Treasures and Musings @ Modern Graphic History Library

This Week in History: Al Parker's Induction into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame

While Al Parker received many awards and accolades throughout his career, perhaps none was as prestigous as his induction into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame, which happened 47 years ago this week. Given that the Society had only begun their Hall of Fame in 1958, it is particularly impressive that Parker was recognized for his body of work and influence on the field a mere 7 years later, joining the company of previous inductees such as Norman Rockwell and Harold von Schmidt. Below is the President's Dinner program, June 16, 1965 (the event at which Parker was honored), including the dinner menu, a brief introduction by then-President Carl Bobertz, and a paragraph about Parker.

Happy Birthday, Robert Andrew Parker!

Happy birthday to Robert Andrew Parker, who turns 85 today. Since the 1950's, Parker's work has appeared in numerous books, magazines such as The New Yorker and Sports Illustrated, and museums and fine art galleries across the country. Many of his original watercolor illustrations for children's books can be found in the Robert Andrew Parker Collection; check out a few highlights below.

from The Ballet of Elephants, written by Leda Schubert (2006)

from The People with Five Fingers: A Native Californian Creation Tale, written by John Bierhorst (2000)

  from Father Time and the Day Boxes, written by George Ella Lyon (1985)

  from The Mermaid and the Whale, written by Georgess McHargue (1973)

  from To Fly: The Story of the Wright Brothers, written by Wendie Old (2002)

This Day in History: Robert Weaver's Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame Letter

In 1985, Robert Weaver was inducted into the Society of Illustrators' Hall of Fame. Check out the letter informing him of the good news, written twenty-seven years ago today, below. For more about Weaver, see the finding aid for the Robert Weaver Collection or this blog post about him.

This Week in History: Norman Rockwell's Fan Letter to Al Parker

Although Al Parker had many admirers during his career, perhaps the most famous individual to send him a fan letter was fellow illustrator Norman Rockwell. Read the letter, written February 25th, 1948 (64 years ago this week), below.