Alice Harth
I was lucky to meet Alice Harth in 1963 after I graduated from my art classes at City College of San Francisco. (Later, Alice taught advertising art at CCSF with Stan Galli, William Cheney and John Allen in 1965). I was looking for work and Alice invited me to her home at the north end of Lake Street to have tea with her and her mother where Alice would review my portfolio.
Poised and soft-spoken, she gave me advice…then in leaving, with my huge black portfolio under my arm and spike heels on my feet; I tripped from the top of the outside brick stairs and fell to the sidewalk. Unconscious on the sidewalk, I missed seeing Alice fly into action, (this was before “911”) summoning the doctor who lived across the street. When I came to, the doctor checked my condition and had me driven home and checked me again, for concussion, the next day in his office…all with out charge!
In the years that followed, when Alice and I would talk, there often was my apology for the fright of that night.
When I last spoke with Alice, I asked her how she got started as an artist. She said that when she was a little girl, her mother set a piece of paper and a pencil in front of her and said, “Draw something”. Alice said that was the beginning of her career, where (in an age with few woman in the field of graphic arts) she was able to pay her way though life as an artist.
Ann
Alice was born on July 17, 1925 in Los Angeles to Archie H. and Ethelda H. Wood. She attended UCLA for art/graphic design for 4 ½ years while creating graphic art for Bullocks of L.A.
Alice left UCLA just before she would’ve graduated because she got the job offer from Gump’s in San Francisco.
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In 1950, Alice established her own design studio.
Her clients have included: Winfield Design Associates, Lane Magazine and Book Company, Doubleday, Harper & Row, The Museum of Contemporary Crafts, N.Y., San Francisco Museum of Art, California Arts Commission, Japan Air Lines, KQED, The Spice Islands Company, S & W, K.J. B., Castle & Cook, Inc., The Cling Peach Advisory Board, Trader Vic’s, Velvetone Company, and Anshen & Allen, Architects.
Projects for Alice entailed handling design concepts, typographic and package design, book illustration and design, and photo and film art direction. A major portion of Alice’s work was directly related with the food industry. Sunset Magazine’s Kitchen Cabinet recipe column was illustrated by her each month, She also acted as advertising art director for Winfield Design Associates, inc., a Bay Area wall covering manufacturer. For over ten years, Alice donated her talents for the National Aid to the Visually Handicapped by creating Christmas card art for their funding program.
In Addition to her design activities, Alice Harth taught Professional Practices Design Class at City College of San Francisco, attended conferences (some as diverse as computer programming) and she served on boards and juries for the Society of Communicating Arts of San Francisco (later known as: The Art Directors and Artist Club of San Francisco).
Alice’s continued education and experience was also furthered through extensive travel, which included: Europe, the Middle East, Central and East Africa, Brazil, Mexico and the Orient.
Interested in all aspects of communications, Alice Harth believed that a fulfilled life and integrated society must include an awareness of the total environment.
Credit lines of clients.
1. “Journey Into Fashion”, GUMP’S, (Since 1861) San Francisco,.
2. “Bountiful Table”, Holiday card benefiting “National Aid To Visually Handicapped”
3. “Greetings”, Holiday card benefiting “National Aid To Visually Handicapped.”
4. “Leaping Deer”, Holiday card benefiting “National Aid To Visually Handicapped.”
5. “Retail gift bag”, (Client unknown)
6. “Retail gift bag”. (Client unknown)
7. “Retail gift bag”. (Client unknown)
8. “Cook’s Wisdom”, by Editors of Williams-Sonoma.
9. “From Japan To Your Table”, Owlswood Productions.
10. “Japan: An Artist on a Holiday: A collection of Sketches by Alice Harth”. Publisher: Japan Airlines (January 1, 1965)
11. “Japan: An Artist on a Holiday: A collection of Sketches by Alice Harth”. Publisher: Japan Airlines (January 1, 1965)
12. “Japan: An Artist on a Holiday: A collection of Sketches by Alice Harth”. Publisher: Japan Airlines (January 1, 1965)
13. “The Spice Islands Cook Book“ by Spice Islands Home Economics Staff and Alice Harth (Lane Book co., Menlo Park, CA 1961)
14. “The Spice Islands Cook Book “ Illustrated page,
15. “Spice Islands: Guide To Your Spice Shelf,” From “The Spice Islands Cookbook” by Fred Caliguiri, © by Specialty Brands, Inc.1964, 1975, Dell Publishing Co., Inc.
16. “Adventures in Food” by the Editorial Staffs of Sunset Magazine (author), Alice Harth (Illustrator) (January 1, 1964)
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