Artists Too Near Waterfront for Their Own Safety
Mahlon Blaine, an artist, whose home is in Dilley, Or., and Ernest Fong, a Chinese, also an artist, set out this morning to sketch riverfront pictures, contrary to a war law of Uncle Sam, and were taken before United States Marshal Alexander for investigation.

When Marshal Alexander told them the making of pictures of waterfronts might result in aiding the enemy, they declared they would confine their art to scenes which would less likely be of interest to the kaiser.

“I wan’t aware that the law was so strict,” said Blaine. “I didn’t mind being arrested, but would rather jump into the river than have it thought I was making sketches for the kaiser.”

Both were released.

“Spy” Artists Halted
Policeman Does his Duty, Medal or No Medal
Mahlon Blaine and Ernest Fong Promise to Make No More Pictures of Portland Waterfront

Visions of German spies, craftily plying their trade in making war sketches of the waterfront of a Pacific port, came before a detective of the police force as he caught sight of a couple busily sketching the Portland skyline near the Steel bridge. With a duty to be performed in sight he stepped forward and accosted the “spies.”

“You’re arrested,” he declared.

“You’re kidding us,” scoffed Mahlon Blaine, artist. Ernest Fong, his associate, grinned his belief in the detective’s attempt at humor.

“Not so you’d notice it,” replied the arm of the law. “Don’t you know its against the law to sketch the waterfront. How do we know you’re not going to send those pictures to Kaiser Bill, so he can see how the Portland harbor looks?’

The two artists looked at one another.
“Hadn’t thought of that,” admitted Blaine.

“Well, that’s the way it might look to Uncle Sam. You’s better come up to see the United States Marshal.”

Marshal Alexander was soon convinced of the innocence of the devotees of art. And the artists promised to seek further for their subjects. So everything turned out satisfactorily except for the detective, who will probably not get a medal for capturing “dangerous German spies.”

Un Valioso Obsequio de un Pintor para las Victimas de Veracruz
El senor Mahlon Blaine, pintor, a quien los conocedores consideran como uno de los mas originales, mas hábiles; un artista genial, en una palabra, por conducto de nuestro compañero de redacción, el Lic. R. Gomez Robelo, ha cedido al Comité de Auxilios un pastel que representa una mañana de sol, para que se destine el producto de su venta al fondo de auxilios para las víctimas de Veracruz.

El senor Blaine nos hace saer que pindra una dedicatoria autógrafa al pastel, para la persona que lo adquiera, y el Comité ha pensado en que esta obra de arte, sea puesta a la venta en remate que se hara en alguno de los próximos festivales de caridad, admitiendo desde ahora las ofertas que quieran hacerse.

El Comité de auxilios, por conducto de El Heraldo de Mexico, de las mas sinceras gracias al senor Mahlon Blaine por esta rasgo de generosidad y de simpatia para nuestra Patria.

Google translation
A Valuable Gift of a Painter for the Victims of Veracruz
Mr. Mahlon Blaine, painter, whom the connoisseurs consider as one of the most original, but skillful; a great artist, in a word, through our writing partner, Lic. R. Gomez Robelo, has given to the Aid Committee a cake representing a sunny morning, so that the product of its sale is destined to the aid fund for the victims of Veracruz.

Mr. Blaine makes sure that he inscribes an autograph dedication to the cake, for the person who acquires it, and the Committee has thought that this work of art, put on sale at auction, will be done at one of the upcoming festivals. charity, admitting now the offers they want to make.

The Committee of aid, through El Heraldo de Mexico, of the most sincere thanks to Mr. Mahlon Blaine for this trait of generosity and sympathy for our country.

…has business in Mexico City, D.F., Mexico, which necessitates his immediate attention and requires his presence as follows:

That he must prepare an exhibit of paintings, etc. for exhibition at the Centennial Exposition opening September 12th, 1921, for Lic. Ricordo Gomez Robelo. That he must be in Mexico City, D.F., on or before September 5th, 1921.

That Signor Lic. Ricordo Gomez Robelo wishes me to accompany his wife, who is in ill heath and his young son, who have passports and every thing necessary, etc. for the trip…

Passport Photograaph

Richard, the Lion-Hearted, would probably rise from his tomb if he would but see a cow-puncher of the American West painting the works of art which held the admiration of that twelfth century monarch.

