Overview of the Collection |
|
| Creator: | Schilder, Edgar F. |
| Title: | Edgar F. Schilder Papers |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1909-1950 |
| Quantity: | 14.5 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | Over 1,000 pieces of original cartoon artwork including material from the Syracuse Post-Standard, comic strips, original artwork by other cartoonists, biographical material, photographs, newspaper and magazine clippings, proofs, posters, and a scrapbook. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: | Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Library 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 http://scrc.syr.edu |
Edgar F. "Steve" Schilder (1888-1963) was an American cartoonist who worked for the Syracuse Post-Standard for over 40 years.
Edgar Francis "Steve" Schilder was born in Chillicothe, Ohio on August 31, 1888. A self-taught artist, Schilder completed courses through the Evans Correspondence School of Cartooning in Columbus, Ohio and his early cartoons were done on chalk plates. His first journalism job was with the Chillicothe newspaper, where he worked for several months without pay in order to gain experience. Schilder then held a string of newspaper positions around the United States.
Schilder worked at the Columbus Citizen, the Portsmouth Blade and in Lima, Ohio. Schilder then went to the Denver Post, the St. Joseph Missouri News Press and the Indianapolis Star. During his tenure in Indianapolis, Schilder picked up his pen name "Steve" which was derived from the black cat that appeared in many of his cartoons. Leaving Indianapolis, Schilder spent a year and a half with the Journal Gazette in Fort Wayne, Indiana before taking a job in Baltimore with the International Syndicate.
In 1914 Schilder worked in St. Louis, in 1915 in Atlanta, and in 1916 he worked at the New Orleans Times Picayune until in 1917, Schilder took a job with the Syracuse Post-Standard and became editor of the newspaper's Sunday magazine. As editor, Schilder's decision to publish historic photos in the magazine proved popular with readers and he ran the newspaper’s photography contests. Schilder also worked as the editorial cartoonist. The New York Herald Tribune, New York Times and the Saturday Evening Post also published Schilder's cartoons.
The United States Treasury Department recognized him with an award in 1940 for his war bond cartoons, and his cartoons of prominent World War II figures were exhibited at the Syracuse Museum of Fine Arts in 1943. The demands of the Post-Standard's Sunday magazine led Schilder to spend less time on cartooning during his final years with the newspaper. Schilder retired from the Post-Standard on July 1, 1962.
Edgar F. Schilder died on August 25, 1963 after falling in his home and suffering a skull fracture.
The Edgar F. Schilder Papers are divided into six series: original artwork, biographical material, printed material, clippings, proofs and photographs.
Original Artwork (1918-1950) contains original pieces drawn by Schilder and other cartoonists. Schilder's items include primarily both editorial and general interest cartoons.
Schilder’s work reflects the interests of his Syracuse and Central New York readership. His numerous cartoons related to fishing often referenced Oneida Lake. Winter is a prominent topic as well as a backdrop for his cartoons while those depicted go about their daily lives, such as Schilder's recurring character, Might Marty, a balding, bespeckled man who is no more than a head on a stick figure body. Local college sports teams and the Syracuse Chiefs minor league baseball team are also mentioned. Many of Schilder's cartoons called for the conservation of natural resources.
Of particular interest are Schilder’s cartoons drawn during World War II. Schilder’s depiction of the war and its effects went beyond the political as he often focused on home front activities and hardships including scrap metal drives, victory gardens and the rationing of food and other materials, while calling for "Patriotism before pleasure" as one title encouraged. Schilder also produced a handful of cartoons that cautioned against being overly optimistic in predictions for a quick victory. He frequently referred to Axis leaders by nicknames including Herr Hitler, Herr Ohito (Hirohito) and the Herrless One (Mussolini).
Schilder's original art is dated only with years (there are also some undated cartoons). Several dated pieces are mounted. Undated work has been arranged in alphabetical order by caption. Items vary in size but the majority are between approximately 11" x 14" and 14" x 16". The cartoons were drawn primarily in ink on illustration board. Some feature light crayon shading.
