Walter DuBois Richards' 22nd Stamp: Massachusetts State House In Boston

     For personal reasons, The State House in Boston is one of my favorite buildings that Walter DuBois Richards had decided to profile for his American Architecture Series.  It was completed 1798 and designed by the father of Federalist architecture, Charles Bulfinch.  He was also a principal architect of the Capital Building in Washington, D.C.  It's interesting that Wally decided to portray the pre-WWI State House design, excluding the two white wings that are now part of the modern State House.     

     The first day of Issue was launched in Kansas City, Missouri, of all places, on June 4, 1979.  Each stamp in the block of four stamps sold for $.15.  Wally had just completed his 20th thru 23rd stamps at the young age of 72.  His foray into producing a small mountain of 36 stamps in 15 years (when you exclude the Post Card in 1987, his 37th 'stamp') seemed an appropriate way to finish his rather illustrious career as an American artist.  

     It was nice of him to send me this first day of issue stamp with a short note, considering I was just 26 months old.  I am glad he did and fortunately it has survived the years, and now I may give it to my children when they're ready.  Someday they may get a kick out of it, or perhaps collect stamps themselves. 

Thanks Grandpa! 

Complete Stamp Index: 37 Stamps

1.  Frederick Douglass $.25 Prominent Americans Series Issued February 14th, 1967 Scott #1290

2.  Plant for more Beautiful Cities $.06 Beautification of America Series Issued January 16th, 1969 Scott #1365

3.  Plant for more Beautiful Parks $.06 Beautification of America Series Issued January 16th, 1969 Scott #1366

4.  Plant for more Beautiful Highways $.06 Beautification of America Series Issued January 16th, 1969 Scott #1367

5.  Plant for more Beautiful Streets $.06 Beautification of America Series Issued January 16th, 1969 Scott #1368

6.  American Bald Eagle $.06 Natural History Series Issued May 6th, 1970 Scott #1387

7.  Save Our Soil $.06 Anti-Pollution Series Issued October 28th, 1970 Scott #1410

8.  Save Our Cities $.06 Anti-Pollution Series Issued October 28th, 1970 Scott #1411

9.  Save Our Water $.06 Anti-Pollution Series Issued October 28th, 1970 Scott #1412

10.  Save Our Air $.06 Anti-Pollution Series Issued October 28th, 1970 Scott #1413

11.  Cape Hatteras Seashore - Upper Left $.02 National Parks Centennial Series Issued April 5th, 1972 Scott #1448

12.  Cape Hatteras Seashore - Upper Right $.02 National Parks Centennial Series Issued April 5th, 1972 Scott #1449

13.  Cape Hatteras Seashore - Lower Left $.02 National Parks Centennial Series Issued April 5th, 1972 Scott #1450

14.  Cape Hatteras Seashore - Lower Right $.02 National Parks Centennial Series Issued April 5th, 1972 Scott #1451

15.  Paul Laurance Dunbar $.10 Issued May 1st, 1975 Scott #1554

16.  Giant Sequoia Sequoiadendron giganteum $.15 Tree Series Issued October 9th, 1978 Scott #1764

17.  White Pine Pinus strobus $.15 Tree Series Issued October 9th, 1978 Scott #1765

18.  White Oak Quercus alba $.15 Tree Series Issued October 9th, 1978 Scott #1766

19.  Gray Birch Betuia populifolis $.15 Tree Series Issued October 9th, 1978 Scott #1767

20.  Jefferson 1743 - 1826 Virginia Rotunda $.15 American Architecture Series Issued June 4th, 1979 Scott #1779

21.  Latrobe 1764 - 1820 Baltimore Cathedral $.15 American Architecture Series Issued June 4th, 1979 Scott #1780


22.  Bulfinch 1763 - 1844 Boston State House $.15 American Architecture Series Issued June 4th, 1979 Scott #1781

23.  Strictland 1788 - 1854 Philadelphia Exchange $.15 American Architecture Series Issued June 4th, 1979 Scott #1782

24.  Renwick 1818 - 1895 Smithsonian Washington $.15 American Architecture Series Issued October 9th, 1980 Scott #1838

25.  Richardson 1838 - 1886 Trinity Church Boston $.15 American Architecture Series Issued October 9th, 1980 Scott #1839

26.  Furness 1839 - 1912 Penn Academy Philadelphia $.15 American Architecture Series Issued October 9th, 1980 Scott #1840

27.  AJ Davis 1803 - 1892 Lyndhurst Tarrytown, NY $.15 American Architecture Series Issued October 9th, 1980 Scott #1841

28.  Stanford White 1853 - 1906 NYU Library New York $.18 American Architecture Series Issued August 28th, 1981 Scott #1928

29.  Richard Morris Hunt 1828 - 1895 Biltmore Asheville, NC $.18 American Architecture Series Issued August 28th, 1981 Scott #1929