However, Mahlon Blaine, a buckaroo from Arizona, did just that very thing when he painted many of the sets in “Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood,” now at the Lyric Theatre. 

Mr. Blaine is a born artist, and after punching cattle for years attracted attention with the brush. Through an inheritance he was enabled to study abroad. Mr. Fairbanks engaged him to create the art work on a number of scenes and sent him abroad two months for research work.

Los Angeles, Feb. 21 (Special Correspondence)—The first exhibition of modern art in this city opened at the MacDowell Club recently. There were 172 pictures by 24 painters. Comparatively few of these artists have become familiar through the various exhibitions and it is in fact in protest against the continued rejection of their paintings by local juries, that they have now used the ever-friendly walls of the MacDowell Club.

…Coming to the extremes, cubism, etc., one can only gaze and wonder. Even the titles are queer—“Vudu Futhmique,” “Owngz” and “Glaggle” from the brush of Ben Berlin; “Saint About to Reform” by Mahlon Blaine (why should a saint reform?),…Blaine’s “Banker Counting Pennies” gains notoriety by being nailed to the wall through the center of the picture, at an angle, “Peroxide” has a strand of raveled rope tacked carelessly to the frame, possibly to stimulate the golden-haired model’s tresses…

Perhaps New York is a wicked city after all. Mahlon Blaine says that he had no difficulty in findings suitable models for the various devils which serve as decorations in “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” a new John Day publication, which has just been chosen by the American institute of Graphic Arts as one of the 50 books of the year. Mephistophelian gentlemen discovered in taxis, restaurants, theaters, even in Mr. Blaine’s own Gramercy Park studio, lent themselves to his recording pencil….

Call of “Boy” Still Rings in Ears of Noted Artist
Mahlon Blaine, ex-Oregonian “Copy Rusher,” Another of Those Who Make Bigs Towns Sit Up and Take Notice.

Another local boy who has more than made good in the big cities has come back to Portland to renew friendships, talk over the “old days” and to state, most emphatically, that Oregon’s a great place in which to live.

The returning celebrity is Mahlon Blaine, ex-office boy and tyro artist of The Oregonian, who now is one of the leading book illustrators and movie set designers of the country. He is here with Mrs. Blaine visiting his mother at Dilley in Washington country.

Interviewing Blaine was accomplished only after numerous interruptions for, while being questioned, he espied several persons who were staff members of The Oregonian when he served as an office boy and of course, reminiscences were in immediate order. When the discussion of “old times” was ended, the story of his rise to prominence was modestly unfolded by the artist.

Unknown and with a suitcase full of drawings, Mr. Blaine hit New York in 1926 and, as the opening step in his bid for fame, listed the names of all book publishers, arranging them according to their distance from his hotel. The first he visited was the McBride Publishing company and after displaying his sample drawings was given a book to illustrate. It was Thomas Burke’s “Limehouse Nights.” One of Mr. Blaine’s favorite authors is Thomas Burke. 

Scoring in his first attempt, the Oregon boy quickly gained a reputation and since 1926 has furnished the art work for more than 50 books. The latest was “Black Majesty,” by John Vander Cook, the sale of which has already passed the 500,000 mark.

Like many others of the literary world, Mr. Blaine was soon drawn to Hollywood and in the past few years has divided his time between New York and the celluloid capital. He joined the art staff of Howard Hughes’ studios and designed many of the sets for the gangster picture “Scarface.” The recent controversy over the showing of the film here and the subsequent arrest of a theater owner interested Mr. Blaine greatly and he expressed some surprise that the show had caused any objections.

“It was intended to give the public a real insight on gangsters, their mode of living and their nefarious activities and was not intended to offend anyone,” he said.

Mr. Blaine was somewhat reluctant to talk about his work, being much more willing to tell of the days when he responded to the call of “boy” or “copy,” familiar in all newspaper offices.

