Author: Caitlin McGurk (page 116 of 158)

Found in the Collection: Dan Smith’s Holiday Herald Covers

There are few things more breathtaking in the turn-of-the-century issues of The New York Herald than the color covers by Dan Smith. In the thick of the holiday season, we’re happy to highlight some of his warm and wondrously illustrated scenes from over 100 years ago, at a time when newspaper covers could look like this:

SantaClausDaughter

Dan Smith for The New York Herald, tearsheet from The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

Many of Smith’s covers from this time period included juxtaposed photos. Below, an especially lovely piece with shots of Manhattan’s Central Park and Van Cortland Park in the Bronx.

VanCortlandPark

Dan Smith for The New York Herald, tearsheet from The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

ChristmasHerald

Dan Smith for The New York Herald, tearsheet from The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

JestersTale

Dan Smith for The New York Herald, tearsheet from The San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum

Happy Holidays from the Cartoon Library!

Stay tuned next week for a vision of the future from Arthur Radebaugh, as the New Year steadily approaches.

Found in the Collection: “Small Potatoes” by Mary G. Jones

Today we’re highlighting one true enigma of the 1903 newspaper pages- Small Potatoes by Mary G. Jones. Yes indeed, one of the very earliest known female newspaper strip cartoonists, of whom we humbly admit to having absolutely no information on. With such a common name, ancestry databases turn up no revealing information about her life.

Mary G. Jones’ “Small Potatoes”, 1903. From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Jones’ adorably bizarre Small Potatoes ran through the New York Herald syndicate, from July 19th through September 6th in 1903.

Mary G. Jones’ “Small Potatoes”, 1903. From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

We give Mary G. Jones imagination plenty of credit, even if the verses of the potato people storylines leave something to be desired. We are especially fond of her potato puppies.

Mary G. Jones’ “Small Potatoes”, 1903. From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Mary G. Jones’ “Small Potatoes”, 1903. From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

Mary G. Jones’ “Small Potatoes”, 1903. From the San Francisco Academy of Comic Art Collection, The Ohio State University Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum (click to enlarge)

If anyone has any information about Mary G. Jones, we would love for you to share it!

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