30.  Bernard Maybeck 1862 - 1957 Palace of Arts San Francisco $.18 American Architecture Series Issued August 28th, 1981 Scott  #1930

31.  Louis Sullivan 1856 - 1924 Farmers' Bank Owatonna Minn $.18 American Architecture Series Issued August 28th, 1981 Scott #1931

32.  James Hoban White House Architect
     32a.  Eire (Ireland) .18 $ Issued in Ireland September 29th, 1981 No Scott #
     32b.  USA $.18 Issued October 18, 1981 Scott #1935
     32c.  USA $.20 Issued October 18, 1981 Scott #1936

33.  Frank Lloyd Wright 1867 - 1959 Fallingwater Mill Run, PA $.20 American Architecture Series Issued September 30, 1982 Scott #2019

34.  Mies van der Rohe 1886 - 1969 Illinois Inst Tech Chicago $.20 American Architecture Series Issued September 30, 1982 Scott #2020

35.  Walter Gropius 1883 - 1969 Gropius House Lincoln, Ma $.20 American Architecture Series Issued September 30, 1982 Scott #2021

36.  Eero Saarinen 1910 - 1962 Dulles Airport Washington, D.C. $.20 American Architecture Series Issued September 30, 1982 Scott #2022

37.  Timberline Lodge Mt. Hood, Oregon - Postal Card or Post Card $.14 Issued September 28, 1987 Scott #UX119

'Owl' by William Service with drawings by Walter Richards

   
     Throughout his career, Wally used Animals for subjects in his fine art and illustrations.   Popular choices included cats, dogs, bears, birds of all kinds, dear, fish; and much more.  You name it, chances are, he drew it.  In this case he made several drawings of an owl for the book 'Owl' written by William Service.   The (very short) novel was published in 1969, and its charm reminds me of Gavin Maxwell's autobiographical novel about his relationship with an adopted Iraqi-born Sea Otter in 'Ring Of Bright Water.'   

     These illustrations are fantastic examples of the enthusiasm Walter DuBois Richards had for drawing wildlife, even if that wildlife was in the form of a pet, such is the case in Owl.  

Boys' Life Magazine, June 1965: "The Image"

     Many of Walter DuBois Richards' illustrations were composed in black and white, like the one below.  This may be a lithograph, or at least drawn in lithographic crayon.  However, it is probably done in pen and ink or even pencil.    
     In this illustration, Wally does a good job finding the essence of the harrowing experience of the hunter that this short story is based on: escaping a forest fire.  

Boys' Life, June 1965.  Story "The Image" by A.B. Guthrie Jr.  

     The story seems rather fanciful.  A hunter in Lolo Forest outside Missoula, Montana finds himself running from a raging forest fire, only to discover he is being followed by a trail of wildlife; a grizzly, a bull elk, two black bears, a mule deer, a snowshoe rabbit, and two fool hens.  
     Whether or not it is true, the short story is entertaining enough to keep the reader reading on.  Written by A.B. Guthrie Jr..  

A Great Source For WWII Posters by Michael E. Moss

     Michael E. Moss was the curator at the prestigious West Point Museum in the 1970s and published this short but fascinating anthology of World War II Posters.  The title is "Posters For Victory: The American Home Front and World War II, Posters From The West Point Museum."  In it he includes brief essays about the various subjects and intentions of the posters that were published in the United States during the war.  On a select few he includes colorful commentary and thoughts.  Although the posters are all printed in black and white, it offers insight on Wally's work I haven't found anywhere else, making it an invaluable source.  


     Walter DuBois Richards made at least two posters during World War II that I know of.     

     This exciting poster showcases an Army artillery unit in action and was "one of the more popular and well designed posters [of WWII]" according to Moss.  Published by the Office Of War Information in 1943, "Housewives... Save Waste Fats For Explosives" is both entertaining and informational.  Click here for the color version of this poster. 
   
     In Framingham, Massachusetts there exists one of the greatest private collections of WWII artifacts in the World.  Called Museum Of World War II, you must be over 18 years of age (they will make exceptions) and must obtain special permission just to access its halls.  In it you will find a bronze bust of Hitler that General Patton owned and trained his dog to urinate on.  The stains can clearly be seen streaking down Hitler's forehead.  
     Like the vast majority of the artifacts in the Museum, the bust is not behind an acrylic pane, instead it is on an eye level pedestal, and the visitor is free to get as close as he/she comfortably wants to.  The Museum is built on trust and the assumption that the visitors will be respectful and careful.  Which explains why no High - School field trip is allowed in.  
     There is an actual Sherman tank that still has sand from the African Desert in its metal crevasses and joints.  (Notice the various guns you can pick up and inspect.)  Just about every country that participated in the Great War is represented with separate rooms dedicated to propaganda, weaponry, correspondence, for each country.  It is a truly breath-taking collection.   
     It was at this museum I first saw this poster, "They've got more important places to go than you!... Save Rubber, Check Your Tires Now."  

