W. David Shaw: "Every sketch... a potential finished picture"

Some very interesting things are revealed about W David Shaw's working methods in Ernest W. Watson's October '55 interview with the artist. For instance, Shaw only worked four days a week. His weekends began on Friday and he never took work home. In fact, the artist told Watson, "I don't do any artwork at home."


Yet Shaw was able to produce a tremendous amount of work for a broad range of both advertising and editorial clients. His pictures appeared in Esquire, Holiday, Collier's, Woman's Day, This Week, Reader's Digest and many others.


Advertising clients included Grace Line, T.W.A., American Express, the Nassau Development Board, Johnson and Murphy Shoe Company, and National Distilleries.


Watson wrote, "the answer [to Shaw's prodigious output] lies particularly in the character of his work and the astonishing facility with which he handles the watercolor brush."


Shaw never did rough sketches of comps - every piece he began was a potential finished piece. If a drawing didn't come off at the first attempt, he'd throw it out and start a new one! If that also failed to please him, he'd begin a third.


In this manner, writes Watson, "[Dave's] work is impressionistic; it is free and impulsive. It is entirely devoid of laborious and time-consuming detail."

"His brush does unpremeditated things as the picture develops."

* My W. David Shaw Flickr set.

* My thanks to Harold Henriksen, for today's scans, and to Jaleen Grove for providing the W. David Shaw article from American Artist magazine.

W. David Shaw: The Epitome of 50's Style

I first noticed the work of W. David Shaw when I stumbled upon a small series of spots he did for an automotive article in the December 1956 issue of Collier's magazine. I wasn't around to experience the 1950's first hand - but for this child of the 70's, Shaw's style somehow really epitomizes that 1950's 'look'.


I know now that that's too broad an observation... but I do sincerely feel that there's something here that deserves closer examination. W. David Shaw's work reminds me of a certain kind of imagery I saw in the background paintings of old cartoons and the ink styles of old comic books, magazines, newspapers and textbooks when I was growing up.

It reflects that space-age, jet-propelled modernism seen in 1950's diner signage and automobile tailfins...

So just who was this W. David Shaw?

Did he originate or somehow perfect this distinctive, iconically 1950's style? He was not included in Walt Reed's Illustrator in America book - and everyone I contacted who might know only vaguely recalled his name or work -- if at all. My research lead to a mention of an article in the October 1955 issue of American Artist magazine.... an issue that proved to be maddeningly elusive... until this past weekend, when my friend, Jaleen Grove, made a special trip to the New York Public Library to shoot the pages for me in their bound volumes collection.

Yay, Jaleen!


Right away we learn that, by the mid-1950's, W. David Shaw was very busy indeed. Author Ernest W. Watson reports that Shaw is so sought-after that he has not had to solicit work in 5 years.


On the morning of Watson's visit to Shaw's downtown New York studio (on the 10th floor of a building on 48th Street, across from the Waldorf-Astoria) Shaw is rapidly executing a small ink drawing.


He explains to Watson that when he gets a small rush job such as the one he is completing, he calls the messenger service, sits down with his drawing board propped against his knees and the edge of a table, and by the time the messenger arrives he is usually done.


Watson describes how Shaw's studio is so spare it verges on barren. A few essential pieces of office furniture, some art materials in "a taboret of his own design", nothing on the walls but a poster and one framed watercolour, and a folding chair "brought out for chance visitors."


If an artist's surroundings reflect his personal style or philosophy (and how could they not?) it sounds like W. David Shaw's studio was a sort of physical manifestation of his drawing style: modern and unencumbered by slavish detail or clutter, focusing only on the essentials.


With only this brief description and these few examples as our introduction, I hope you find the work of W. David Shaw as intriguing as I do. This week, we'll learn a little more about the man and his work.

My W. David Shaw Flickr set.

William A Smith: "...a terrible picture of the atrociousness of war."

Today, the conclusion of an article that originally appeared in Asia and the Americas magazine in July, 1946, written and illustrated by William A. Smith:

"At Hsian, previous to coming to Weihsien, I had gone over to visit and make a sketch of George Barr, one of the Doolittle fliers rescued by our team that had jumped into Peking."



