Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 23:07:23 CDT Sender: COMICS Discussion List <[COMICS L] at [UNLVM.UNL.EDU]> Subject: Volume 3 Issue 45 Part 12 November 14, 1993 The Comics List Weekly Vol. 3 No. 45 Pt. 12 Library of Congress : LOC acquires the Sturman Collection +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 16:11:47 -0600 (CST) From: Torsten Wesley Adair <[t--s--n] at [cwis.unomaha.edu]> Subject: Cartoon Art : The Sturman Collection Library of Congress Information Bulletin Vol. 52, No. 14 July 12, 1993 pp. 282 - 285 (inside front cover) On the Cover: A panel from "Secret Agent X-9" (Nov. 2, 1935), conceived and drawn by Alex Raymond and written for a time by Dasheill Hammett. Reprinted by permission: King Features Syndicate. From the Sturman Collection in the Prints and Photographs Division" Cover Story: The Library recently acquired the Sturman Collection of graphic art that spans the development of the American cartoon strip from 1900 to 1960. p.282 [Rube Goldberg drawing] p.283 [Brenda Starr drawing] Detail from "How to Crack a Walnut" (Aug. 21, 1950) by Rube Goldberg, featuring Joe Louis. Reprinted by permission: King Features Syndicate. The infamous "Brenda Starr" (Aug. 13, 1965) by Dale Messick. Reprinted by permission: Tribune Media Services. From the Sturman Collection in the Prints and Photographs Division p.284 [Dick Tracy drawing] [Dream of the Rarebit Fiend drawing] "Dick Tracy" (Apr. 23, 1966) by Chester Gould. Reprinted by permission: Tribune Media Services. "Dream of the Rarebit Fiend" (1907) by Winsor McCay. From the Sturman Collection in the Prints and Photographs Division p.285 [Krazy Kat drawing] "Krazy Kat" (1917) by George Herriman. From the Sturman Collection in the Prints and Photographs Division Comic Relief: Sturman Collection of Cartoon Art Acquired by the Library by Craig D'Ooge Following is another in an occasional series on the Library's new acquisitions or newly available collections. A number of familiar faces recently appeared in the Prints and Photographs Reading Room: one guy has a chiseled nose; another swings from vines. A bunch of animals accompany these folks, mostly cats, dogs and mice, including one mouse with a compulsive habit of throwing a brick at a cat. The faces are familiar but the names are peculiar: "Moon Maid," "Jiggs," "Nemo" and "Ignatz," for example. These and many other unique characters are now safely tucked away into file drawers, awaiting the opportunity to spring out with a message for future generations. It's a message about the history of American chuckling, among other things. All these characters came to the Library in the form of original cartoon art from the Sturman Collection, which was recently acquired by the Prints and Photographs Division. The collection was widely regarded as one of the finest collections of original cartoon art in private hands, according to curator Harry Katz. The 264 drawings in ink, pencil and watercolor are the result of one Las Vegas businessman's taste for graphic expression, a taste that runs the gamut from Abstract Expressionism to old European masters. "Collecting is a disease, a healthy wonderful disease. It is a diversion from the pressures of everyday life," George L. Sturman wrote when his collection was exhibited in 1990. One man's diversion is another man's treasure, as Harry Katz realized when he traveled to Mr. Sturman's home last summer to view the collection. "Sturman acquired this collection over a period of about 30 years, beginning in the early 1960s," Mr. Katz said. "Some came from other collectors and some were given to Mr. Sturman by the artists." Dedications to Mr. Sturman written by the artists in the margins in a number of the works attest to his personal relationship with the creators. "The collection complements and enhances the Library's already outstanding holdings of cartoon art, now in the Swann Collection," Mr. Katz said. "The drawings span the development of the American cartoon strip, from the `Yellow Kid' of 1900 to R. Crumb in the `60s." According to Mr. Katz, when combined with the thousands of strips already housed in the Prints and Photographs Division, the addition of the Sturman Collection gives the Library probably the single most comprehensive and diverse collection of original American cartoon art anywhere. Most of the masters of the genre are represented, including Winsor McCay ("Little Nemo"), George Herriman ("Krazy Kat"), Al Capp ("Li'l Abner"), Rube Goldberg, Milton Caniff ("Terry and the Pirates"), Harold Gray ("Little Orphan Annie") and Burne Hogarth ("Tarzan"). Judith O'Sullivan, author of The Great American Comic Strip, called the collection "a veritable `who's who' in graphic art." The collection even includes work by Grace G. Drayton, one of the first women to enjoy success as a comic-strip artist and illustrator with her strip "Dimples" (1915). "Mr. Sturman made us a very generous offer," Katz said. "Cartoon art is a very hot commodity in the market place. He easily could have disposed of this collection for a sum far beyond what we paid for it." Fifty-five of the drawings were donated, while the remainder were purchased with support from the Swann Fund, a private endowment that supports the development of the Library's cartoon collections. The gift included some of the most highly sought-after pieces, including three drawings by Winsor McCay and four by George Herriman that had a combined appraisal value alone in excess of $50,000. The cost of comic art, it would seem, is no laughing matter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Part 12, end of Issue 45. Issue 46 will begin Tuesday evening, message traffic permitting. Have a great week!