     What a thrill it was to see it in such a remarkable and prestigious collection.  The poster was published by the Office Of Emergency Management, date unknown. 
     For a color version of this poster, click here. 

A personal note from the Author of "Posters For Victory"

"Tin Fish... from the sky!" A 1943 Illustration for Pontiac.

     One way I've discovered previously unknown illustrations my Grandfather produced has been by looking over scanned pages of Life Magazine on Google Docs.  It is quite impressive; Google has uploaded virtually every page of every Life Magazine, published by-weekly, since at least the late-1930s (where I started looking).  
     It's a tedious process, requiring a careful examination of each page with an illustration, and by the 1940s, at least half of all advertisements were still drawn (not photographed).   
     This was the first illustration I found by Walter DuBois Richards.  It appeared May 3, 1943 on page 78.  At the time, Wally was an illustrator at the Charles E. Cooper Studio in New York City.

     What a thrill, I had no idea he made such exciting war-time illustrations.  


     At first glance, the focus here seems to be the United States Navy's Torpedo Bomber, the Grumman TBF-1 Avenger, attacking what appears to be a Japanese Aircraft Carrier in the South Pacific.  The carrier looks similar to the Akagi, but in it's pre-WWII deck configuration. By 1939, Akagi had one long deck that extended from the bow to the stern.  
     In fact, this illustration is a short action piece illustrating the torpedo specifically.  According to this write-up, they were mass produced by Pontiac, a division of General Motors, throughout World War II.

     The aerial weapon illustrated here was probably a Bliss - Leavitt Mark 13 torpedo, the torpedo of choice for the Navy Avenger.     

Click to see larger version.

  

Hopefully, if I've designed this blog correctly, you should be able to click on any of the images in this blog to view them in a larger size on Flickr.  I've included the dialog from the illustration here so that you can click on it and read a larger, clearer version of it.  If I become more ambitious, I'll add the dialog from the illustration to the blog itself, since it is an entertaining mini-action story of the illustration Wally made.  

LifeGuard Safety Tubes - A Goodyear Tire Commercial from 1947

      Over a several year period following WWII, Wally did a series of advertisements for Goodyear's product, the LifeGuard Safety Tube.  This one appeared in the Saturday Evening Post in November of 1947.  According to this startling advertisement, the LifeGuard Safety Tube could save your life should you blow out a tire driving along a narrow cliff-ridged icy road in Minnesota.  Considering safety standards in your average car in the 1940s, I should think even at 25 mph a tire blowout could have more serious consequences than today, no matter what the scenario.  After a (very) brief online search, it appears that Goodyear first introduced this extra-tube-in-a-tire in 1934 and it evolved into a variety of products over the next half-century.

     Wally made several of these commercials featuring these 'BANG' scenarios, but I found this one a bit amusing.  Can somebody explain why these hunters are using a red sedan with no rack for a hunting trip?  

The 1955 Ford Fairlane Sunliner, Custom Ranch Wagon and Fairlane Victoria

   My father and I have come across literally hundreds of magazine clippings that either Wally or his wife, Glenny had saved for posterity.  In some cases my father had scribbled down information on accompanying yellow sticky-notes offering up interesting insights about that particular illustration.  Turns out Walter was a work horse within his industry, publishing sometimes a dozen illustrations in a month, year round, for decades.  

Walter DuBois Richards did quite a bit of work for many classic automobile manufacturers over the years: Packard, Mercury, Cadillac and Ford, to name a few.

Several 55 Fords are illustrated in this one page commercial, the red Custom Ranch Wagon in the background, the stunning yellow and black Fairlane Sunliner with the pretty Blondie in front, and the Fairlane Victoria below.  

   The yellow note explains that Glenora had saved this particular Ford commercial because she had helped Wally mix the colors for it (and did this often for Wally's illustrations.)  This could sound surprising, until you learn that Glenora Case Richards was a celebrated artist herself, who made a name for herself in Miniature art, and also produced some commercial art.

Walter DuBois Richards: Commercial Illustrator, Artist

Walter DuBois Richards in the prime of his
career, circa 1940s.

      This Blog is intended simply to describe the lifelong career of my grandfather, Walter DuBois Richards.  It is a journey to discover and record his accomplishments as a Commercial Artist.  Throughout his nearly century-long life and the seven decades his career expanded, he was affectionately known as Wally.  His first published works as an Illustrator can be traced back as early as the mid 1920's in Rocky River, Ohio, when he wasn't yet 20 years of age.  They were something akin to doodles throughout the pages of his High School Senior Yearbook.  As far as I know, his last published work as an artist was in 1987 for a Historic Preservation stamp of Timberline Lodge in Mt. Hood, Oregon.



Wally at work in New York City probably at the Charles E. Cooper Studio.
Circa 1930s.

     Thanks for visiting my blog.  Any questions please contact me at atrakadrew@gmail.com . 


Wally in his element.