"Kept in solitary confinement for the duration of the war, suffering from beri-beri and having been horribly beaten by brutal Japanese guards, Barr presented a terrible picture of the atrociousness of war. Greenishly pale, staring vacantly at the broken knuckles of his hands, he was unable to recognize or talk to any one. I was so overwhelmed by the sight that I couldn’t draw, but it was so vivid that I could sketch it today from memory."


"This experience emphasized the comparative good fortune of the civilians who were interned at Weihsien. They were subject to hardships and indignities, but they were certainly not victims of torture and brutality."


"The length of the internment perhaps had a greater effect upon the children than upon the adults. Many of the children know of no other way of life."


"One small child, upon reaching the coast and seeing the ocean for the first time, exclaimed, “Oh mommy, what a large cesspool!”


* My sincere thanks to Kim Smith, William A. Smith's daughter, who provided the text from this article, along with all of the scans. Some of this week's images were from William A. Smith's other OSS missions around China during W.W.II.

For those interested in learning more about the Weihsien Prison camp, Kim has provided a number of photographs which I have archived here. As well, Kim located an extensive website about Weihsien that includes "documents, paintings, sketches, texts and memories" of the survivors of the camp.

As a final treat, Kim sent along this drawing done - not by her dad, but rather of him - by another artist who's career we've previously looked at: Gilbert Bundy.

After the war, Bill Smith continued to travel extensively throughout Asia (and Africa) and this drawing was done "on a USO junket to Korea in '51 or '52, when a group of illustrators went to entertain the troops. They wore their own old Army uniforms," writes Kim, "I guess to fit in."

Getting Out of Weihsien: "...we were confronted with a very serious problem."

From an article that originally appeared in Asia and the Americas magazine in July, 1946, written and illustrated by William A. Smith:

"Steiger had promised to secure a projector and some films, but their arrival was maddeningly delayed. When a plane landed at the airstrip the first question asked was, “Did the projector come?” Toward the end of my month’s stay, the movie equipment finally arrived. A joyous holiday atmosphere swept the camp. Threats of not being able to see the movie put children on their best behavior. I attended the first showing, but the picture was so bad that I couldn’t endure more than the first ten minutes of it. I was outside the theater when the internees came out raving about what a superb picture it had been."


"The considerable delay in the evacuation of the camp was due partly to the troubled situation in that area. The Chineses Communists were very active in the vicinity, and kept the puppet general whose troops were holding the town of Weihsien in a state of extreme nervousness. The ten thousand Japanese troops in the vicinity were still armed, and the central government guerilla group was busy with its own operations. These four factions created a great deal of confusion, and there was heavy fighting every night. The Japs were trying to keep the railroad, which ran from Weihsien to Tsingtao, open, but the tracks and bridges were constantly being blown out of commission by explosive. We couldn’t depend on trains getting through to the coast, and since this was the only means of transportation available, we were confronted with a very serious problem."


"In the interest of getting the prisoners out, an agreement to keep the railroad open for twelve days was finally secured from the warring factions. Since Tsingtao lacked accommodations to absorb all fifteen hundred prisoners, it was decided to take approximately a third of them in the first trainload. Hospital cases and people with homes or friends in the Tsingtao are were included in the first group. Bad weather, which made the roads to the railway impassable, caused another delay, but the first group finally reached Tsingtao safely. I went to Tsingtao a few days later and stayed a couple of weeks. On the thirteenth day after the agreement, the railroad had again been blown up in a number of places. At the time I left Tsingtao for Shanghai the remaining internees had not yet been able to get out of Weihsien."



* My thanks to Kim Smith for providing both the art and article for this week's topic. Our story concludes tomorrow.

"Their enthusiasm made me very humble."

From an article that originally appeared in Asia and the Americas magazine in July, 1946, written and illustrated by William A. Smith:

"People had to wait in line for the simplest necessities. Soap, tobacco and especially sugar were at a very great premium, and the young children had never tasted candy. All drinking water was boiled, and it was touching to see the morning water queue."


