On the Lighter Side.
On the Lighter Side.
For the youth and the youthful.
I didn’t get many assignments for children. Now that we are cooped-up in the house, I am trying to stay on the light side, which brings three assignments to mind.
1972 – 1973 Neo-Mull-Soy
This was fun! While working on this product for Klemptner Casey, I felt that the soy formula was a great product and I could design ducks. The design of the duck (and color choices) came to be as the tall carton with slanted type was being designed. The walking duck was at the bottom. An insert for the carton was this punch-out mobile with 2 of the ducks. As a gift for a child, I was asked to construct a 3‑D duck that could be punched out of one sheet of stiff paper – to be printed with yellow, orange, green and (for the duck’s eyes) black. I made the pattern and constructed the duck as samples at two sizes but this was never taken to the finished printed piece. The gift for the child became the little “plush toy” duck. I felt that a child would have more appreciation and learn constructing skills with my paper 3‑D Duck.
1980 to 1985 Cutter Biological
I still have seventeen copies of the publication, “ECHO” (Education and Communication for Hemophiliacs and Others) in which I was assigned the design and illustration of the center spread. All was accomplished with the basic line work and colored with markers. The two pages were titled, “Just For Fun” – directed to the children with hemophilia.
My assignments were from Ketchum Advertising / San Francisco Technology Unit. My involvement lasted from February 1980 to March 1985 – – with a gap in between.
At one period of time, I was not receiving the regular timed requests for my contribution. The last issue that I had submitted was for the May1982 issue. There had been no warning to me that the client had moved the publication to New York City, to be prepared by Gross Townsend Frank, Inc.! I found a June 1983 issue. Then, it wasn’t until May of 1984 that I was contacted to carry-on as previous for the June 1984 ECHO. My favorite challenge was again back on my drawing board until March 1985.
I was rewarded when a letter to “ECHO” was published. It was a thank-you from a parent in behalf of their child who enjoyed having “his own pages”.
1998 – 1999 Humongous Entertainment
Do you remember the early Netscape? Beginning in 1994, Netscape Navigator wasn’t the very first, but the earliest widely used browser. This was the only job I had to be found on Netscape at that time. Here is the art of series of ten ‘Mad-Libs” Weather Reports designed for Humongous Entertainment.
The art was a single background scene, of a front yard. All of the other illustrations had to fit onto this “stage”. You can see an overlay plan for ”Wind”. Then: SUN, RAIN, RAINING CATS & DOGS, RAINING HATS & HOGS, RAINING ICE CREAM CONES, RAINING SPAGHETTI, RAINING TOMATOES, SNOW, THUNDER & LIGHTNING, WIND.
As an example of the “Wacky Worldwide Weather Report”, it is played (A) by first making a list, typing in the words required. Then (B) by pressing a button that said: “Make Headlines!” and then Pajama Sam immediately wove your words into the story. You may notice the pixel background pattern that was showing on my computer as I took screen shots.
I’m hoping that all who see this are safe and healthy. Maybe this collection will bring a smile – – and from your other family members, too.
Ann Thompson
The Rest Of The Story
Three short reports — two resulting in tight friendships.
A Client — and much later — A Friend.
I recently received emails from Jill Perkins who told me about one of our industry’s un-sung heroes. John Perkins was there at Rapid Typographers. (Established in 1963. Rapid Typographers Co, Inc. provided type & graphic services to the local SF Ad Agencies, and Graphic Designers.)
John helped save many of us meet out morning presentations by staying late hours preparing type galleys and/or final copy type and headlines, ready for paste-up. (The follow-up is the friendship with a client – – long after the working years.)
This is Jill’s report:
John Perkins John was a part owner of Rapid Typography before it became Rapid, working with advertising agencies sending them proofs and disks and working with them for the benefit of their companies.
John was the plant manager and hands on worker, often working late at night to meet agency’s deadlines. John retired in 2006 and enjoyed working at home making Chardonnay wine in our 50 vines vineyard he planted from scratch when we moved into our house in the late ‘90’s which had a large downhill grassland seemingly non-useable area. John designed the vineyard and a large vegetable garden in this area, and we enjoyed our wine and vegetables for many years.
One of his clients, Henry Wachs, designed the logo for UCSF. Henry created the first “MZ” block logo for Mount Zion Hospital and early iterations of BankAmericard.
After Henry retired John lost touch with him. Henry moved to live at The Redwoods in Mill Valley, and John, who had applied as a volunteer companion with a local community agency — by pure happen chance though the volunteer agency — was linked up with Henry because of their backgrounds. They became fast friends and companions, going out to lunch and for walks weekly until Henry died at 91. John also became friends with Henry’s family.
John worked with many agencies, and many of them would come into Rapid, often at night to oversee the deadlines.
I believe he met and worked with Lowell Herero, and as cat lovers, we always bought his wall calendar for our kitchen and loved the musing cat characters.
Jill Perkins
1‑John Perkins
2‑Oct.3, 2012, Geezer Gathering with Henry Wachs
3‑On our way to Croatia, our last trip in May/June of 2019. We had a wonderful trip,
Don’t put off anything you want to do, as John Lennon so eloquently put it:
“Life happens when you’re making plans.”