Born in Albany, the artist spent his early days there, and in 1912 became office boy for The Oregonian. After a year at this he transferred to the art department where, he revealed yesterday, he received his first instructions in drawing. From Portland he drifted to California and then back home, doing whatever jobs he could obtain but always studying the work that was eventually to lead him to success. When he felt prepared he made his bid and, as aforementioned, scored in a big way.

Although here for only a week, Mr. Blaine’s stay has been long enough to convince him that Oregon’s climate has no superior, and in the future, he said, all his summers will be spent on the family farm at Dilley.

…Whatever Dunninger’s work is like, the work of his two co-exhibitors is theatrically bad. A joint press release informs us that Mahlon Blaine is a famous illustrator who has illustrated many best sellers, and that Aline Rhonie is a well-known muralist. It would be unfair to suggest that Aline Rhonie is in the same class with Blaine, but what she exhibits are small darkish oils stuccoed with glitter—a knight in armor, three chapeaux, a group of jazz blowers, some tropical fish. As for Blaine, while his gouaches—his medicine men, covered wagon, floating skiffs laden with tropical flowers and a native woman—are not offensively bad, the same cannot be said of his lurid series of watercolors illustrating (by a single figure): Gluttony, Anger, Envy, Lust, etc.

Selected Dust Jackets

Further Reading and Viewing
ERBzine, profile and bibliography
Grapefruit Moon Gallery, Mahlon Blaine, 1894–1969
Heritage Auctions, artwork and books
JVJ Publishing, profile
The Outlandish Art of Mahlon Blaine, preview
The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, preview


(Next post tomorrow: Halloween)

A small green stamp, bearing the legend “Peace is the new patriotism” was introduced into Westchester yesterday, when Mrs. Charles F. Robbins, of Llewelyn Park, West Orange, N. J., chairman of the Peace Stamp Committee of the New Jersey Council of International Relations, was a luncheon guest of Mrs. Carrie Chapman Catt, 120 Paine Avenue, New Rochelle. With Mrs. Robbins was Mrs. Frederick A. Coombs, international relations chairman of the Woman’s Club of Orange, N. J.

The stamp, designed by Sam Marsh, New York artist, represents the globe. The band encircling it with the quotation, expresses a thought voiced some 20 years ago by the late Jane Addams. Above and below is printed “Encircle the globe with thought.”

The New York Sun, March 21, 1938, said “Eastern Offices, Inc., leased space in the Graybar Building, 420 Lexington avenue to Samuel H. Marsh…”

Marsh and his wife visited Mexico. They departed abroad the S.S. Yucatan from Vera Cruz, Mexico on November 6, 1935 and arrived in New York six days later. The following year, they visited South America. On November 11, 1936, the steamship Santa Inez departed Callao, Peru and arrived in the port of New York on the 24th. The passenger list said Marsh’s address was Taylor’s Land, Mamaroneck, New York. Marsh visited the Bahamas in 1939. He returned to New York on April 7. Marsh gave his business address, 420 Lexington Avenue, New York City, on the passenger list. Marsh returned from a trip to Jamaica on April 25, 1940, about two-and-a-half weeks before the 1940 census enumeration.

In the July 1941, and July and August, 1942, issues of the Journal we told about the movement inaugurated by a group of liberal artists to convince official Washington that there are superb designers in the United States other than Federal employees at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and that the appearance of Uncle Sam’s postal paper could in their opinion be immeasurably improved if Washington would adapt some of the design-ideas proffered by such artists.

Proposed designs for the “United Nations” and “Four Freedoms”stamps were prepared by Mr. Helguera and Mr. Manship and the following: Gordon Aymer, Paul F. Berdanier, Warren Chapel, Andre Durencean, Alexander Kahn, Robert Riggs, Carl Setterberg, Paul Shively, Irwin Smith, Hugo Steiner-Prag (who designed many of Hungary’s stamps before he came to the United States), John Vicery, Edwin A. Wilson. Much of the lettering was done by Sam Marsh.

Marsh endorsed Letraset’s dry-transfer “instant lettering” in an advertisement in The Penrose Annual, Volume 56, 1962.

Courtesy of Rod McDonald

Postage Stamps of the United States (1966) published the names of the designers, artists and letterers. Here are Marsh’s credits.