"After the arrival of the OSS team, hundreds of tons of food and clothing were parachuted into the camp from planes. There were candy bars, canned soups, canned turkeys, Virginia hams, plenty of sugar, soap, GI rations and medical supplies. The men, women and children were delighted with their GI combat jackets, fatigue caps and Army issue shoes. These were the first new clothes they had had in ears. The women were especially fascinated with the new types of food that they had never seen before. Canned butter, lemonade powder and canned stews were strange and wonderful delights. Parachute cloth was made into beautiful new blue, red or yellow dresses and blouses."


"After the first few days of internment, only one Chinese was permitted inside the high brick wall. He was a dirty and stupid-acting coolie whose job was to remove the pails of refuse from the latrines. The Japanese would have no part of this job. Actually, he was an OSS agent and his access to the camp made it possible for the prisoners to communicate with the outside. His “contact” inside the internment center was Father Diego, a Catholic priest whose duty it was to clean the latrines. The other internees were most surprised when, after the camp had been taken by the Americans, this same Chinese walked through the gates in a western-type business suit."


"In the middle of 1944 an American, Arthur M. Hummel, and a British companion made a dramatic escape over the wall on a dark night. They had sent word through Father Diego and the OSS Chinese agent to a group of central government guerrillas and a rendezvous had been arranged. For the next fourteen months they stayed with the guerrillas and their radio contact with the American army supplied much of the information that aided Major Steiger’s capture of the camp. A new Japanese commandant had been established in the camp only shortly before the escape was accomplished. When the two men were discovered to be missing the Japanese commander assembled the prisoners and with tears streaming down his cheeks begged that no one else try to escape. The incident had put him in a bad light with his superiors and he had lost great “face.” He said that if any one else got away it would be necessary for him to commit hara-kiri. He had a family and did not want to die."


"There was much interest in the sketches I had been making around the compound, and I was asked to permit an exhibition. Before the doors were opened there was an incredibly long line of people waiting to get in. Many people, after filing through and examining each picture as long as the crowd behind would permit, returned to the end of the line to await their turn to see the things again. Their enthusiasm made me very humble."

* My thanks to Kim Smith for providing both the art and article for this week's topic. Our story continues tomorrow.

William A. Smith Describes Life in Weihsien

From an article that originally appeared in Asia and the Americas magazine in July, 1946, written and illustrated by William A. Smith:

"Shortly after a plane landed at the airfield three miles from the internment centre, a dilapidated truck driven by two Japanese soldiers brought representatives from the camp. Most of the reception committee consisted of members of the Chefoo Boy Scout troop. With enthusiasm they quickly unloaded the plane and transferred the supplies to the truck."

"The former Mission, which incidentally was the birthplace of Henry R. Luce, the publisher of Life, was made up of a large number of solidly constructed brick buildings, surrounded by a high brick wall. The Japanese had built guard towers at strategic locations along this wall, which was topped with electrified barbed wire."


"Most of the families lived in long, one-story buildings divided into several rooms approximately nine by twelve feet. Each of these cubicles was ordinarily occupied by two or three people, a man and wife and perhaps a child. The blocks of buildings had a shanty-town look. Each dwelling had a tiny back yard equipped with an improvised stove, chairs and a table made from available junk, according to the resourcefulness of the tenant. Stovepipes were constructed by piecing together discarded tin cans [shown below]. Bricks, stones, crates, bamboo poles and metal containers were quickly put to use by those lucky enough to be able to find them. There were also a number of larger buildings."

"One was occupied by bachelor girls, another a men’s dormitory. Perhaps the grandest building was the hospital. It was excellently staffed by internees, among whom were some of the best doctors in North China. There was simple church, more than adequately attended to by the missionaries, who practically overran the camp."


"I climbed the wooden ladder in one of the guard towers and when I got to the top I found a somewhat embarrassed Jap sentry. When I greeted him with “Konnichi-wa”, he snapped to attention, saluted me and handed me his rifle. Naturally I was surprised, but I accepted the weapon, inspected it and handed it back to him. He again saluted and after returning his salute I descended the ladder, leaving him with mutual “sayonaras”. I felt that if it was as easy as that, I could certainly get him to pose for a sketch. The next day I made the painting of him in the tower which is reproduced on the third cover. That night I found a bottle of saki that he had left in my quarters as an expression of his gratitude."


