Archive for the ‘jaren 30’ Category
November 12th, 2004 | 
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the devil’s brother
In the early 18th century, northern Italy is terrorized by a notorious gang of thieves led by Fra Diavolo, “The Devil’s Brother.” Wanderers Stanlio and Ollio are held up by a band of Diavolo’s men, and lose their hard-earned life savings. They determine that they too will lead a life of crime, and proceed to bungle a series of robbery attempts with Ollio posing as the dreaded Diavolo. They make the mistake of holding up the real Diavolo; he in turn threatens their lives, but spares them and makes them his personal servants. Diavolo is enamored with the charms of the lovely Lady Rocberg and the 500,000 francs she has hidden in her petticoat. The Boys help to expose Diavolo, and all escape unharmed.
A Century of Progress
The Century of Progress, by contrast, celebrated an America of the future, of the imagination. Rather than rejoicing in what was, this exhibition enticed people to envision the grand America to come, to think about the wonders that lay ahead and aspire toward a new vision of their nation. This idea was especially poignant in 1933, as the country lay stricken by its worst financial disaster in history, the Great Depression. By creating a wonderland reflecting America’s greatest advancements in art, literature, architecture, science, and industry, the fair served not only as a source of pride, but also provided some much needed reassurance that, despite the current situation, the future of America was full of promise.
Leslie Ragan
Leslie Ragan was a speciality illustrator who had a particular niche in the market, and who stood in it unchanged for most of his career. He painted machines moving fast through landscapes. He was born in Iowa and went to the Cumming School of Art in Des Moines and then to the Art Institute in Chicago.
He designed posters an illustrations using opaque watercolours on Upson Board – wood panel found in timberyards and which has a pebbled surface. The surface is fixed with denatured alcahol and gum. His design, a combination of site observation and tracings from photographs is projected upon the board with a Balopticon ( a sort of sophisticated slide projector). The panel is then worked up flat on a table to allow the paint to dry without drips and run. ( see Ernest Watson, Forty Illustrators and How they Work, Watson Guptill New York 1946, the main source of reference on mid century commercial illustration in America.
His major campaigns were for New York Grand Central and for Budd. For examples of his work for The Budd Manufacturing Company …
Bron: cccw.adh.bton.ac.uk