[Artist's Collection of Drawings and Love Notes to his Sweetheart]

57 pieces of original art ranging from around 2" x 2" to 15" x 11" + 7 small scraps of typed notes, signed in hand. Very good: largest piece folded askew; several items with light edge wear; a few toned with the occasional spot. This is a charming collection of impressive cartoons, handmade cards and love notes made by one Robert C. Doell for his sweetheart (and then wife) Ione Brimacombe, both of New York. We learned from Ione's obituary that she long outlived her husband, who died in 1992. Born in 1918 in the Bronx, she worked in retail in New York City before marrying Robert (her high school sweetheart) in 1942. She "was a consummate homemaker" and lived to 105. This collection of Bob's art appears to begin in 1936, when the two were still in school. He wrote notes complaining about English class, and drew her a trophy for the couple's "Miniature Golf Championship." Doell joined the Navy during World War II and continued to send Ione his art during his service. There are big striking drawings on stationery for the U.S. Naval Air Station at Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn, and a page of "Big Moments" for the sailor that included his likeness at "That first pay day" and doing cartwheels with "Your first letter." The art here varies widely, and he was skilled in several styles - there are silhouettes of children reading, fishing and playing; quite well-done portrayals of animals, from cartoon to pointillism; and several collections of small black and white (or pink and red) faces with names like "Luke Warm Water," "Oscar Longbeek," "Gar Bageman," "O. Gee" and "Mrs. Fiddle Sticks." A few have a political or anti-war bent, there's a cartoon of a man skiing off a cliff ("Gorsh - Tis Life"), and handmade cards for Christmas and Valentine's Day. Seven typed notes on scraps, each signed in hand "Robert," deem Ione "The ideal girl that I thought could only exist in ones dreams" and "A girl blessed with ambition, intelegence and beauty, the top of the tops." A varied and impressive collection of art and cartoons, sent with humor and with love.…