"Most of the prisoners were British. There were also Americans, Belgians, Italians, Eurasians and the various other types that would naturally be found in a group of people gathered under these circumstances from northern Chinese towns such as Tientsin, Peiping, Cheefoo and Tsingtao. They were missionaries, soldiers of fortune, businessmen, educators, professional people and scholars, such as E. T. C. Werner, author of many books on Chinese life, customs and mythology. There were the powerful and influential leaders of industry known as “taipans”. These people were accustomed to having servants and living in the luxury of the Occidental in the Orient. When they were all thrown together and forced to make their new home livable it required considerable readjustment. During the first few days of internment, they had the new experience of having to perform menial tasks before the eyes of Chinese coolies, who reclined under trees and watched their humiliation with great glee."


"A committee of nine selected by the internees took care of what self-government was permitted and of all negotiations with the Japanese authorities. They organized schools, set up kitchens, saw that the hospital was staffed, appointed fire tenders and organized games and dances. An orchestra was formed by an American Negro musician, who had come to China to play with a jazz band, a couple of Hawaiians and a few amateurs. They played a conglomeration of early vintage jazz tunes such as “Sweet Sue,” “Honeysuckle Rose,” “Red Sails in the Sunset,” and, after the liberation, “Happy Days Are Here Again.” Every able-bodied person was assigned some duty according to his special abilities. General welfare of the camp was gradually improved, and soon even shower rooms were constructed."


"The women, many of whom had never cooked and sewed before, showed considerable skill. The problem of making clothing last was one of their difficult tasks and they accomplished it amazingly well. One woman was a gifted interior decorator, and she and her husband made their small cubicle on of the wonders of the camp."


"The prisoners were not subject to beating, but infants and old people endured needless discomfort. Daily assemblies were enforced, and people made to stand in formations while they were counted. Bad weather and lack of adequate clothing made this a great hardship. Giving babies as well as adults nearing their ninetieth year a poor diet of rice gruel, turnips and bread, but almost entirely lacking in meat, eggs and dairy products, was unnecessarily inhumane. Located in a fertile and rich part of the Shantung peninsula, the camp could easily have been supplied with more and better food. By an “over-the-wall” black market the internees were able to augment their diet. Those who lacked cash to deal with the Chinese outside sold wedding rings and other personal treasures to individual Japanese guards for a fraction of their value. This black market was organized and run by a Catholic priest internee whose membership in the Trappist Order had prevented his speaking a word during the twenty-five years prior to his imprisonment. His efficiency and volubility were admired by fellow internees."


"Some of the people felt it important to buy black market whiskey as well as food. The ever-resourceful Chinese peasants supplied this demand with “bai gar” (white lightning), a horribly potent drink resembling vodka, but made from millet. If no other beverage is available, it might be recommended, but not very highly."



* My thanks to Kim Smith for providing both the art and article for this week's topic. Our story continues tomorrow.

William A. Smith: Inside Weihsien Prison Camp

With Remembrance Day (Veterans Day in the U.S.) almost upon us, I thought this week's topic should be one that reminds us of the suffering endured and sacrifices made by people everywhere in times of war.

Thanks to Kim Smith, daughter of the late William A. Smith, we are fortunate to have this first-hand account of the artist's experiences inside the walls of Weihsien Prison, a P.O.W. camp run by the Japanese in Shantung Province, China during W.W.II.


Smith was serving with the OSS in China when he was assigned this special mission and spent a month with the internees. He both wrote and illustrated the following article for the July 1946 issue of Asia and the Americas magazine, employing sketches and paintings he did during that time. His story begins below...


"The former Presbyterian Mission at Weihsien, in Shantung Province, China, was converted by the Japanese into a prison for fifteen hundred civilians, who were held there for two and a half years."