Placid Figure Skater Weds Art Teacher
A shower and reception for Mr. and Mrs. Thomas [sic] Tomaseh was given recently by friends at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Pelkey upon the arrival of the bridal couple from Cleveland. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Pelkey and was the former Miss Sadie Pelkey.

Both bride and groom took part at the New York’s World’s Fair. They plan to spend some time here before returning to Cleveland. Mrs. Tomaseh will continue her figure skating and her husband will also take up skating and skiing during his stay here. Among those attending the shower at which the couple received many attractive and useful gifts were: Mr. and Mrs. Frank LaBare, Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Pratt, Louis Perry and Richard Charland of Standish, Miss Katharine Pelkey, sister of the bride, and Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Pelkey.

As a young woman, Mrs. Tomasch was a professional ice skater and skated with the Ice Capades. While skating at the 1939 World’s Fair, held in New York City, she met and later married Elmer J. Tomasch, a caricature artist also working at the World’s Fair….The Tomasch’s lived in New York City for several years before moving to Manhattan [Kansas] in 1947….

Three Lake Placid students are enrolled in the summer school at Syracuse University, Miss Stella McKeown, Charles F. Lehman, Jr., and Elmer J. Tomasch.

Among the house guests this week at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Pelkey are: Mrs. John Tomasch and Mr. and Mrs. Frank Becker, all of Cleveland, O. They are visiting Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Tomasch who live at the Pelkey home.

Mr. and Mrs. E.J. Tomasch left Monday for New York City where Mr. Tomasch will remain to attend summer school. Mrs. Tomasch will return later in the week.

Junior Class Presents Play Tonight, ‘The Late Christopher’
…The set and stage background were designed by James Mulvey and the art director Elmer Tomasch….

Miss Kate Pelkey returned Tuesday after spending a week at the home of her sister, Mrs. E.J. Tomasch in Astoria, L.I. [New York City’s Queens Borough] Returning with her was Mrs. Tomasch’s infant son, Lyndon, who will spend some time at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Pelkey.

Michael J. Vassallo: Who were some of your biggest artistic influences at Timely?
Allen Bellman: At Timely there was a guy named Tom Tomasch. He taught me a lot when I arrived. He was a short guy, very sophisticated and very nice. A real classy person. He even wrote a book on anatomy. [The ABC’s of Anatomy (1947)] He knew anatomy so well. He originally lived up in Lake Placid. His real name was, I think Elmer Tomasch but he was known as Tom. He would look over my work and correct me early on. Syd Shores was also a great help.

M: Was Tom Tomasch an artist or production person?
B: Tom was an artist and a darned good one at that. He knew his anatomy extremely well. He would make suggestions to me that helped me in my drawing.

“He was a very talented artist who did Captain America. He had another artist who worked with him who was a short, blond, Irish or English type of guy. I can’t think of his name now, but he used to take Syd Shores’ work and ink it. He had a tremendous knowledge of anatomy and would sharpen up muscles. Syd would pencil very roughly, and this man was a strong inker who’d tighten it all up.”
[Note: Vince Alascia isn’t the man Valerie Barclay was trying to recall. Anybody know who it might be?—Jim.]

Infant Death
Word has been received here of the death of the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer J. Tomasch of Manhattan, Kansas, and granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Nelson of Lake Placid and Mr. and Mrs. John Tomasch of Cleveland, Ohio. Also a niece of Mrs. C.J. Martin, lake Placid, and Helen Becker of Cleveland. Burial was in the Catholic cemetery in Manhattan.

Tomasch Home Ruined in Flood
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Pelkey gave received word by radiogram and letter from their daughter, Mrs. Elmer Tomasch, telling of her family’s safety after being caught in the flood at Manhattan, Kan. It was the first news received from the family in three weeks. The flood ruined their home where seven feet of water still remained and the family was taken for refuge to the Kansas State College where Mr. Tomasch is professor of art.

Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Tomasch and children of Manhattan, Kan., are visiting Mrs. Tomasch’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nelson Pelkey. Mrs. Tomasch and children will remain here during the winter while Mr. Tomasch studies for a master’s degree at New York University. During the week they made a brief trip to Cleveland to visit the mother of Mr. Tomasch, accompanying Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pfieffer of Manhattan, who drove east with them last Friday.