In addition to editorial and general interest cartoons, there are also 32 original drawings of World War II leaders. These portraits generally measure 8 1/4" x 11 1/4" and several are mounted. Also included are fourteen original Cinder comic strips featuring Schilder's signature black cat, Steve.
There are also 26 original drawings by other artists, many of which were presented as gifts to Schilder. See the inventory for a listing.
Biographical material (1909-1950) contains a few pieces of personal correspondence, articles on Schilder and his work, two photographs of Schilder and a small folder of miscellaneous items.
Printed material (1921-1945) offers examples of Schilder's work as it appeared in various non-newspaper formats particularly trade and industry publications, particulary from Traveler's Insurance. Several folders are related to Syracuse and the upstate New York region including material on the American Legion, Mohawk Carpet Mills, and various other businesses and organizations. Some local material is related to the Syracuse Post-Standard.
Schilder was an avid clipper of items from magazines and newspapers. Clippings (1912-1950) is generally comprised of two types of material: material clipped from newspapers and magazines (work not drawn by Schilder) and cartoons (particularly editorial cartoons). Included are Schilder’s editorial cartoons from the Syracuse Post-Standard as well as clippings of cartoons by other cartoonists (such as Carey Orr, Herb Roth, J.N. Ding Darling, H.T. Webster, Warren King, Gasoline Alley and the Gumps). Included is a Ding drawing done exclusively for the Syracuse Post-Standard. Schilder also clipped a plethora of illustrations, advertisements and imagery from publications, ranging from small scraps to full pages about animals, transportation, illustrations of people, and furniture. Many clippings contain spot color and are from New York newspapers. Also of interest in this series is a scrapbook containing clippings, photos and portraits of other cartoonists.
Proofs (1915-1944) includes several proofs of cartoons including editorial cartoons and The Moneybacks comic strip. However, the majority of the proofs are caricatures appearing to be of prominent businessmen. They may be from the work, Club Men of Indianapolis in Caricature or a similar publication. Many of these caricature portraits have the name of other artists.
Photographs contains 27 undated photographs kept by Schilder. They depict animals, children and sports (boxing, horse racing, Gene Tunney). Of particular interest is a photo of the Ku Klux Klan and a movie still from Flaming Frontier.
Dated cartoons are arranged chronologically by year. Oversized mounted cartoons are arranged separately. Undated cartoons are arranged alphabetically by letter. Undated cartoons without titles are located at the end of the Schilder section of the original artwork series.
There are no access restrictions on this material.
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
One printed item pertaining to the Wizard of Oz (with no specific connection to Schilder) has been transferred to the L. Frank Baum Papers.
The following have been sent to Rare Books.
Special Collections Research Center has collections of over one hundred cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Edgar F. Schilder Papers,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Library
Gift of James F. and Dorothea Wright (Schilder's son-in-law and daughter), 1968, 1970.
Created by: RT
Date: 1968
Revision history: 27 Sep 1979 - additions (DB);
25 Sep 2007 - converted to EAD (MRC);
5 Feb 2010 - added detailed bio, scope, inventory and index (SK)
| Original Artwork | |||||||||||
| Artwork by Schilder | |||||||||||
| Cartoons | |||||||||||
| Oversize 1, Folder 1 | 1918, 1925, 1932-1933 (18 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1, Folder 2 | 1934 (11 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1, Folder 3 | 1934 (8 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1, Folder 4 | 1935 (11 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1, Folder 5 | 1935 (11 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1, Folder 6 | 1936 (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1, Folder 7 | 1936 (12 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1, Folder 8 | 1937 (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1, Folder 9 | 1938 (18 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1, Folder 10 | 1939 (12 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2, Folder 1 | 1939 (12 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2, Folder 2 | 1939 (12 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2, Folder 3 | Circa 1930s (2 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2, Folder 4 | 1940 (10 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2, Folder 5 | 1940 (11 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2, Folder 6 | 1940 (15 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2, Folder 7 | 1941 (12 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2, Folder 8 | 1942 (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 2, Folder 9 | 1942 (25 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 3, Folder 1 | 1942 (18 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 