Posted by Robare M. Novou on October 10, 2003
Tom SwormstedtI was wondering if it was possible to have this letterhead site start a link to a rawson and evans page...that would be listed under the featured articles title of the home page of theletterheads.com
It would be a page were you, myself and others could contribute what facts we know about rawson and evans, from catalogs, patents, pictures, articles, etc. I only have pieces to the puzzle...Im sure some of you out there have more knowledge, that coupled together with all the rest, would make for a great central location for information concerning R&E.
Any thoughts about making this happen would be greatly appreciated.
RMN
Mike JacksonJust to let y'all know, the Museum went ahead and purchased five Rawson and Evans' pieces from Rick Glawson's estate (including a 13 and 10-ft. sign). Sent the check for $11,500 a week or so ago to the Glawson family. Pat Mackle, one of Rick's long-time buddies and a glass artist in his own right, is going to lovingly pack them for shipment to Cincinnati, together with some of the Museum's pieces which had been on loan to Rick (such as Raymond LeBlanc's "Signs of the Times" piece that was used in his book; Bob Seelander's pledge of allegiance donated by Bob Behounek; and three Alf Becker pieces). We have raised about $5000 so far:a little over $2000 from the Tomahawk, WI Letterhead meet, and another $2000 from Sepp Leaf. A fundraising letter is going out in the next issue of Letterhead mag . . . but we'd surely accept donations from any of you.
Hi all,
At one of the early conclaves, Rick had enlarged a photo of the United Cigar signs on his photocopier for people to use as a project piece. People wanting to do the project had to hand transfer the design to sandblast stencil...seems like we used seril paper (colored tracing paper). I did mine, and cut it all by hand like everyone else. Of course it took a lot of time and effort. When I headed back to the small sandblast unit to frost it for the pre-chip step, Butch Anton was already using the booth. For some reason, I needed to be somewhere else at the time, and Butch volunteered to frost mine as soon as he finished his project. Not blaming Butch, he somehow broke my piece.
I couldn't stand to sit there and cut another but I took my pattern sheet home. I had made the comment earlier that I could digitize the artwork faster than I could cut it, so I DID digitize it. Somewhere along the way, I sent the digitized artwork to Rick and I think it was used by other people off and on over the years.
When we were gearing up to do our glass art, we used that design as a test piece shown above. Rawson and Evans would have used silver, but we were trying our first angel gilding and I was determined to get the process down. I think we made ten of that piece.
As a side note, I digitized a LOT of the Rawson and Evans ornamental elements which make up the bulk of Main Street Collection of Panels and Ornaments.
If you want to download the 275k United Cigar Illustrator 3.0 file and make your own Rawson and Evans sign, click on the link below. I am pretty certain this will work...but if not maybe I can get it to work later. At least you will know "the rest of the story" as to how that design came about! (In case your browser wants to change the extension to .PS, just save the file like this "unitedcigar.ai") After saving the file, you should be able to open or import it into about any program.
(Site Man says: Do not know if the link below will work. Mike may have to fondle it with his magic keyboard)
Download United Cigar Artwork in Illustrator 3.0 format
http://www.theletterheads.com/pub/unitedcigar.ai
Mike Jackson
Robin Sharrard
Larry WhiteThanks for sharing your file. I've got about a half of an angle kit left, might go to good use. Robin
I always loved that one and have wanted to do it. I missed it at the conclave, perhaps that was before my time. Of coarse, I wouldn't be too shy to hand cut it, but I'm starting to employ the computer a bit and will give this one a shot. Thanks for the artwork!
P.S. I'm pretty sure John Yarnell would share the Corina artwork.
-LW
Jeff Lang
Mike,
Thank you for sharing that digitized panel, your directions worked just right. paths look very clean... I can't wait to make one!
Jeff
Larry White
Robare M. NovouFollowing Ron Percell's Micromeet, John Yarnell of Yarnell Signs (Hilmar, CA) asked if I could give him some reverse glass pointers. Well, of course, that leads to an excellent opportunity to create another glass sign. I selected to do a replica of the "Corina Cigars" sign from the Rawson & Evans catalog. John vectorized it and cut some masks. We proceded to acid etch some of the letter centers and scroll work, then glue chip the entire background. We then silvered the whole piece and backed it up (with a paint brush cause we're not screen printers yet). We're gettin' back together this weekend to try to finish 'em up. Any suggestions as to the scroll colors? ...so as not to get bored, I designed myself a sign that mimics one of the old R & E store front signs, one like the one with a multitude of individual beveled glass pieces.... but that's a story for later.
This is really just an excercise in seeing if I can post a photo here.
Jeffrey P. LangAnother Nice Glass Sign Larry!
Im sure Im not the first person to propose this, but I was thinking about how doing a Rawson and Evans Colorized Catalog, much like the Atkinson Project of several years ago, would be nice.
Anyone interested? I know I am!
RMN
Rob,
Sounds like a great idea, I'd like to see who else is interested.
Jeff
Kent Smith
Robin SharrardRawson and Evans usually used strong pure pigment colors, mostly red, green or brilliant blue for cigars. Often lightily blended bottom to top with the bottom darker like we did the Brinhauser pieces. Check your Cigar Label book for ideas, Corina sounds like a woman though I did not find it on a cursory look. Remember the oval probably had a litho attached in it, not usually a hand painted pictorial.
Mike JacksonLooks great so far. Can't wait to see the finished piece. I just got an R & E reprint after seeing Ron's at the Micromeet and have selected a couple of pieces I'd like to attempt...after I find time to finish the Micromeet piece. Then I get to figure out this picture posting thing as well. Robin
Robare,
A few of us have been watching Rawson stuff for a long time and have small bits of info, but there hasn't been much to work with. I bought the Rawson and Evans book from Esoteric2 and Danny Barronian bought a few other Rawson sheets and promotional pieces. No one knows where the Photo Portfolio ended up. I had considered making a page about them, but it hasn't happened yet. About the best I can suggest right now is for people to post whatever information they might have here on this board (under this thread) and we can compile the info for a later page.
Mike Jackson
Denver Chapter of the Letterheads