A Second Phone Company !
Klemtner Casey Inc. was located at The Wharfside Building on Beach Street In 1971. They gave me the following assignments. These two ad layouts were to introduce a new phone company – – to compete with the GIANT Bell Telephone Company! That client and the agency wanted me to show Bell Telephone restricted, and less of a monopoly. I couldn’t show “Ma Bell” tied up – – so we chose to show a giant, instead.
(The following, with thanks and my small $ contributions to Wikipedia).
The Bell System was the system of companies, led by the Bell Telephone C0. and later by AT&T which dominated the telephone services industry in North America for 100 years from its creation in 1877 until its demise in the early 1980s. The system of companies was often colloquially called Ma Bell (as in “Mother Bell”), as it held a near-complete monopoly over telephone service in most areas of the United States and Canada. At the time of its breakup in the early 1980s, the Bell System had assets of $150 billion (equivalent to $370 billion in 2019) and employed over one million people.
(The Bell System logo and trademark was designed by Saul Bass in 1969.)
After this job, I never found out if Arcata Communications became a viable competition to “the only phone company” available. So now I looked up the name and the time and found that there were at least 3 years of legal action (1971−1973). The Industrial Reorganization Act: The communications industry by United States Congress. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Subcommittee on Antitrust and Monopoly.
I could not find the result of that investigation.
Ann Thompson
A Silent Hero
It was the mid sixties, I had only worked at Honig, Cooper, & Harrington for a couple of months.
I did the art direction on 3 in store posters for United Vintners ( Italian Swiss Colony ) I got Nic Sidjakov to do 3 beautiful full size tight comps. The meeting to present the work was at 4:00 pm, the Ad Manager showed up about a hour late. It was obvious that he just stumbled out of a 4 hour 4 Martini lunch and he was totally wasted.
I was wearing Levi’s, Boots, Long hair, etc. I started to present the work and he started to give me a really hard time about the way I was dressed and the way I looked. I ignored him and just continued with the presentation, and he got worse and worse and would not pay attention to the fabulous work that Nic Sidjakov had done.He became totally abusive so I picked up the work and told him he was an asshole and I and I left.
When I left one of the two Account Executives in the meeting was actually crying as
this was her account and this thing had gone completely out of control. I went back to my office and started packing up my stuff thinking that there was no way I was not going to be fired. The two account exec’s immediately went to Bill Honig’s office and told him what happened. As I was packing my stuff Honig walked into my office and said “put that stuff away-nobody that works for me will ever be treated like that-don’t worry I’ll take care of it”
Two weeks later the obnoxious ad manager was fired and the posters were approved and produced.
Honig and I became really good friends and he helped me in so many ways I can’t even count them. Few people know…but Bill Honig was a Angel of Ramparts and Rolling Stone, he personally paid for a anti smoking campaign, and he was a major art collector but I think he was most proud of being on Nixon’s White House Enemy List !
Chris Blum ( who wouldn’t be here today without Bill Honig )
So what happened to HC&H?
I found this:
UCR / The California Digital Newspaper Collection–Desert Sun, 1-10-1975
LOS ANGELES — Foote, Cone & Belding, eighth largest advertising agency in the U.S., and Honig-Cooper & Harrington, largest independent advertising agency on the West Coast have reported the completion of the previously announced merger that results in one agency with western billings in excess of $100 million. The announcement was made by Louis Honig, HCH board chairman, and Louis E. Scott, chairman of FCB’s executive committee. A newly formed subsidiary, Foote, Cone & Belding/Honig, will manage the agencies’ merged western U.S. operations. FCB/Honig will be the largest advertising agency operation in the Western market. Honig becomes chairman and chief executive officer of FCB/Honig. Scott continues as chairman of the executive committee and a director of the parent company, Foote, Cone & Belding Communications, Inc. Honig is headquartered in San Francisco and Scott in Los Angeles. The San Francisco offices of HCH and FCB will be combined into one office, while the Los Angeles offices of HCH and FCB will continue as separate units.
Another follow-up,
I am planning a future post about Nic Sidjakov who was, I think, the most prolific and versatile illustrator in San Francisco at the time of Chris Blum’s story.
Ann Thompson
Plastics!
Plastics!
—about fifty years ago and today.
Then—
In January of 1972, I was designing the graphics for a plastic container to hold mealworms – packed with thir diet of cornmeal, to be sold to ”bait” fishermen. (Dried mealworms were and are sold as pet food and chicken feed.) But Mighty Mealys were prooduced to a larger size and sold “alive”! The printed promo material was for the bait shop owners. But they learned quickly to empty each package into a large glass container. (*If the product didn’t sell quickly, the shop would have been crawling). For a sale, the mealworms with their cornmeal were then scooped out and counted and put into the Mighty Mealys plastic containers.
I still have one to show here. It is a fairlly stiff plastic and there are tiny pin holes around the lid for oxygen. The container’s instructions says: to keep the packages of 50 or 100 mealworms out of the sun or heat and for longer life add a water source, such as an apple or a carrot.
