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Finding aid created by: MM
Date: 3 June 1968
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| 18 Dec 2008 | converted to EAD (MD) |
| 4 Nov 2009 | added detailed bio, scope and inventory (SK) |
Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Strauss, Charles. |
| Title: | Charles Strauss Papers |
| Dates: | 1942-1966. |
| Quantity: | 2 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | Original cartoons, commercial and magazine illustrations, clippings, correspondence and photos. |
| Language: | English, Portuguese |
| Repository: | Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Charles Earl Strauss (1911-2000) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and commercial artist.
Born in Jeffersonsville, Indiana on April 7, 1911, Strauss received a A.B. from Oberlin College and also studied at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, the Art Students League in New York City and at the Académie de la Grande Chaumière in Paris. Strauss published cartoons and illustrations in a variety of publications ranging from trade magazines to youth magazines such as Boy's Life as well as in general interest publications like Collier's and the Saturday Evening Post. In addition to cartooning and illustrating, Strauss was an instructor at the Grand Central School of Art in New York City and with the Frenchtown, New Jersey public schools.
Charles Strauss died on February 7, 2000.
The Charles Strauss Papers consist of 3 series: Artwork, Correspondence and Photographs. A range of genres are represented in the Artwork series (1942-1966). Strauss drew and wrote comic book stories for Casper and Spooky, illustrated greeting cards, published cartoons in magazines and newspapers, drew posters and drew covers for crossword puzzle books. While there are several folders of clippings of his published work, the bulk of the collection is original artwork as noted in the inventory. Magazines represented include the Saturday Evening Post, Collier's, Boy's Life, American Legion and the Wall Street Journal.
Social humor was the primary subject of Strauss' magazine cartoons but other common themes involve children and American Indians. Also of interest are a series of cartoons with the title, "A Ultima Palavra" that are in Portugese. There are also several unfinished sketches and drawings of buildings included.
Many of the pieces are undated and do not contain any information on where it was submitted for publication. Many contain notations from engravers and about shading and size. Strauss typically drew his cartoons in pen and ink on varying weights and finishes of illustration board and paper. Of particular interest are several drawings done in color (Oversize 1).
There are also 2 letters (1963, 1966) in Correspondence and 2 undated photographs of Strauss.
Artwork appearing in specific publications have been arranged by the publication's title while the rest has been arranged by type of artwork.
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.
Special Collections Research Center has collections of over one hundred cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.
Persons
Strauss, Charles.
Associated Titles
American legion.
Boy's life.
Collier's.
Saturday evening post.
Wall Street journal.
Subjects
American Indians -- Caricatures and cartoons.
American wit and humor, Pictorial.
Caricatures and cartoons -- United States.
Cartoonists -- United States.
Comic books, strips, etc.
Commercial art -- United States.
Commercial artists -- United States.
Illustrators -- United States.
Magazine covers.
Genres and Forms
Cartoons (humorous images)
Clippings (information artifacts)
Correspondence.
Greeting cards.
Illustrations.
Posters.
Proofs (printed matter)
Sketches.
Occupations
Cartoonists.
Commercial artists.
Illustrators.
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Charles Strauss Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Gift of Charles Strauss, 1967.
Artwork
Correspondence
Photographs
| Artwork | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | "A Ultima Palavra" undated - printed cartoons in Portuguese (12 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | American Legion Jan 1947, May 1949, Dec 1950, Jun 1953, undated - original artwork (5 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Argosy undated - original artwork (1 item) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Book covers Feb-Mar 1966, Jun-Jul 1966, Nov-Dec 1966 undated - sketches and clippings of printed covers from crossword puzzle magazines, and Art Education. (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Clippings 1942, 1947, 1949-1950, 1952, 1954-1957, 1960-1962, undated | ||||||||||
| includes examples of Strauss' cartoons and illustrations published in Boys' Life, Judge, American Legion, Farm Life, Collier's, Saga, Home Life, Saturday Evening Post and other magazines | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Clippings 1952-1960, 1962-1963, undated | ||||||||||
| includes examples of Strauss' cartoons and illustrations published in Boys' Life, Liberty, Medical Economics, Collier's and other magazines | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Cocktail Lounge undated - original drawings and photocopies | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Collier's 30 Jul 1949, May 1950, Jun 1951, Nov 1951, Aug 1952, Apr 1953, Aug 1953, Nov-Dec 1953, Aug 1954, undated - original artwork (13 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Comic books 1958-1959, 1962-1963. undated - original comic book story board drawings and typed, dated stories for comic books | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Cosmopolitan undated - original artwork (2 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Country Gentleman undated - original artwork (1 item) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Greeting cards undated - primarily birthday cards, includes original art as well as printed cards (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Ladies' Home Journal 1950 - original artwork (1 item) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Liberty 28 Sep 1946 - original artwork (1 item) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | New York Times 11 Apr 1953, undated - original artwork (2 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Posters undated - printed by the Elliot Service Company, Mount Vernon, New York, subject is ingenuity (4 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Proofs undated - several proofs of Strauss' magazine cartoons (12 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Saga Jan 1951 - original artwork (1 item) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Saturday Evening Post 1952, undated - original artwork (4 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Saturday Review of Literature undated - original artwork (2 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Sketches, illustrations and cartoons undated - original artwork ( 19 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | This Week 9 Jun 1946, 17 Oct 1948, undated - original artwork (3 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Trade publications 1950, 1955-1956, 1958, 1962 (7 items) | ||||||||||
| includes examples of Strauss' work in New Frontiers: an American Steel and Wire Publication (comic book), Management Information, Current Medical Digest, Angelique Fragrance Forum | |||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Unknown publication Dec 1946, Feb 1947, Apr 1947, Feb 1948, Feb 1949, Aug 1949, undated - original artwork (16 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Unknown publication 1949, 1954-1955 undated - original artwork (31 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Unknown publication undated - original artwork (7 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Unknown publication undated - original artwork and several proofs, some in full color (12 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Wall Street Journal undated - original artwork (10 items) | ||||||||||
| Correspondence (2 items) | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | 1963,1966 | ||||||||||
| Photographs (2 items) | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | photographs of Charles Strauss undated | ||||||||||