Munson Walt (10 results)

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. The place just doesn't have the same air about it, somehow. A linen postcard of the 1940s or thereabouts, never mailed or messaged and in excellent shape.

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. The illustration speaks formitself.and loudly. Mailed in 1940 from Old orchard beach, a nearly invisible crease across the front from Baby's elbow to knee, else very nice.

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. Great face, great shoes, and TWO baby jokes for the price of one. A card of the 1940s or thereabouts, never mailed or messaged and in nice shape, bar two tiny stains on message side.

No Binding. Condition: Near Fine. It's straight logic, is what it is. A linen postcard of the 1940s or thereabouts; never mailed, though someone started to address it and giot no farther than the name. Else Fine.

No Binding. Condition: Near Fine. Ah, the jolly tavern with its jolly big (look at those stomachs) shots. A linen postcard of the 1940s or thereabouts, never mailed and in very nice shape.

No Binding. Condition: Very Good. I assume this infant is cupping water between his hands and spurting it out between them but, hey, your mind is your own. A postcard of the 1940s or thereabouts, never mailed and in excellent shape.

No Binding. Condition: Near Fine. Why, just this morning, he was making the beds. A linen postcard of the 1940s or thereabouts, never mailed and in very nice shape.

No Binding. Condition: Near Fine. The kids are individuals, with their individual worlds taking up space in the camper; the guest doesn't seem thrilled by the invitation. Linen postcard of the 1940s or thereabouts, excellent condition.

No Binding. Condition: Fine. The climate appears to be doing her a lot of good. Linen postcard, never mailed and in excellent shape.

Unbound. Condition: Very Good. A collection of early artwork by Connecticut cartoonist Walt Munson. The collection includes a 1917 sketch book bound by hand with string, an unbound sketch from 1914, a card, and a sheet of proofs for the Ledger Syndicate. Also included is a 1932 copy of the Ledger Syndicate Catalog that has a photo of Munson, short bio, and comments on his work. Walt Munson (Walter Fredrick Munson) was born October 4, 1887, in Waterbury, Connecticut. He took to drawing at an early age, publishing his first cartoon in the *Waterbury Republican* as a seventh grader. The earliest piece in this collection was drawn not long after that when Munson was just 16 years old, it's an unbound pencil sketch of a blacksmith working in his shop Signed by Munson and dated April 17, 1914. The sketch shows the young artist experimenting with shading and depth-of-field, and despite its flaws it demonstrates that the burgeoning artist had promise. The sketch book, which measures approximately 6" x 8½" and consists of 55 pages illustrated in ink and pencil, is dated 1917 with the earliest noted month being January and the latest being July; suggesting that many of these drawings were done during the eight months leading up to his enrollment in the Navy. Records indicate that Munson served two years, during which he became the Art Editor for the publication *Our Navy*, presumably his first position as an artist. The drawings in the sketchbook show significant improvement over the blacksmith sketch, with masterful shading and line work, as well as displaying a deft hand at portraiture. Though many of the sketches employ the cartoonish style Munson would go on to use in his comics, only a handful of the drawings here have captions: One shows a mouse scurrying across the keys of a piano, with "Running the scales" written underneath. Another shows a clown lying in bed and thumbing his nose to a ringing alarm clock with the caption, "When the bell on the stand rings in vacation time." The sketchbook also shows full-length sketches of men and women (often in formal attire), clowns, a wonderful sketch of a speeding race car, and caricatures of African Americans that would be considered offensive today. Additionally, there are two explicitly political sketches: One is a small sketch of a woman holding a sign which reads, "Vote for women," the other is a large portrait of a heavyset mustachioed man in a cap drinking (what appears to be) a glass of wine, across from him is a small sketch of a man dressed like a bartender, but with a clown nose, and above his head is written, "Oh Germany why don't you set dear Ireland free?" The card, measuring 3¼" x 5½", is not dated and is the only real use of color in the collection (though one drawing in the sketchbook is colored purple). Illustrated in ink and colored with crayons or pastels, it shows a smiling woman with blond hair, blue eyeshadow, and rosy cheeks with the caption, "To Jack: Why the wolves 'Howell' aboard the U.S.S. Baltimore, Best Wishes, Walt Munson." Another inscription is written on the verso in pencil, "Jack - Hope this will do for the locker Walt Munson." The proofs are on a sheet measuring 11¾" x 21" and printed on the recto. It features six cartoons of Munson's comic series *Such is Life* (apparently also published under the title *Time to Crab*). The little information about Munson available online tends to characterize him as a "sports comic," and while he did make comics involving sports, this set of proofs shows that Munson also worked with everyday observations, such as a man with a full, bushy beard blaming the bald waiter for the hair in his soup; and a boy experiencing "the first day of the itchy heavy woolen winter underwear" and telling a nearby dog who is busy scratching their ear, "believe me I know how you feel." Written in holograph at the top is, "Proofs of my syndicate series handled by Ledger Syndicate, Philadelphia, PA." And while the proofs print which days in October each comic would run, it does not print the year. The Ledger Syndicate catalog prints three statements from publications who had worked with Munson. *The New Haven Register* said, "he has become almost a municipal institution, and there is no question but that he has a tremendous following among all classes of readers." *The Waterbury American* said that Munson's comic "is one of our most popular features. He wins by his constant flow of fresh ideas and homely humor." And *The Brooklyn Eagle* said, "Walter Munson has a definite brand of satiric humor free from vulgarity. I would not want to lose this feature." One page of the sketchbook has a tear and is only partially attached to the binding, and two pages have had portions cutout, the unbound sketch has some soiling, the sheet of proofs is folded (presumably as issued) with minor edgewear, and the catalog is lightly worn, overall very good. Though little known today, it's clear Munson was appreciated in his time and had a loyal following. This collection shows his early attempts at mastering proportion, lighting, depth, and facial expressions as he set the foundation for a lifetime of cartooning. A lovely collection of artwork deserving of further study.