I wrote of this project, here in 2011 (see: Geezers’ Gallery Packaging Worms) .
My report then, told how the sample package with the product inside — was left for too many days and the *mealworms ate their way out of the plastic container.
Back then, we didn’t know that today there would be three swirling islands of plastics in the Pacific Ocean – each the size of Texas and giant walls of plastic trash – waiting in recycling warehouses and collecting on remote Easter Island’s beaches.
The plastics, huge to microscopic, are difficult to collect and impossible to melt, bury or burn.
Now—
Just about a month ago, in the San Francisco Chronicle of 12−22−19, I saw this report that Stanford University had recently discovered that mealworms eat plastic.
Now, with one of the biggest trash problems on earth — how can we cover our problem with these critters that morph into beetles to fly off to a tastier diet in cornfields?
Their excrement is only partially organic. There are chemicals from the plastic in the droppings that are small enough to blow away. The report doesn’t explain how this research can affect the problem.
On 1−10−20, PBS’s KQED presented an hour on plastics where it was said that a bacteria might dine on the chemicals that are in plastics. And — will they be good bacteria or — ?
The PBS report told of highway surfaces made from one kind of recycled plastic because of it’s long life, but that use isn’t enough to make any difference as re-use. Also footwear has re-used selected plastics. It is the 10 ft. walls of mixed plastic trash that is collecting on streets and floating in the seas.
Boycott of products sold in plastics? Bring your own containers?
Make the purchaser responsible? Make the producers responsible?
Develop an organic, quickly degradable material to replace plastic?
The report showed a residual from beer-making that produced a plastic-like material that can even be eaten.
Some solutions are needed, SOON !
More, from then—
This was the time that the US marketplace received a new kind of worldwide product from various pharmaceutical laboratories.
I was freelancing at that same time (1969 to 1974) with a small art studio (graphics*) in the Wharfside Building (680 Beach Street, SF). Our location was next to the offices of Klemptner Casey, a pharmaceutical advertising agency with Robert Buechert as Creative Director. Our group was able to be their art service for most of their clients’ needs (as well as our other accounts in San Francisco).
KC had Syntex Labs as their client, which had recently won approval of one of the first oral pregnancy contraceptives. The “pill” became very controversial but it was also the time of “women’s liberation era” in the USA.
Some worried about side effects — some objected that the oral contraceptive would prevent a “natural event”. Up to 1973 (Roe vs. Wade) untold numbers of females of all ages in the USA were dying from amateur procedures to stop pregnancies. Even today, the U.S. ranks far behind other industrialized nations in maternal mortality. I didn’t have statistics when I questioned my ethic on working on this product– but I felt that the pill would protect women and its promotion would not be a mistake.
The launch of the Syntex’s “Norinyl 1−80” and “Norinyl 1 – 50”— required medical journal ads, brochures, patient aid booklets, packaging and more.
The 8‑panel (two panels were prescribing Information) brochure, shown below, had a two-page photo. It was a very expensive re-creation of a 1934 laboratory. I never knew the photographer or the team that set up the room. (There is one error – something not accurate for the date of the fake laboratory.) The brochure, launching the product, was the complete story of the development of the oral contraceptive. The Mexican barbasco yam was the basis of the “pill” that changed many lifestyles.
(Above, the tiny error in the re-created laboratory was the two “grounded” electrical sockets – below the white jacket hanging on the wall).
I show the packaging for Syntex’s Brevicon 28-day tablets. My original subtle colors, had to be changed to brighter colors because the packaging was changed to blue, instead of white. The floral illustration needed to be brighter.
Pharmaceutical labs and physicians were teaching women of reproductive age how to use their 28-day product each month. The labs couldn’t package the pills loosely in large quantities – – each pill for the month had to be punched out in sequence from a card with a thin foil backing. The style of the dispensers, that held the cards, varied from one “brand” of pill to the next.
Promoting the style of the plastic dispenser was emphasized to the Syntex product representatives that called on the physicians who would write the prescriptions for their patients.
Here are 10 of 72 images from a slide presentation to Brevicon reps promoting Brevicon and the pill holder — in comparison to competing brands.
(Why did I only show men as doctors? My mother had a woman doctor, way back when I was born !)
The Wallette was a discreet cover for the pill dispenser. For the 5‑view layout, I accidentally rendered one of the female hands darker than the others. It was a lucky error because that caused a discussion to choose, for this file folder, a hand-model with a tan– to suggest patients were other than white females.
In 1974, Syntex and other medical products moved from Klemptner Casey to J. Walter Thompson and later from JWT to an agency named Barnum Communications (with Bob Buechert at each move).
In 1975, I began free-lancing at Barnum Communications (owner Jim Barnum was of the circus family). JWT had filed legal action for moving Syntex products to his agency, newly located at 560 Pacific Avenue, SF.
Time went by, there were even “law-suit” ballads composed by the musically inclined who worked at Barnum Communications. Finally JWT settled. The case was dropped when Mr. Barnum agreed to “cease and desist working in the West”. That left about seven of the agency founders to inherit all of the clients.
