Howdy Doody's Circus

Howdy Doody's Circus

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Description (Brief)

Original artwork, of page 19, for the book Howdy Doody's Circus, written by Edward Kean with illustrations by Liz Dauber and Don Gormely, and published by Simon & Schuster in New York, New York, in 1950.

During the 1940s and 1950s, Don Gormley created drawings for the popular Dell comic book series, Dell's Four Colors, that included Disney characters like Donald Duck, Mickey Mouse and Porky Pig as well as the popular cartoon character Oswald the Rabbit from 1942-1962. Additionally, he illustrated characters created by Walter Lantz, including Mr. McGoo and Andy Panda.

Liz Dauber's art career included working in several mediums, including illustrations, painting and magazine cover art. In her early years, she created colorful cover art for the popular New York women’s fashion magazine Mademoiselle. Married to Gregorio Prestopino, a painter of the Ashcan school, she and her husband were part of the planned community called Jersey Homesteads. Established by FDR during the Depression, this cooperative effort was meant to foster industrial, agricultural and artistic endeavors that served and enriched the community. Her illustrations for Howdy Doody's Circus was her sole effort for Little Golden Books, but she went on to illustrate several children and young adult books that featured topics about history, folklore and biographies. Her emphasis on juvenile literature also included books for the Scholastic Young Reader series and the Ginnie books.

Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
Illustration
illustration, Howdy Doody's Circus book
illustration
Date made
1950
maker
Dauber, Liz
Gormley, Don
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
Measurements
overall: 13 3/4 in x 10 1/4 in; 34.925 cm x 26.035 cm
ID Number
1992.0634.076.19
accession number
1992.0634
catalog number
1992.0634.076.19
Credit Line
Gift of Western Publishing Company, Inc. (through Richard Bernstein)
See more items in
Culture and the Arts: Entertainment
Popular Entertainment
Family & Social Life
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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