...Saturday’s schedule includes a gallery lecture at 2:30 p.m. on drawings and graphic arts being exhibited in the art lounge by E.J. Tomasch, assistant professor in the Architecture and Allied Arts department.

The Kansas Federation of Art is sponsoring a display of 16 paintings in the Union lounge. The paintings will remain there until November 10.

...Six of the paintings are by members of the K-State faculty.
The faculty members are Oscar V. Larmer, assistant professor of art; E.J. Tomasch, assistant professor of architecture; …

Kansas Magazine will soon make its yearly appearance on the newsstands. It contains 104 pages of literature and art produced mainly by Kansans and former Kansans. All of the works are appearing in ring for the first times.…Of the eight contributors of art, one is a K-State staff member—E.J. Tomasch of the Art Department.

,,,E.J. Tomasch will give a demonstration of portraiture in the art lounge at 3:15 p.m….

…When he came here in 1947, this was his first college position. He had previously worked in New York City for the Martin-Goodman [sic] Publications….

K-State Art Professor Shows Negro Paintings
Paintings of the life of Negroes is being featured in a one-man show by Elmer J. Tomasch at The Barn Gallery, 8200 Mission Road, Prairie Village, that began Sunday through March 13. Tomasch, an associate professor of art at Kansas State University, is a pioneer in the emerging period of great art of today’s America.

Explains Tomasch: “The changing status of the Negro and his role in today’s society is one of our nation’s most pressing and challenging problems. Our newspapers, radios, and television networks keep us well informed with daily reports on the latest developments in civil rights. We are permitted to see Uie Negro in his marches, as he is engaged in sit-ins, as he boycotts stores and even as he riots.

“Yet there is another side to the Negro we barely know. The side which shows him as a man devoted to his family and as one who is capable of experiencing all emotions. It is this side of the life of Negroes I depict in the series of paintings currently being displayed.”

Tomasch studied at the Cleveland School of Art. He has exhibited at the Gallery Anjoy, New York City; The Ankrum Gallery and the Paul Rival Gallery in Los Angeles; and the Cleveland Museum of Art. He has had one-man shows in Manhattan, Lindsborg and Wichita. 

Earns Award
Bret Tomasch, son of Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Tomasch, 809 Juniper Dr., was presented the John Philip Sousa Band award at Manhattan High School recently. A flutist, Tomasch has been selected for both the band and orchestra the past three years by the Kansas Music Education Association. He is also the holder of six gold medals in state music competition.

Well-known KSU artist Elmer Tomasch is dead
Popular and prolific artist Elmer Tomasch, a member of the Kansas State University faculty for 30 years, died this morning at age 62 in Memorial Hospital. Death was attributed to natural causes. Final rites for one of the most versatile K-State Art Department members where he held the rank of associate professor will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday at Seven Dolors Roman Catholic Church with Fr. Carl Kramer as celebrant. Interment will be in Sunrise Cemetery. The Rosary will be recited for Mr. Tomasch at 7.30 p.m. Friday at the Parkview Funeral Home. Friends wishing to contribute to a memorial 'and for an art scholarship in Mr. Tomasch's name may leave donations at the funeral home.

Mr. Tomasch is survived by his widow Sadie, of the home on Route 5; three sons, Kim and Bret of the home, and Lyndon of Olathe; one sister, Mrs. Helen Becker of Charlotte, N.C.; and two grandchildren.

The artist whose works besides his paintings included numerous illustrations, caricatures and designs for such things as the Johnny Kaw statue in City Park had been a KSU artist member of the K-State art faculty since 1947. He gained reputation as an artist concerned with the use of the human figure. Man, through his eyes, was both idea and form, and he put his thoughts into his teaching and into [missing text]

Our own “Connie,” lives in North Acton, Mass. She attended Concord High and graduated from there in ’20. “Connie” is a worker, mastering every single subject in its turn. There has never been one turned down or laid aside yet, by “Connie.” She was Secretary of her class as a Freshman, Sophomore and Senior, and has helped on all the Spreads, too. “Connie” will proceed to tell the younger generation just how things are done. Gee, if we could only be students again!