1977 there was a move to 901 Battery Street with the new name Vicom Associates. After another move to One Lombard Street, a few years passed and it was acquired by Foote, Cone & Belding Healthcare as Vicom / FCB.
Shown below: Two sections, of a 6‑page, 1992 Vicom / FCB Anniversary Party Report. I didn’t know of these parties, but was asked to illustrate this one. (My illustration of “The VICOM Culture” was flopped horizontally before printing, causing the “initial V” to look strange. The last three show: my window, my workspace and my parking space on the roof (just my car, another week-end deadline).
One Lombard was my last San Francisco location.
( Follow0up: So how many other products, housed in plastic, did I promote? I’ll have to check back. But who even knew at that time, that one-use-plastics were piling up?)
Ann Thompson
Geezer Photo Get-Together 2019
Starting A Geezer Yearbook Collection
This year, for many reasons, our usual October picnic as viewed (“Gatherings” in the list at the left) was discontinued. To keep a meeting going, I have reached out to our members by email and asked for contributions to this new “Photo Gathering”. I wasn’t able to give everyone enough time to find a photo and write a few words, but I am happy to show this collection which numbers the same amount as we had at the last picnic.
Note: It just shows you—I requested, of a creative group, a “Mug Shot” from the 1970s or 1980s — and what did I get? The first responses: a present day photo, two in front of a laundry?, two sketches, multiple photos! OK. I followed their lead, and I changed my “mug shot” to show myself at the drawing board. The couple of sentences requested also became better than I had imagined.
Ann
1‑Allen, Jack In 1966, San Francisco magazine published this picture of me in their September issue, Volume 8, No. 9 — crediting me for my cover photo showing a couple in the early morning hours on Hotaling Place.
2‑Barnes, Brian Trouble finding stuff that is sharp and presentable. Seventies material is almost all on 35mm slide. This was taken around 1987 at Walter Swarthout’s studio for a Gallo shoot when I was at Hal Riney. I had my left forearm propped on the shoulder of a fly fisherman male model who I cropped out for your purpose. Walt had us ‘horse around ‘afterward and he captured this. Good times.
3‑Broad, David In response to your request — this is from 1945, Frankfurt, Germany, the war had just ended and we became the Army of Occupation. After discharge I signed up as a civilian with a job as an artist. This was the Information and Education Unit — Jerome Snyder was the leading art director along with several artists who as civilians before the war were famous in New York. Needless to say it was a heady experience.
4‑Eckart, Chuck I’m still working, painting, and enjoying it. I have a large exhibition coming up at the Seager Gray Gallery during February 2020. The how will be opening on my 85th birthday. I’ll send you an announcement just before show time. Chuck
5‑Ericksen, Marc Freelancing in San Francisco was the best of the best, a dream come true, and resulted in a load of wonderful memories. The clients, the Niners, the creativity. the fun, and the wonderful Bay. We had it all!
6‑Escasany, Richard and Kenwood, Dale Richard Escasany and Dale Kenwood 1976 outside Wing Lees Electric Laundry.
7‑Fugazzotto, Joel Here’s my photo. On stage in Hollywood in the 1980s shooting a commercial with Vern Gillum and Friends.
Joel Fugazzotto
8‑Hardgrove, John Celebrating my 75th birthday in Alsace, France. Finally retired after a 50-year career in advertising and graphic design. TV production assistant 1965 – 68: Guild,Bascom,Bonfigli. Dancer Fitzgerald Sample. 1969 – 76 Creative Director Aviva Enterprises, Peanuts character merchandise. 1977 – 2015, Owner, Creative Director, The Design Bunch, print advertising, graphic design for corporate communications, posters and package design. Currently, I’m painting commissioned watercolor dog portraits, and golf courses at home.
9‑Heil, Ross Photo from this spring — 2019 — Walnut Creek. Vice President — McCann-Erickson, San Francisco — 1972 to 1984. Account Manager — Del Monte Corporation. (Sorry, no 1970s — 1980s image available — the photostats have faded)
10-Lessig, Paul 2019, Sparks, NV. As an ‘Alumni’ of the Wyman Co.‘s Art Dept (and who in the 50’s & 60’s wasn’t) tallied-forth thru Account Executive assignments with Hoefer, Dietrick & Brown & Campbell Ewald. In 1965 joined Fromm & Sichel, Worldwide Distributors and Marketers of the Christian Brothers Wines and Brandy as International/National Sales Promotion Director; then President & CEO of its Marketing/Sales Promotion Agency in 1972. Left the association and the Advertising Industry in 1977 to pursue other career interests.
11-McKee, Gale Here is a photo of me helping an intern at Artworks in the mid-seventies.
I worked there from 1974 to 1978 as a rep and graphic designer, ( double commission!)
and then married the boss.(Don McKee) Job security… LOL ! I have been painting and showing art at various venues in Santa Rosa and Marin since 2009. My last job was not in advertising
but was the perfect job for me: designer & illustrator for Pottery Barn kids. I was there 8 years and the ONLY one who never used a computer…everything by hand!
