Table of Contents
Scope and Contents of the Collection
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Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Neher, Fred, 1903-2001. |
| Title: | Fred Neher Papers |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1935-1965 |
| Quantity: | 0.5 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | Correspondence, clippings, published material and original cartoons from the comic strip Life's Like That. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: | Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Biographical History
Fred Neher (1903-2001) was an American cartoonist and creator of the comic strip Life's Like That. Although he sold his first cartoon while still in high school, he studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts after graduating. He freelanced for several years, selling cartoons to national periodicals such as Collier's and the New Yorker, as well as to the British publication Punch. In 1934 he began drawing Life's Like That which, apart from a brief hiatus during World War II, ran for more than fifty years. Neher also taught cartooning at the University of Boulder in Boulder, Colorado for many years.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Fred Neher Papers contains artwork, correspondence, memorabilia and printed material.
Artwork consists of 87 original black-and-white ink drawings for Neher's popular gag cartoon Life's Like That. The cartoon features several recurring characters, such as "Some Punkins" (attractive young women), "Hi-Teens" (teenagers), "Will-Yum" (young boy), "Mrs. Pip's Diary" (middle-class housewife), and "Us Moderns" (precocious infants). Most of the panels date from 1963 and 1964; a complete list of dates is available here. There is one large Sunday panel; the remainder are dailies.
Correspondence consists of fan mail and miscellaneous correspondence. Included in the latter are invitations, requests for donations of artwork to institutions, and two letter critical of particular cartoons (one about hot rodders, the other about the U.S. Postal Service).
Memorabilia contains awards and certificates, some clippings about Neher and assorted miscellaneous material (one photograph and a sheet of letterhead).
Printed material contains clippings of two half-page color Sunday panels of Life's Like That, greeting cards featuring characters from the strip, promotional material advertising the strip, and a proof sheet. There is also a folder of miscellaneous material -- bridge tally cards, a program from a high school recital, an "Us Moderns" birth certificate (several of the fan letters are requests for these in the names of children or friends), and a printed Life's Like That strip that has been hand-colored by an unknown person.
Arrangement of the Collection
Artwork is arranged chronologically. Correspondence is subdivided into fan mail and other correspondence; each subset is arranged chronologically. Memorabilia and printed material are arranged alphabetically by type.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Related Material
Special Collections Research Center has collections of over one hundred cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.
Subject Headings
Persons
Corporate Bodies
Associated Titles
Subjects
Genres and Forms
Occupations
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Fred Neher Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Gift of Fred Neher, 1967, 1970-1972.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: MD
Date: 10 Dec 2008
Revision history: 10 Dec 2008 - converted to EAD (MD);
19 Feb 2010 - inventory added (MRC)
Inventory
| Artwork | |||||||||||
| Click here for a detailed inventory. | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Life's Like That 1959, 1961-1964 (82 items) roughly 10-1/2" x 11" (4 folders) | ||||||||||
| Map-Case 100 | Life's Like That 20 Jun 1965 (1 item) roughly 15" x 20" | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Life's Like That 1966, undated (5 items) roughly 10-1/2" x 11" (2 folders) | ||||||||||
| Correspondence | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Fan mail 1935-1964, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Miscellaneous 1935-1937, 1939, 1943-1944, 1947, 1959, undated | ||||||||||
| Memorabilia | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Awards and certificates 1954, 1966 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Clippings about 1948-1949, 1965-1966, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Miscellaneous undated | ||||||||||
| Published material | |||||||||||
| Books | |||||||||||
| Three titles. Transferred to Rare Books for cataloging. | |||||||||||
| Clippings | |||||||||||
| Map-Case 100 | Life's Like That Sunday panel, color 27 Feb 1966 (1 item) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Life's Like That Sunday panels, color undated (2 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Greeting cards | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Promotional material undated - for Life's Like That, from Consolidated News Features | ||||||||||
| Map-Case 100 | Proof sheet October 24-29, 1966 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Miscellaneous - includes bridge tally cards, "Us Moderns" birth certificate | ||||||||||