3, Folder 2 | 1942 (19 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 3, Folder 3 | 1943 (16 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 3, Folder 4 | 1943 (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 3, Folder 5 | 1943 (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4, Folder 1 | 1943 (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4, Folder 2 | 1943 (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4, Folder 3 | 1943 (20 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4, Folder 4 | 1944 (16 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4, Folder 5 | 1944 (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4, Folder 6 | 1944 (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 4, Folder 7 | 1944 (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5, Folder 1 | 1944 (16 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5, Folder 2 | 1944 (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5, Folder 3 | 1944 (20 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5, Folder 4 | 1945 (19 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5, Folder 5 | 1945 (15 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5, Folder 6 | 1945 (16 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5, Folder 7 | 1945 (16 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 5, Folder 8 | 1945 (16 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6, Folder 1 | 1945 (16 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6, Folder 2 | 1946 (18 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6, Folder 3 | 1946 (18 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6, Folder 4 | 1946 (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6, Folder 5 | 1947 (18 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6, Folder 6 | 1947 (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 6, Folder 7 | 1947 (16 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 7, Folder 1 | 1948 (15 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 7, Folder 2 | 1948 (15 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 7, Folder 3 | 1948 (15 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 7, Folder 4 | 1948 (7 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 7, Folder 5 | 1949 (15 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 7, Folder 6 | 1949 (18 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 7, Folder 7 | 1949 (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 7, Folder 8 | Circa 1940s (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 7, Folder 9 | Circa 1940s (13 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 7, Folder 10 | Circa 1940s (12 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 7, Folder 11 | 1950 (20 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 8, Folder 1 | Oversized mounted 1934, 1936-1938 (7 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 8, Folder 2 | Oversized mounted 1939-1941 (8 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 8, Folder 3 | Oversized mounted 1942 (10 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 9, Folder 1 | Oversized mounted 1942 (9 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 9, Folder 2 | Oversized mounted 1942 (9 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 10, Folder 1 | Undated A-B (18 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 10, Folder 2 | Undated C-F (12 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 10, Folder 3 | Undated G-H (15 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 10, Folder 4 | Undated I-L (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 10, Folder 5 | Undated M (16 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 10, Folder 6 | Undated N-O (9 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 10, Folder 7 | Undated P-R (10 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 10, Folder 8 | Undated S (12 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 10, Folder 9 | Undated T (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 10, Folder 10 | Undated U-W (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 11, Folder 1 | Undated Untitled (17 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 11, Folder 2 | Undated Untitled (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 11, Folder 3 | Undated Untitled (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 11, Folder 4 | Undated Untitled (13 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 11, Folder 5 | Undated Untitled (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 11, Folder 6 | Undated Untitled (9 items) | ||||||||||
| Sketches | |||||||||||
| Oversize 13 | Pencil sketches undated (6 items) | ||||||||||
| Comic strips | |||||||||||
| Oversize 13 | Cinder 1922 - 4 panel strip featuring Steve the cat 7 ½" x 21 ½" (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Oversize 12 | World War II portraits of leaders and politicians 1940-1943, undated (32 items) | ||||||||||
| Artwork by others (26 items) | |||||||||||
| Oversize 13 | Original drawings by other artists | ||||||||||
| undated except where noted | |||||||||||
| Ray Barnes- (1936)
