Invitation to Paint a Mural

As we enter the final three months of this blog, the pace quickens as we compress over a years’ worth of life and courtship into just a few months.  This month, we highlight a run of June and Art letters from July and August 1950.

Color pencil sketch by Art Price.



Thursday, July 13, 1950

20 Cooper Street

Southampton, NY

Dear June,

I went to Secunda’s art class yesterday and he asked me to paint a mural.  It’s for the YMCA.  He had a pretty good sized class today, 9 or 10, mostly women.  Believe me, darling, you don’t haven’t a thing to worry about.  They’re mostly beginners.  I know some of them from the store.  I may go back to the class again tonight.  I don’t know how long I’ll be able to keep up two classes a week.

I hope you’re having good luck in the city and that your interview went alright.

My folks are out again tonight.  This time they’re baby sitting across the street with Pete.

Already it seems as if you have been gone for ages.  I can hardly wait till you’re in my arms again.  Look out for me.  I’m liable to get “drunk” again!  Good night, my darling.

All my love,

Art

(For Saturday – the war news.)
 

© 2011 Lee Price

Hat and Gloves

As we enter the final three months of this blog, the pace quickens as we compress over a years’ worth of life and courtship into just a few months.  This month, we highlight a run of June and Art letters from July and August 1950.

Wednesday, July 12, 1950

112 West 86th Street

New York City, NY

Dear Art,

Fashion illustration with hat and gloves by
June Anderson.

Darling, I hate to admit it, but I’m afraid I didn’t do much at all today.  I spent most of the day trying to find a hat.  I finally bought one and some gloves, but I don’t particularly like them.  By the way, did I ever leave a pair of white gloves in your car?

By the time I bought everything it was getting late, about 2:00.  Just as Betty and I were leaving to come back to the apartment, there was a cloudburst.  My permanent didn’t take – my hair came completely straight.  So even if I had wanted to look for a job, it would have been impossible.  In fact, I’m afraid I won’t be able to look for a job any day that it rains.  I hope this won’t be a wasted week.

Oh, did I tell you Shirl and Ted have definitely broken up?

There are three of us here and on the surface the conversation is cheerful and spritely.  But, darling, underneath, I’m lonely for you.  I love you so much.

All my love,

June

(Tomorrow – an invitation to paint a mural.)

© 2011 Lee Price

New Pictures for the Wallet

As we enter the final three months of this blog, the pace quickens as we compress over a years’ worth of life and courtship into just a few months.  This month, we highlight a run of June and Art letters from July and August 1950.  After a month in Riverhead following her Traphagen graduation, June returned to New York City to look for work  Art remained behind in Southampton, working at Roulston’s grocery store and attending his art school classes…

Tuesday, July 11, 1950

20 Cooper Street

Southampton, NY

Dear June,

Gosh I haven’t written to you for so long.  I hope I haven’t forgotten how!  I had a wonderful time all the time you were home, my darling.  I love you so very much.

Don’t tire yourself out job hunting!  Get lots of sleep – and save all your strength for me, you’re going to need it, GRRR!  Oh, I love you so much.  The only thing I accomplished tonight was to add a couple of pictures to my wallet.  And guess who

they were of?

I hope you’re writing to me at the same time I’m writing this.  I like to think so.  I’ll be looking for a letter Wednesday, another Thursday, and you on Friday.  I’ll see you at 8:30 unless you want me to pick you up somewhere.  Let me know if you do.

I was busy all day at work.  I stayed home tonight, just dozing in the easy chair.  My folks have gone to the movies.  I wish you

were here.  Wish I could kiss you good night and kiss you and kiss you ---

All my love,

Art

(Tomorrow – more shopping than job hunting.)

© 2011 Lee Price

Back to the City

June and Art is a limited-duration blog which began on September 25, 2010 and will conclude in early September 2011.  As we enter the final three months of the blog, the pace will quicken, compressing over a years’ worth of life and courtship into just a few months.  This month, we highlight a run of June and Art letters from July and August 1950.