"On August 17, 1945, a seven-man OSS team commanded by Major Stanley Steiger parachuted from a B-24 flying about four hundred and fifty feet above the internment center. This was one of a number of missions, which included those resulting in the release of General Wainwright at Mukden and the Doolittle fliers who had been held at Peiping. The OSS men landed uncomfortably in a field just outside the electrified barbed-wire entanglement surrounding the compound wall. Taking up defensive positions until they could judge their reception by the Japanese, they were startled and momentarily confused by an unexpected piece of luck. The internees, overwhelmed and hysterical with joy at seeing the men drop from a plane with the American flag painted on the underside of its wing, defied the armed Japanese sentries and burst through the gates to greet their liberators. The confusion caused by these people, who hadn’t been outside the prison walls in two and a half years, so distracted the sentries that no attempt was made to take action against the Americans who had jumped in."


"All returned within the prison walls, happily bearing the Americans on their shoulders. The psychological advantage thus achieved was a valuable precedent for later positive demands that the Major mad upon the Japanese. Inside the gates conferences were held which resulted in the surrender of the camp. One of the conditions of the surrender was that the Japanese should continue to furnish sentries to guard the camp against any possible outside danger."


"The next day Major Steiger arrived at the airport to meet a supply plane and found two hundred Jap soldiers in battle positions around the field. The Americans signaled the plane to return to Hsian without landing and the Major immediately demanded an explanation from the Japanese authorities. The ensuing stormy session was a great victory for the twenty-seven-year-old American Major. After this incident the Japanese became docile and extremely cooperative."


"Several days later I was flown in on a special mission for Col. Richard Heppner, commander of all OSS operations in China."

* My thanks to Kim Smith for providing both the art and article for this week's topic. Our story continues tomorrow.

Other Blogs: Jeffrey Meyer's Goofbutton

At the end of artist Jeffrey Meyer's website, Goofbutton.com, is a section called "Etc." which Jeffrey describes thus:

"This area will function as (shudder) a sort of blog (groan)... I'll try to bring to your attention the work of artists I find interesting, images that amuse or puzzle me and, well... etc."


And bring to our attention he does! Jeffrey goes to great lengths to scan and upload long runs of rare and obscure artwork by the likes of Al Capp, Leon Gregori, Eldon Dedini and - oh my gosh - so many others!

Along the way he digs up whatever biographical info he can on the artist. It almost reminds me of some other blog I visit every day. Hhmmm...


Most recently, Jeffrey posted a huge batch of drawings by Eric Gurney (above), from the book "How To Live with a Calculating Cat".

"Normally I find illustrations I'd like to post... and they end up sitting in a huge pile for about six months," writes Jeffrey. But when he does post those drawings - wow - watch out!

Go right now to Goofbutton.com and enjoy the benefit of Jeffrey's generosity (and click on his "Archives" sidebar to see lists of past "Etc." subjects you can view).

Other Blogs: Harry Borgman

Harry Borgman, who began his career in Detroit in the late 1940's, was the subject of a week of posts on Today's Inspiration in October of 2007. Since that time, Harry and I have continued corresponding. Often, he'd express his keen interest in starting a blog of his own. Well now he has - and its an eclectic mix of the old and the new, because even at age 80, Harry's still going strong!


In fact, aside from Harry's many ongoing artistic endeavors, he's started not one, but two blogs!

You'll see more of Harry's classic illustrations at Harry Borgman Art and you'll find examples of Harry's "digital experiments, photomontages and fun stuff" at Hairy Blogman.

Bookmark them both and visit often. Harry posts new material on a very frequent basis.

Other Blogs: Charlie Allen

I'm thrilled that Charlie Allen, who's career was first featured here on Today's Inspiration, has his own little spot on the Net to share his thoughts and artwork with you.

Each week Charlie dips into his files and brings out a stunning selection of rare goodies from the various stages of his career. Its a great opportunity to see not only some top-notch professional mid-century illustration, but more specifically, the kind of illustration that was being done on the West Coast - and there was a distinction.


If you're not already visiting Charlie each week, you're missing some great stuff. Go to Charlie Allen's Blog right now... then plan to drop by each Tuesday, when Charlie usually presents a new post!

Other Blogs: Enoch Bolles

This week I'm taking a break from posting material from my own collection to direct your attention to some other great classic illustration blogs. First up is a new blog by an old friend, Jack Raglin.