12-Miller, Todd Oh yeah…if you got the photo I sent…t was taken by Don Hadley in my office at Botsford Ketchum in 1977.? We were working on the Olympia Beer campaign at the time. I don’t remember how he took the photo (4 photos like that in a square). I think Jill Murray may have been there. I know, it was after a lunch at Hoffman’s Grill (Don and I always ordered Chicken Fried Steak with extra gravy at Hoffman’s Grill every Friday). It was the first time Don laughed so hard beer came out his nose.(we were talking about how “creativity” works and Don asked who could define “creativity” and I said “that’s a very large bird that flies in the Andes”. I guess Don had more than his usual one glass of beer (kidding). For some reason, Don found my response very funny. Today…I would call it senility.
13-Moore, Dick During an interim between my years of commercial illustration (as Dick Moore), I was living, painting & exhibiting throughout the Hawaiian Islands for 7 years (as Richard Moore). Lovely times. (Photo, 1981)
14-Nielsen, Larry Is this too off the wall? It was taken in Marrakesh, Morocco of me and our guide.
15-Nicholson, Norman 525 Pacific Ave Group, 1970’s
16-Novy, Norma Attached is my mug shot. Hey, this is nice since I’m all the way in Medford, OR. Hank and I will be home to Marin for 2 days this Xmas to see family and friends. I hope you all are doing well. Norma
17-Nusser, Kirsten Tirsbak Photo: Early 1980s, Kirsten T. Sinclair, 901 Battery Street, SF, as in-house freelancer for FCB Healthcare. 1966 – 1970: I moved from Esbjerg, Denmark, to California, first employed by Psychology Today Magazine’s graphics department in Del Mar, and then as a designer for Simonson and Shaw Design, in LA. 1972 to present: In San Francisco, I often was a CD or an AD. With years of many and various clients, that also included my ”hands-on” and full computer graphic skills, I am now happily retired, volunteering my design experience to help non-profits and others with requests that keep me busy.
18-Oka, Jane Teiko 1954: Scholarship to California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco and graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree.
Employed as graphic designer by Patterson & Hall in San Francisco.
Received a Fulbright scholarship in 1960 to study in Japan.
1962: Began freelance career in the city with major clients and also created calendars, gift items, package design, posters, storybook and schoolbook illustrations.
Steadily working by mail with east coast clients — to get out of the house — assisted Marin County’s WildCare, and later, The Marine Mammal Center (for nineteen years) as an “outside” interest. (1968 Photo by Tom King)
19-Pratt, John After a day’s shoot with Walter Swarthout in the Seventies, he wasn’t ready to quit. He insisted I sit for him with this result.
20-Pyle, Chuck Chuck Pyle, formerly young and hungry illustrator. Currently, Old and teacher/department Chair at Academy of Art University.
21-Riney, Lee I just sent you a photo of me when I was working at Foote, Cone and then Young & Rubicam. It was taken years and years ago by Hal Riney in my Telegraph Hill studio, which cost $75 per month. We were soon to be married, and needed passport photos for our honeymoon to Europe.
As you know, I was the first of Hal’s five wives. Lee Riney
22-Rustad, Steve This was shot a few years back, on location at the Geyserville Gun Club (really, just a hipster bar. No firearm). I was directing an episode of Fermentation Road, which was part of Season Two of the YouTube series: Spoiled to Perfection.
23-Schumaker, Ward Me at the Jack Fischer Gallery for a showing of my trump Papers, last November 2018.
24-Somers, Dick Kauai, Hawaii. My wife of almost 56 years and I spend much of February and March on Kauai, almost every year. It is a place where one can truly relax.
25-Robert G. Steele Here are three photos from USAF Art Program. Many local illustrators participated in this great program from the early sixties until about 2010, traveling and painting as guests of the USAF.
1. 1993 Air Force Art Presentation at Bolling Air Force Base, DC. Rt. to left: Marc Ericsson and me, Robert Steele (SF Society of Illustrators) and Matthew Holmes (Sacramento).
2. 2006 USAF Art presentation, Andrews AFB
3. 2008 USAF Art presentation. Wash/DC 2008.
26-Stewart. Bill The photo I sent was taken in my studio at home in San Rafael in mid 80s (I think).
I was working as an art director with Botsford Constine & McCarty on the ?Olympia Beer account at that time.
27-Stitt, Jim Photo: Blair Heagerty / SFGate. Born and raised in Seattle, served in two different wars and armed forces — the Navy in WWII and the Marines in the Korean War — attended two different art schools on the G.I. Bill (including the prestigious ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena), worked as a technical illustrator for Boeing, and spent 30 years as an art director for an advertising agency in Los Angeles. I didn’t care for LA so I came to San Francisco, connecting with Hal Riney, and got a job at SF’s BBD&O as Art Director. I was offered the Spice Islands account at Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample.
I’ve illustrated 44 of the 45 labels for Anchor Christmas Ale, a beloved annual holiday offering from the 123-year-old brewery that features both a new recipe and unique hand drawn tree every year. Handmade beers require handmade labels.
From Jim’s daughter, Janis:
Jim was interviewed in December 2019 by CBS since Fritz Maytag and Anchor Steam Brewery is being honored into the Smithsonian as one of the first microbreweries.
