Pin-up drawings by William Fitzgerald 1930 - 1950 Collection Jim Linderman
Michigan had several clay sewer tile factories, and like the others (particularly in Ohio) their workers would take unused clay at the end of the day and make whimsical pieces of pottery for friends. This sewer tile head (with a pile of tiles stacked ready for transport in the Real Photo Postcard) is signed on the base Curtis Rugge who was a pretty good sculptor. See also the essay by Marsha MacDowell and Kurt Dewhurst from 1980 titled The Sewer Tile Clay Pottery of Grand Ledge, Michigan. Interestingly, they point out that Michigan drew employees from Ohio to work for them...a small rivalry, but likely also an exchange of skills and ideas for pieces like this.
Grand Ledge folk art Sewer Tile Head and Real Photo Postcard collection Jim Linderman
The Monument of the States contained a rock from every state in the union (at the time...two of our states with the most rocks were not eligible yet) collected after Pearl Harbor. The originator of the project was Dr. Charles Bressler-Pettis. Charles did not go get the rocks. He wrote all the governors and had them send one down to Florida! It still stands! See a contributor revisit his rock below!
Cam of the Future cover illustration by Van Dongen 1957 Astounding Science Fiction (British Edition)
A superstitious folk art carving.
Antique American Folk Art Carving Sculpture Man in Chair Black Cat Jumps Over the Moon
Circa 1900 Collection Jim Linderman
Antique Folk Art Statue of Liberty Trade Figure from the turn of the century. The massive sculpture on Liberty Island in Manhattan was installed in 1886. Soon after this 34 inch folk art carving was created. Note construction on the base...several blocks of wood were combined to form a block, and shrinkage of the center piece has been filled at some time with putty or plaster. Found in Pennsylvania.
A tip of the torch to Curley's Antiques who helped in obtaining this work.
Statue of Liberty Folk Art Sculpture Collection Jim Linderman
Pen-pricked tracings have been used by quilters and embroidery creators for decades, though the art has pretty much died out. It allows designs to be copied. Above, a parlor game with someone using what could have been THE EDISON ELECTRIC PEN AND DUPLICATING MACHINE creates "Hand of prominent politician" which was apparently rubbed with orange chalk to create a stencil.
See the links HERE and HERE for more information
One from a set of seven original pieces Collection Jim Linderman. See also ECCENTRIC FOLK ART DRAWINGS OF THE 19TH AND 20TH CENTURIES. Available in paperback and affordable ebook HERE.
The artist from Michigan had a demented view of Florida, but he shared them in a trio of letters to a pair of snowbirds wintering down south.
Trio of racist hand drawn postal envelopes sent from Michigan to Florida 1949
Collection Jim Linderman
Champion Whittler C. A. Huges Wooden Figure and Uncle Sam Folk Art
Original press photograph edited by hand before publication 1927 Arkansas
Collection Jim Linderman