Jack had been sharing his passion for the work of Enoch Bolles with us on Flickr -- but that came to a sudden stop one day: Jack explains...


"The Flickr site seemed a great platform. My goal was to create an Enoch Bolles appreciation site that would showcase both classic and unusual examples of his art as well as pass along information about Bolles that even long-time fans would find interesting. It ended up being a big success, maybe a bit too successful in retrospect. In a little over a year the site had more than 40,000 visits and got linked to several popular blogs and web-sites. Aside from the gratification of enlarging and building on Bolles' reputation as an illustrator beyond just pinup, I had a lot of fun checking out other groups and posting comments."


"But all that was gone the day Flickr shut down my site. Without any warning they wiped out every trace I was ever on flickr, not only my own images, folders and networks but all my posts to other Flickr sites. The official word, which came a week later after repeated inquiries, was that the material I uploaded wasn't my own. Yes, but this is true for tens of thousands of posts on Flickr of vintage art, advertising and all sorts of printed ephemera. So who can say why I was targeted. Perhaps it was because the site had a fair amount of activity and caught the attention of a bored or overzealous administrator. Maybe somebody complained. But I've finally regained my lost momentum and now the new Bolles site is up and running!"


Regarding the images you see here today, Jack writes, "The reason why I chose them is to show Bolles in a different light, as I would imagine most people who know the name are familiar with his pinup art (and you've already got great examples from Film Fun and other similar mags). The mayo ad has a lot of charm and it includes some of the signature touches that are unique to Bolles. The other ad is not so much a favorite as an example of Bolles' professionalism at work. Just think of how daunting the instructions for this assignment were: your job is to create an attractive ad depicting pickles, margarine, relish and mayo in a single illustration oh, give it a Christmas theme. Talk about Mission Impossible, but Bolles knocked himself out doing it. There's a lot going on in this but just the attention he gave to the details in the tablecloth (which intensify the composition) amazes me... and couldn't help but add one of my favorite [Bolles magazine covers] from the 1920's."

* Be sure to visit Jack's new Enoch Bolles blog today - and for future reference, the link has been added to my sidebar.

Willard Mullin's Advertising Art

When Norman Kent interviewed Willard Mullin for the Summer 1957 issue of American Artist magazine, he asked if some sports are easier to cartoon than others.

"Yes," responded Mullin. "Take boxing... that's a natural; its full of action and, as such, practically draws itself."


"This is true of baseball, hockey, basketball, and football."


"Rowing, auto and harness racing are more difficult."


Mind you, looking at the auto-related ads Mullin drew (below), its clear he had no trouble investing even the most rigid and mechanical of objects with that special Willard Mullin sense of plasticity and motion.


Kent describes Mullin as having done "the occasional advertising drawing" and its true that he did not seem to have produced the volume of ad work some other 50's cartoonists did. Thanks to Pau Medrano, of Barcelona, Spain, who contributed the Fisk Tire ad above and the Shell Oil ads below, we have more than just my small collection of Pal Injector Blades ads to enjoy today.


Pau, who who has been researching American historical tire advertising for his Master's Degree in Graphic Design, writes:

"Did you know that Mullin is included into my Thesis? Yes! He illustrate a few ads for Fisk Tires in the “Fisk Facts” 1950 campaign. Another nice coincidence.

The art of Mullin always reminded me in the master Jay Norwood “Ding” Darling (who, as a secret discovery in my Thesis, illustrated extenses campaigns in 1916 for Michelin Tires drawing an amazing Michelin-man).

Mullin was also very active on advertising (my field of interest), as you can see in the attached images. I’m interested if someone has more information about the campaign for Fisk Tires, also if someone has other different Fisk ads images from the same campaign.

Also if you or other of your contributors have more advertising commercial art by Mullin."


My thanks to Pau for contributing his scans and information! If anyone reading this post can help Pau with his research, you can contact me and I'll forward any info to him.

* My Willard Mullin Flickr set.

* Also, Harry Borgman has begun a second blog! Drop by Hairy Blogman to see what else harry Borgman's been up to lately.