As you can imagine we are all proud and excited, but Papa Jim is humbled as always.
28-Sweeny, Charlie, Art Director, Cunningham & Walsh, San Francisco
29-Thompson, Ann Photo: Early ‘70s, Wharfside Building, 680 Beach Street, SF. Freelancing from 1965 to 2001 – enjoyed every assignment (Job #1 to #3,445, Whew!) and met great talents in SF’s graphics community. Since then, creating my own projects. (Photo by Tom Moulin.)
Ann is the power behind the Geezers Gallery. She does all the hard work. ph
30-Tom, Jack Selfie taken in the Grand Canyon AZ, 2019?“Born in San Francisco, now live, work and teach in Connecticut.”?” I love being a graphic designer and love teaching what I love!”
31-Young, Ron Founder and CEO Shocase, Inc. Here are three photos which span ½ a century in the adv biz. 1968-Receiving Clio. Levi’s Radio Commercial featuring the JEFFERSON AIRPLANE. Advertising Hall of Fame in NYC. Advertising Hall of Fame at Wall Street Ciprioni, NYC
AFA, AAW nor the AAF
In my 40-years in Advertising, I didn’t know of them—and they didn’t know of me.
This came to my mind when I was gathering images for the previous posted story of Jack Allen.
This ad, below, had been passed on to me for my archives and Jack hadn’t seen it for years! It was an ad from “The Joint Commission–Advertising Federation of America and the Advertising Association of the West”. Jack said it would have been in major magazines in 1965. It was of the time when advertising was a man’s career.
This 1959 photo of me, (six years earlier) celebrated in my father’s work publication, shows that a daughter had planned to create art for advertising.
There were other such daughters, I know because there were many other females who were in the graphic arts in San Francisco, when I was.
In May, of that year of the AFA & AAW ad, I had just begun my free-lance career as: Ann Thompson Graphic Design at 728 Montgomery Street, San Francisco. I can’t remember being afraid when Butte, Herrero and Hyde told me that they were dissolving their partnership and that I would be on my own. I just slid into it—as Bill Hyde offered me a drawing board to rent in his studio. If I had seen the ad, I would have suggested: “Should your child be in advertising?”
I had been on my way into this field of work, long before I knew of it.
I am writing this of my childhood as an example of how the interest and practices of young children can show their budding interest toward a very rewarding career. (I’m also including some “nostalgia” from the 1950s.) I was born a second generation San Franciscan and as a child, I was always drawing.
With simple sequence, I show my path—My fifth grade teacher had me decorating the classroom (a mural of a pioneer family with a covered wagon) (bats and ghosts and witches for Halloween) this, while other students were at their desks. I missed some lessons.
In 1951, there was a TV show, Cartoon Circus, at KRON (the local channel at the Chronicle Building) hosted by George Lemont. George would show simple strokes like an “S” for the drawing of a seal–on a large pad of paper and ask the young TV audience to send in their drawings. I arranged my seal in a circus setting with a ball in its nose. I colored my seal but made a big crayon smudge right in the middle! I cried that it was ruined and that I couldn’t send it in. My mother made me send it in anyway—and I won ! (An RCA 45RPM record player and two sets of records—and was invited to be on TV !) I brought my sister along and we appeared on the show. The Laura Scudder’s Blue Bird Products were the shows sponsor and there was a bowl of (what we called) “Corn Curls” placed in front of us. George asked us to try them. I said: ”Uuuum, they’re good”. So with my: “Ummm, they’re good” I had been advertising the show’s product, without knowing it.
A thank you letter was sent to my mother from George Lemont.
The TV cameras pointed to each set, all in a line on the San Francisco Chronicle’s main floor. This Illustration above, of the cameras at KRON, will be a surprise to all that know of Earl Thollander’s unique illustration style. (We all started, somewhere.)
The show that preceded our appearance was “Adventure Time” that showed old movie serials–a half hour chapter each weeknight. The host of that show was a popular singer with many top singles, Rusty Draper. For the TV commercial, Rusty sang about Roman Meal Bread. Rusty: “Oh it’s Roman Meal, both day and night–cereal and hotcakes, too…” This photo above shows how he looked at the time.
Most TV commercial were testimonials. Ronald Reagan cleaned his hands with Borax as a commercial for the TV’s “Death Valley Days”.
Years later, George Lemont became “Fireman Frank” featuring his puppets. My favorite was “Karl The Karrot” which was a real carrot –with “shades” on its smaller carrot nose. Its green “hair” would fly around wildly. When all became wilted and limp, new carrots would replace the old. George had many gigs and he had a syndicated comic strip, also with Karl as one of the characters.
As a new freelance artist In 1965 I was calling on the agency of Honig-Cooper & Harrington Advertising–and there was George Lemont! I told him that I had been a guest on his show–about 15 years earlier. I showed the portfolio of my work—just the real reason for my appointment—but it was a pleasure to see him.
