The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, October 9, 1904, Page 15

THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. === = aogsar " T - ! RS, HE newspaper artists are to the fore again and seem unusually pleased with themselves for be- ing there. And the reason for all their glory is just this. Beginning on the eleventh day of October they vir- tually own the Maple Room of the Pal- ace—and incidentally everything that is in it. For, be it known to the unine itiated, their second art exhibition will be opened with the flourishing of trum- pets, and every man jack in the length and breadth of this city who follows the difficult row of newspaper or mag- azine {llustrations will be represented. And well represented, too, for he has put forth his best work and has han- dled subjects of every description and worked in every “medium,” from pen and ink to oils. Last year a league was formed, for the hard-working everyday illustra- tors wanted to prove to the public in general and themselves in particular that they were capable of doing some- thing better than fifteen-minute sketches, turned out under hard pres- sure, because another “two or three column” was waiting for them. They wanted to prove that there was plenty of ability and skill behind them. and they did it beyond their fondest hopes. Nowhere else in the world does the newspaper man hold the unique posi- tion that he does in America. He can- not be a dreamer and work by fits and starts, according to inspirations, or else he will suddenly wake up to find him- self on the ragged edge of nowhere. Unless he is up to snuff he is out in the cold. He must of necessity be versatile, quick-witted and well read, or he will be forced to earn his bread and butter by the sweat of his brow and not by the force of his pen. Unpless he can take his daily assignments and turn out.a finished product with remarkable rapidity, he is hopelessly behind the times and a back number. And what is his reward? The pro- duct of his skill and brain lives for a day and then is lost. From first to last his work is done under pressure and yet there is a degree of art in It that is little short of wonderful. In fact, he realizes that if he would get recognition of his work he must put a certain amount of excellence of execu- tion in it and that it must have the idea hehlnd‘ it. It may be all well enough and good to amuse the fickle public a minute or so0 daily, but this is not the ambition of the newspaper illustrator. Nine out of ten aspire to magazine and book work and when that step has been achieved they long and dream of the day when the wolf can be kept away and the.larder supplied by the skill of the brush and not the pen. This, forsooth, is one reason why he tries his hand at a little of everything—pen and pencil, wash, water colors and oils, first one and then another, to see which medium is best adapted fof his own particular style of ‘work. And so it is that the everyday light- ning artist is slowly but surely work- ing his way to prominence in his chosen profession. Almost In the dark. as it wese, for, while he is experimenting and gaining, the world sees his hurried sketches of daily happenings and gives his ability scarcely more than a pass- ing thought. It is rush, rush, rush, in a daily pa- per, with the men an@ women of the artroom above all other departments. There is no time to sit and dream and plan. And artists can’t live on aspira- tions and day dreams. And so it is just because the best work of artists whose names are familiar to all news- paper readers cannot of necessity ap- pear in the papers they work for that the league has bzen formed for the pur- pose of bringing to the notice of news- paper readers and art enthusiasts in general the really splendid and high ciass work that can be accomplished by these hard worked newspaper artists when they take a brace and knuckle down. Incidentally lovers of fine work will have ample opportunity to buy. Last year the league received such encourzgement that they decided to follow in the footsteps of the Eastern artists and hold an annual exhibition of their work, both for competitive ana practical purposes, and so well have they paved the way that the prover- bial stumbling block, whose chief duty in life is to annoy and disturb genius, is absolutely non est. So here’s to the success of the league, the members of which, by the way, are the fcllowing: Theodore Langguth, Chronicle; L. Maynarc Dixon, Bunset; Gordon Ross, Chronicle; R. Thomson, Call; Haig Patigan, Town Talk; Bert A. Igoe, Ex- aminer; W. L. Cook, Call; V. Nahl, Ex- aminer; J. Kahler, Bulletin; W. Fran- cis, Call: Laura E. Foster, Bulletin; J. A. Cahill, Call; Adonica Fulton, Bul- letin; F. W. Small, Chronicle; Charles F. Miller, Chronicle; F. V. Smith, Ex- aminer; Frank Todhunter, Chronicle; L. C. Pedler, Chronicle; Oscar M. Bryn, Call; S. Armstrong, Call; R. G. Rus- som, Call; C. S. Donnelly, Examiner; H. N. Bunker, Chronicle: W. A. Coul- ter, Call; R. O. Yardley, Chronicle; G. A. Bronstrup, Call; Merle Johnson, Ezaminer; C. W. Rohrhand, Call; A. Methfessel, Sunset; Dan C. Sweeney, Examiner; Harrv Warren, Call; Wil- liam Stevens, Examirer; Ralph Spring- er, Examiner; H. G. Peter," Bulletin; C. D. Pitchford, Sunset; S. Schuhl, Call; Charles Schultz, Bulletin; G. Winemll- ler, Sunset. \? / ) = - /—\:e&\\ SN N — IS R .O. YaARDLE Y CHRONICLE -