Earl Blair Collection of Pen Sketches

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Earl Blair Collection of Pen Sketches

• 1980’s and 1990s (Production)

Quantity: 2 flat binders; 1 flat file box ( ); 1 flat file box ( )

Arrangement One page autobiography, list of all sketches.

Background Note: Earl Blair was born July 4, 1920, “thirteen miles from a RR crossing in Montana”. His family moved to Iowa from Montana when Earl was six months old. He grew up in Paton, Iowa and graduated from high school in Paton. He worked for Allis-Chalmers and moved to Grinnell in 1962 when he was transferred by the company.

Container List:

Earl Blair Collection of Pen & Ink Sketches
Cartoon Sketches

Donated by: Earl Blair

Autobiography
September 6, 2012

I was asked to write a narrative about how I picked up abilities as an artist. (I really don’t consider myself as an artist). However, I always got an “A” in Art classes, and always enjoyed Art.

When I was in the first grade, another class student offered me 25 cents if I would do an art project for him to turn in. (This was my first commercial art.) But when the report cards came out, he got an A and I got a C; never fooled her [the teacher] a bit.

I’ve never done a whole lot with paint but have mostly done sketches in ink. I must have been born with some talent—I had an aunt that was considered to be an Artist, and my Mother was pretty good with doing little sketches.

When I got to high school a class in Mechanical Drawing was offered, and I signed up for this class for both 9th and 10th grades, but they first refused a 3rd year class, which of course they didn’t have.

I was told they couldn’t give me credit toward graduation because they had no such class. I assured this teacher that I had taken extra classes previously and I didn’t need the extra credit and if they would just let me sit in the back of the room, I would be really quiet and they could just feed me some advanced work. Well, this persuaded them to let me take it another year, but no credit.

I really prefer to be referred to as a sketch artist, as most of my work has been of that nature.

In about the past three years, there has always been a group that has sponsored tours of homes in the community, each tour consisting of 10-12 homes and I have always been asked to do a sketch of each home on the tour. These I have have happily done, and at no charge.

Through the years I have sketched roughly 300 churches, businesses, college buildings and many, many homes, which I have given to the library for preservation.

Now, I need to learn how to write.

Name of Preparer: C. Neubert

Date of Preparation: January/February 2013