J.F. Bronstrup- [Pancho Villa] Dietz -"Schilderian Demise" (1944) Rudolph Dirks- [To the Contest Editor] Clifton Flood- "Untitled", [Summer school prof. Kline's class] (2 items, 1938, 1940) H.E. Godwin- [This is the Life (man fishing)] Holloway [caricature portrait of Schilder] C.R. Macauley- "Will It Hatch?" Gus Mager - [cartoon contest] Elmer R. Messner- "No Room for Other Shadows" (1940) W.K. Patrick- "Disqualified", "Whoo-pee!", [Brigandage] (3 items) Harold Tucker Webster- "Life's Darkest Moment" (Jan. 9, 1923) Gluyas Williams- "A Strain on the Family" (1926- inscribed to H.P. Bull) Eugene Zimmerman- "Foolish Remarks", "On George Washington", "Chicken Talk", "Business Awakening", "Well That's Encouraging", "Take Notice" (8 items, circa 1918, 1932) Unknown artist- "Mother's Day" |
|||||||||||
| Map-Case 1, Drawer 100 | Original artwork- J.N. "Ding" Darling- "Defying the Laws of Gravitation" undated | ||||||||||
| Clippings | |||||||||||
| Box 1 | Cartoonists' obituaries 1935, undated - Frank Ladendorf, Eugene Zimmerman | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Cartoons by others (2 folders) circa 1912-1942, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Editorial Cartoons 1919-1922, 1925, 1928-1929 | ||||||||||
| Box 1 | Editorial Cartoons (6 folders) 1930-1939, circa 1930s | ||||||||||
| Box 2 | Editorial Cartoons (7 folders) 1940-1945 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Editorial Cartoons (5 folders) 1946-1950, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Lion's Club newspaper - East Syracuse, NY 23 Dec 1949 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Magazine clippings (3 folders) circa 1910-1924 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Newspaper articles 1935, 1938-1939, undated - several related to Ten Eyck | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | Newspaper clippings (3 folders) circa 1910-1924 | ||||||||||
| Box 3 | "Taxes After the War" article undated | ||||||||||
| Oversize 11 | Scrapbook undated - contains clippings, copies of Schilder's artwork, clippings of portraits of other cartoonists, family photos | ||||||||||
| Biographical material | |||||||||||
| Box 4 | Correspondence 1909, 1943-1944, 1950, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Newspaper articles about Schilder 1932, 1939, 1940, 1943, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Miscellaneous undated (3 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Photographs of Schilder undated (2 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Syracuse Art Museum Quarterly Bulletin 1943 (2 items) | ||||||||||
| Proofs | |||||||||||
| Box 4 | Cartoon proofs 1919-1921, 1938, 1940, 1942-1944, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | International Syndicate- Schilder's Cartoons 1915 Dec, 1916 Mar - Schilder's 6 weekly cartoons | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | The Moneybacks undated - represents 12 days of the comic strip | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Portraits (4 folders) undated - possibly from Club men of Indianapolis in caricature | ||||||||||
| Printed Material | |||||||||||
| Oversize 13 | American Humane Association posters- Albany, NY 1945 (4 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Better Health - Syracuse, NY circa 1927, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Cartoons by others 1932, undated - Burt Thomas and Eugene Zimmerman (2 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Christmas greetings 1932-1937, 1941, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Columbian Crew clippings undated | ||||||||||
| Box 4 | Indian Motorcycle Company - Indian News 1930-1932, | ||||||||||
| One complete issue has been transferred to Rare Books. | |||||||||||
| Box 4 | Insurance Pictorial 1930-1931 - 3 issues | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Legionnaire Syracuse Post 41 1943-1945 - covers only | ||||||||||
| 15 complete issues have been transferred to Rare Books. | |||||||||||
| Box 5 | "Life and Adventures of a Mohawk Merchandiser" - Mohawk Carpet Mills 1928-1930, undated (30 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | National War Fund Cartoon Service Aug 1944 | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | A Page for the Children undated (14 items) | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Sears Roebuck and Company (Utica, Syracuse, Auburn, New York) comic strip 1931 | ||||||||||
| in color | |||||||||||
| Box 5 | Syracuse, New York and New York (State) 1921, 1926, 1929 1931, 1935 - includes material related to the Syracuse Post-Standard | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Syracuse Washing Machine Corporation Efficiency Contest Bulletin of Divisional Standings 1927-1928, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Traveler's Insurance 1924-1930, 1932-1933, 1942, undated - brochures, advertisements, Protection magazine | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Miscellaneous clippings of Schilder's artwork 1921-1922, 1924, 1926-1930, 1935-1936, undated | ||||||||||
| Box 5 | Writings by Schilder circa 1925, undated | ||||||||||
| Photographs | |||||||||||
| Box 4 | International Newsreel and Syracuse Post Standard photographs undated - parts cut from larger photographs (27 items) | ||||||||||
| Subject matter includes: animals, children, sports (boxing, horse racing, Gene Tunney), Flaming Frontier movie still, Ku Klux Klan | |||||||||||
