blatant as what we have today. I'll say no more.

The illustration in this ad is stunning. What an interesting way to sell something as mundane as tires. A glamourous girl and, might I say, a truly stunning looking tire! Sadly there is no signature by the illustrator. I'd love to know who did this. If anyone has information about the illustrator please let me know so I can credit them.

Click on image to see it larger.

UPDATE: Leif Peng, from Today's Inspiration, a wonderful site about 20th century illustrators, has sent me some links and verified the artist to be Dal Holcomb. To see more General Tire ads by Dan Holcomb click here, here, and here. And click here to go to Leif Peng's Flickr account to see thousands of wonderful vintage illustrations.

As to who was Dal Holcomb? I found the following biographical information at wilnitsky.com.

Dreams of being a WASP

Let's hear it for the women who came before us who opened the doors even if they were shut again for decades.

It was so wonderful to see the women of the Women Airforce Service Pilots of World War II finally get recognition this week. Of course it took far too long to acknowledge them with so many having passed on already.

The Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP), and the predecessor groups the Women’s Flying Training Detachment (WFTD) and the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) (from September 10, 1942) were pioneering organizations of civilian female pilots employed to fly military aircraft under the direction of the United States Army Air Forces during World War II. The female pilots would end up numbering a little over thousand, each freeing a male pilot for combat service and duties. The WFTD and WAFS were combined on August 5, 1943 to create the para-military WASP organization. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

Today approximately 300 are still alive. Three of them met this week with President Obama to receive the Congressional Gold Medal. What took so long? Well, history wasn't kind to them.

All records of the WASP were classified and sealed for 35 years, so their contributions to the war effort were little known and inaccessible to historians. In 1975, under the leadership of Col. Bruce Arnold, son of General Hap Arnold, the WASPs fought the "Battle of Congress" in Washington, D.C., to belatedly obtain recognition as veterans of World War II. They organized as a group again and tried to gain public support for their official recognition. Finally, in 1977, the records were unsealed after an Air Force press release erroneously stated the Air Force was training the first women to fly military aircraft for the U.S. (SOURCE: Wikipedia)

So I ask you, why was the government twiddling their thumbs when in 1943 Merrill Publishing Company issued this beautiful paper doll set to honor these women?

Click on images to see them larger.

38 WASP were killed during the war.

To read more about these amazing women click on any of the links below:

National WASP World War II Museum

Women Airforce Service Pilots at Wikipedia

Wings Across America

Female WWII Pilots: The Original Fly Girls at NPR

Fly Girls at PBS

And yes, this is my personal mint set.

A little 1943 HUMOR FROM BOOT CAMP

The postcard business is not what it once was. I know I personally rarely send them when on vacation because it always seems I'm home before the recipient receives the card or it simply never arrives. I wish this weren't true.

The future for ephemera is interesting to ponder. What will there be for future generations to peruse when everything we do is digital? Digital photos. Digital magazines. Digital mail. Those digital files may become corrupt or simply disappear. Pieces of our personal history pretty much evaporating as fast as we create it. Not so with this card.

Click on image to see it larger.

A military humor postcard mailed in 1943 from a son at boot camp to his father. I have quite a few cards from him, always signed "Teepee". This card meant something to the recipient who kept it for so many years. What will be found at estate sales in the future? A box full of Twitter tweets lovingly preserved? I think not. I'm glad I get to do my collecting now. Estate sales of the future are really going to be crummy.