Hoff, Cornelia J., 6 Newbury St., Ken 6175 Boston, Mass. Borders, Decoration, Decorative Wash, Design, Layout, Lettering, Magazine Covers, Ornamentation, Poster, Trade Specialties, Black and White, Charcoal, Color, Line Drawings, Pastel, Pencil, Pen and Ink, Tempra, Wash, Water Color.

...Lubalin…was…the younger of fraternal twin boys…

…His early interest in art was encouraged, although he was colorblind, as was his twin. Figures he drew with crayon had startling purple hair.

…Herbert was a good art student in high school, despite his inability to draw recognizable images. His teacher encouraged his feelings for design and lettering, knowing one can develop as an artist without relying on drawing accurately.

Further schooling in art was accidental. To have an art career wasn’t in Herb’s original plan, although, typically, he expressed no thought for a future….But Herb’s high school academic standing was so low he wasn’t accepted by the tuition-free College of the City of New York, where his twin was enrolled.

What happens when a poor kid with bad grades can’t afford to go to a regular college? He applies to a free art school.

In 1935, Herb passed the entrance exam (“mostly in the form of an intelligence test“) to the prestigious Cooper Union. “I was 64th out of 64 applicants.”

…“For the first two years, I was the worst student in the school. In the last two years, I was about the best.”

The turning point was a class in calligraphy. The angle of the flat pen point used in calligraphy prescribes that the art be done with the right hand. Herb drew with his left hand. The instructor told Herb he’d have to learn to use his right hand on the assignment.

“I didn’t tell her I wrote with my right hand. Since calligraphy really is handwriting, it was easy for me. I got the highest mark in the class, not because I was the best, but because the teacher felt I’d overcome a great handicap.

“I guess this gave me confidence, because from that time on, I did very well.”

Miss Isabel Bisgyer of Ocean Crest Boulevard will celebrate her birthday on Sunday. Tomorrow friends will take her to see “Hamlet,” and later will treat her to dinner In the Hotel Pennsylvania. In the party are Miss Rues Diamond, Morton Friedlieb, Eugene Hammer, Herbert Lubalin and others.

Sylvia Kushner

Sylvia Kushner, of the surprised look and unique coiffeur, is a shining example of industriousness and a gal with with a delightful sense of humor. A four year honor student, her real forte is dress designing and draping, in which her originality and creativeness have been successful in acquiring satisfied customers. Besides her work, Sylvia has had one other factor on her mind these past four years…but why tell tales outside of class? 

Herbert Lubalin

Herbert Lubalin is another shining light of the class of ’39. His wit and “creativeness” are, unfortunately, often censored. Baseball, ping pong, basketball, and penny-ante have been Herb’s extra-curricular activities at Cooper, not to mention his greatest talent, “tall stories.” In 1937 Herb received the medal given for general excellence in all subjects and hasn’t let up the least bit in upholding this distinction. Last summer Herbie ran a day camp for children in his native Far Rockaway. He has an especial affinity for kids, kittens, ketchup, other such sentimentalizes beginning with “K.”

Louis Dorfsman

Louis Dorfsman left Day School in the middle of his third year to go to work in the commercial art field. Starting at the Trans-Lux Theatres, he is now designing exhibition booths and window displays for the Display Guild. A tall guy with one of those grins that the gals eat up (a brunette anyway?). “Shlep,” as he is quaintly called by his chums, is an ace drummer and managed to keep busy between club dates and just dates.

Louis Dorfsman

Sylvia Kushner and Herbert Lubalin

…He had entered Cooper Union unaware of two impending romances that would change his life. One lasted three decades, the other, until his death.

The first big excitement was to meet a classmate, the petite and beautiful Sylvia Kushner. Four years later, the two artists were married, after they had been graduated, Herbert with the Student’s Medal for General Excellence….

…Herb and Sylvia had three sons and 32 years together….

…In 1945, Lubalin became art director at Sudler & Hennessey, a studio specializing in pharmaceutical ads and promotions. He worked with a bullpen of 20 illustrators, photographers, comp people, letterers and retouchers who followed through from Lubalin tissues—tissues on which the Lubalin legend began….