After a month in Riverhead following her Traphagen graduation, June returned to New York City to look for work…

Monday, July 10, 1950

112 West 86th Street

New York City, NY

Dear Art,

June Anderson.

I’m very tired today, not too surprising since I got up at 5:00 this morning for the train.  And then I wandered all over New York in the rain.  I’m quite worn out.  I’m going to bed right after this letter.  Honestly, darling.

I have to buy a hat and gloves tomorrow, so I don’t suppose I’ll have too much time for job hunting.  I’ll just go to that one man who said there might be an opening and get it over with.

It’s nice to be together with Shirl and Betty Newling again.  Betty had a permanent and her hair looks very good.  Shirl had one too but it came out kinky, so she cut it all off.  It’s certainly short now!

Before I go any further, darling, I love you and miss you very much already.  I’ve been following the war news, listening to it with half-closed ears.  I just pray they won’t take you.  I’ll feel terrible if you’re taken away from me.

Take care of yourself, darling, and no flirting with Mr. Secunda’s pretty girls.

Good night and all my love,

June

(Tomorrow – adding pictures to the wallet.)

© 2011 Lee Price

A Pause in the Correspondence

Following graduation, June left her apartment in New York City and returned home to Riverhead.  As with all June’s vacations and long weekends, there’s no June-Art correspondence when they’re seeing each other regularly.  As Art recently wrote:

“I’d rather see you than write.”

                                  Art Price

                                  Letter to June Anderson, May 15, 1950

Up until this point, the “June and Art” blog has maintained a posting schedule directly corresponding to their unfolding relationship (minus 61 years).  The final months of this limited duration blog (eleven months, from September 2010 to September 2011) will condense fifteen months (June 1950 – September 1951) into three.

There will be more letters – they just won’t follow the calendar as accurately as before.  Starting Monday, “June and Art” will leap forward one month to showcase their love letters of July-August 1950, covering the period when June returned to Manhattan that summer.

(For Monday – Manhattan job hunting.)

© 2011 Lee Price

 

The Rolled Nudes

Charcoal sketch by June Anderson.

Cross-posted on Preserving a Family Collection.  Please note that the images on Preserving a Family Collection are more explicit than the images chosen (and cropped) for this blog.

Flashback:  Back in spring 1949, June took a course at Traphagen School of Fashion where she learned to draw the nude human body.  Women models posed fully nude.  Male models were drawn nude when depicted from the rear.  Frontal views of men featured discreet coverings.  The drawings were oversized and were probably rolled into cylinders for storage soon after they were drawn.  The course ended in late May;  June met Art that Memorial Day.

At some point, the rolled nudes were all stuffed into a large plastic bag.  They disappeared into long-term storage.  I first looked at them a year ago, pulling out several to see what they were.  I didn’t look at many because they were unwieldy and fragile.  There are approximately fifty of these rolled nudes in our family collection.

Last week, I brought six of the rolled nudes into the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artifacts for examination and treatment recommendations by Senior Conservator Soyeon Choi.  I selected the six pieces randomly, sight unseen, and carried them to the Center in a black plastic trash bag.

Soyeon unrolled the oversized drawings, one by one.  She used heavy transparent acrylic blocks to hold down the edges, preventing them from scrolling back up.  For the first time, I could see the nudes clearly.  According to the grades on most of them, this is “A” work.

All charcoal sketches by June Anderson.
Uncropped pictures on the companion blog,
Preserving a Family Collection.

(For Sunday – a pause in the correspondence.)
 

© 2011 Lee Price

Graduation Day!

June graduated from Traphagen School of Fashion on Thursday, June 1, 1950.  We have no idea if she attended the ceremony or simply had the diploma mailed to her.  We don’t know if Art or her parents came into the city to share the occasion with her.

But we do have the diploma, so we know with certainty that she “satisfactorily completed the two year course in costume design and illustration.”  The diploma is signed by the school’s founder, Ethel Traphagen.

From 61 years later, “Happy Graduation Day!”

(For Friday – time rushes forward.)
 

© 2011 Lee Price