Junior High art class introduced “posters” and the in the ninth grade, the yearbook illustrations. (In 2009, I used the dancing and 45RPM records subjects, again, for the 50-year reunion of Santa Rosa High School “The Panthers” and Montgomery High School, “The Vikings”.) I painted high school banners that hung across the halls announcing up-coming football games: “SANTA ROSA—BEAT CHICK-ALUMA !” Illustrated with scrawny chickens hanging out of garbage cans. (Nearby Petaluma was called the “Egg Basket Of The World”.)
(The artistic talent that I see from young students, today, is so much more advanced than mine. There are so many more influences—to inspire the young talents developing now.)
When I graduated from high school I was nearing my last lessons from the Famous Artists School correspondence course and my mother said, “You need to pay rent”. I said: “But, I live here!”. I had taken typing in high school, so for a time, I worked as a clerk but I kept drawing and painting at home.
During my last class at SF City College’s Advertising Department, the head the department told me of the opening for employment with Butte, Herrero and Hyde, where I learned in that one year, all I needed to be my own boss.
I joined the Art Directors and Artists Club of San Francisco (ADASF). Jack Allen was elected president of the club when I was elected the secretary. I donated three posters for their membership campaign. This close-up of my third poster shows my illustration and handwriting of the copy provided by copywriter, Larry McDermott.
In the 1950s, representatives of various paper companies would make personal calls on designers—showing papers of all colors and thicknesses – smooth and textured – but there was little to show the art studios and individual designers—how the papers would work with the various forms of printing and if the chosen stock was appropriate for embossing, folding, trimming and other effects dreamed up by a designer.
The ultimate paper samples were created 1963 to 1986:
Champion Papers: Imagination.
Champion Paper Company found the best way to show the unlimited possibilities of the use of their paper stocks and they reached the “creatives” through their mailboxes. The art directors hired by Champion Paper Co. changed as the subjects of the books changed: Milton Glaser, Ivan Chermayeff & Geismar, George Tscherny, Henry Wolf, James Miho. Massimo Vignelli, Paul Rand and Richard Manville. The first booklets were printed in Ohio, where Champion Paper Co. was located.
There was such a variety of images and styles needed for each book—often just one image per artist or photographer was needed. For the sixth book (1964) Jack Allen said this was the image he sent for the theme of the “Wild West”.
For each brochure, using 5 or 6pt type on each page, the art director made sure that all papers and printing methods were accurately described for each image—still, today, valuable lessons. There were 26 of these paper samples.
As an example of the increasing value of well-designed books, folders, brochures, posters, magazine illustrations, from the past—there is a constant demand for them by collectors.
The purpose of the “Imagination” series is written on the inside back cover of this next example. “The papers used in this book were chosen from the Campion Papers line, the world’s largest selection of commercial printing papers. Each sheet was chosen for its particular characteristics to enhance the graphic technique presented on it. "Champion Papers are created with Imagination for designers and printers with Imagination.”
I have had most of these brochures but I have kept only this one, featuring San Francisco, that shows my friends in the graphic community—and views and history of the city of my birth. I find that this “Imagination XII” (1968), is the ONLY one that shows a handful of the members of the graphic community to which the sales-piece was directed. At the time of this twelfth booklet, the design was in the hands of James Miho, at Needham, Harper and Steers—located in New York City. Miho came here to work with photographer, Jack Allen and designer, Nic Sidjakov. They would know who’s faces to feature for the “live” notable persons—San Francisco’s designers, entertainers, sports figures, et all.
Jack said that, on arriving, Miho bought himself a camera. Miho shot the 64 photos of bay windows for the cover and the 28 photos for the two pages of “signs”. Then, for the next year and on he took his own photos for the publications.
The cover shows Miho’s SF bay windows.
The inside cover and first page is a Panoramic City View–Drawn by C. R. Parsons, initially published by Currier & Ives in 1878. The next page, from a Union Street antique shop, shows a light bulb holding a Clipper Ship, reaching the shore of San Francisco. Then, various sizes are examples of the ornate billheads of the early days. Also there are two 1850 photos of Montgomery Street. Next, at the top: “April 18th—1906—5:12 AM” and the description of the San Francisco Earthquake printed on red with only black ink: “Suddenly the whole street was undulating.” (Photographer unknown, courtesy of Elizabeth Charleston.)
Then with two inks on red, there is a photo from a simple box 3A Kodak Special taken on Sacramento Street by Arnold Genthe, who wanted to be one of the world’s best portrait photographers—but was known for this photo which is in the Library of Congress.
Single and four-color printing show examples of various building constructed from 1906 to the time of this booklet.
(Line Engravings of Early Buildings–courtesy of Howell Books.)
Frank Lloyd Wright Building, top row (Photograph by Jack Allen.)
Now we show two pages and two half pages of San Franciscans from history and some notables of our time.
I have enlarged the names to match the numbers above each photo.
Faces from history: Courtesy of the California Historical Society, de Young Museum, San Francisco Golden Gate Park and The American West Magazine.
Contemporary Faces: Photography, Jack Allen
The faces with the connection to the graphic arts:
17- Lowell Herrero, Graphic Designer
18-Andy Quattro, Graphic Printmaker
19-Bruce Butte, Graphic Designer
20-Anne Butte, Graphic Designer
25-Gordon Ashby, Designer
26-Jack Allen, Photographer
27-Nicolas Sidjakov, Graphic Designer
28-Tom Kamifuji, Graphic Designer
29-Elizabeth Charleston, Artist
32-Marget Larsen, Graphic Designer
41-Barbara Stauffacher, Graphic Designer
44-Dick Coyne, “Communication Arts” Editor/Publisher
48-Bob Freeman, Advertising Executive
49-Walter Landor, Industrial Designer
51-Bob Seidman, Graphic Designer
52- Bill Hyde, Graphic Designer
Jack Allen wrote:
One of the photographs I had to take was for Champion Papers. In this instance it was for a booklet showing their various papers and highlighting the famous people of San Francisco. Joe DiMaggio and Carole Doda being two on the list given to me. Now, Joe I recognized as the famous baseball player, but Carole was not familiar to me until I found out her address was North Beach and her claim to fame was the size of her chest as she emerged perched on the grand piano to begin her performance. Carole had a lovely voice. Andy Quattro, my God. Every year Andy and two other guys and myself used to go down to Pebble Beach and play golf. It only cost $35 then. Wow. And I let Andy use my studio when he was with lean times. He was a funny old duck.
"Marget Larsen" designed the SF Art Director's Club Issue for me and we silk-screened every copy on Foote Cone's floor. I fell in love instantly with Marget but Bob Freeman beat me out.
Good old Howard Luck Gossage. I had a wonderful 6 am chat with him at his house. He was a genius.
Ernest Braun. This photo showing the California Street cable car with the view to the east toward the SF/ Oakland Bay Bridge was first commissioned for the 1964 book: ”Our San Francisco”. Braun’s contribution, as series titled “Shapes Of The City” has an introduction by famed writer and columnist Herb Caen. Caen says of Braun, “The photographers have come closest to capturing the feel of San Francisco - and no one has come closer than Ernie Braun.”
His full biography is on line. Mr. Braun lived in San Francisco in the late 1940s, a town that he loved. “The history and geography of San Francisco simply won me over,” he said. “I loved its great contrast of shapes, colors, people, buildings, and happenings. Each street had its own character to enjoy. The bay and ocean completed the photographer’s dream. Surrounded by water on three sides, the city appeared to be floating.”
Two facing pages of signs of all kinds–even the instructions on the street surface, on both sides of the cable car slot. All of these photos were by James Miho.
Fish-Eye lenses became popular in the ‘60s! Here, the first one, is above the Golden Gate Bridge—the second is above Coit Tower and shows a ring of the wharfs on San Francisco Bay. Credit is listed to Joe Monroe. (I have not been able to find any other information of his work.)
Titled: “San Francisco is an international menu”—this next spread shows many popular city restaurants. I did show some of these on an earlier post, which brought comments of favorites that were in addition to these.
A 19th Century assemblage of playbills and theatrical memorabilia—opens to Theatre Construction—Robert Sullivan.
A foldout of sports subjects—Charles White III.
In 1960, at the age of 50, Elizabeth Charleston was in an automobile accident that limited her activities and mobility. She began painting for the first time while recovering. The late San Francisco Chronicle art critic, Alfred Frankenstein, reviewed a showing at the Pomeroy Gallery in 1968, and said Charleston had a "wonderful eye" for flowers — "totally charming, decorative and delectable”. Her works are available widely today, and have been shown in numerous museums and galleries in the US, Brussels, and Paris, This might have been her only commercial work.
The last photograph, “This peaceful harbor scene of sail-boats, dwarfed by the Golden Gate Bridge”: Photograph by Burt Glinn.
The copy on the inside back cover explains the back cover:
”To enhance the effect, an additional impression of black ink and spot varnish was used to give the impression of blacked out windows.”
Why? What I learned, when growing up, was that “blacked-out windows” referred to when San Francisco thought that the city was the next to be attacked. At that time, St. Joseph’s Hospital (now condominium apartments) at 355 Buena Vista East where I was born in December of 1941—had blackout curtains on the windows.
Was the designer just making a graphic design choice?
So, now, getting back to the question, “Should your child be in advertising?”
Media Advertising?
Today’s bombardment of TV, radio and Internet commercials are so repetitive, juvenile (with apologies to all juveniles) and possibly dangerous (even advertising medications that can cause death and add to the cost of the product)—all with tedious music or sound effects or voices singing “Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty, Liberty (Insurance)”. They make me mute the ads or change channels. Audiences are leaving TV for other media.
In a pharmaceutical ad agency, I did work on some internal video promotions. And I also created a storyboard for the launch of the new pain reliever, Aleve, but I never knew if it made it as TV viewing, maybe it was just an internal promotion.
I am glad to have the majority of my career in only printed publications.
Published Advertising?
The “Imagination” series above was an expensive, attractive and educational advertisement of papers. When graphic art in books, magazine, posters and other varied publications is—clever, beautifully illustrated, photographed and written—it can be revisited, saved and even collected more than fifty years after its first appearance.
My saved collections have been my source for Geezers’ Gallery.
Ann Thompson