HOWARD FOGG PAPERS
SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE
The Howard Fogg Papers contain original sketches and prints, promotional items and photographic reproductions of Fogg illustrations. Reproductions of Fogg'sIllustrations include calendars for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers, the Lake Erie Railroad Company, Southern Pacific, and the Union Tank Car Company. Additional items consist of a souvenir portfolio booklet of Fogg paintings for the Lake Erie Railroad Company, foil etch prints for Southern Pacific, Union Pacific Centennial menu covers, and Union Tank Car Company table tents. Fogg illustrations appear on the covers of Pacific Fast Mail model railroad catalogs, Modern Railroads, The Santa Fe Magazine, Progressive Railroading and Railroad magazines. The collection also contains Leanin' Tree greeting card catalogs that include Fogg illustrated cards, book jacket illustrations, and newspaper articles about his artistic career.
Dates
- TBD
ACCESS:
The collection is open for research.
OWNERSHIP:
The reproductions in the collection come from numerous sources. Copyright is held by the owners of the original works.
PUBLICATION RIGHTS:
All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from material in the collection should be discussed with the appropriate librarian or archivist. Permission for publication may be given on behalf of the Denver Public Library as the owner of the physical item. It is not intended to include or imply permission of the copyright holder, which also must be obtained by the customer. The Library does not assume any responsibility for infringement of copyright or publication rights of the manuscript held by the writer, heirs, donors, or executors. Reproduction restrictions are decided on a case-by-case basis.
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
Howard Fogg was born on April 7, 1917 in Brooklyn, New York. The family lived in New Jersey for a short time before moving to Wilmette, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. Fogg graduated from New Trier High School in 1934. In 1938, he graduated with honors from Dartmouth College with a B.A. in English literature. To pursue a career in cartooning, he enrolled in the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts in the fall of 1938. Fogg graduated from the Academy in the spring of 1939. Shortly afterward, he worked as a passenger information clerk for the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1941, Baldwin Locomotive Works hired him as an apprentice engineer. Drafted into the army on May 15, 1941, Fogg failed to complete the apprenticeship. Assigned to the Army Air Corps, Fogg flew 76 successful combat missions over Germany, Belgium, and France. He won the Air Medal with three clusters and the Distinguished Flying Cross with one cluster. In 1944, he was discharged as a Captain.
American Locomotive Company (later known as Alco) appointed him company artist on March 1, 1946. The company hired Fogg to paint diesel locomotives to help familiarize the public with the transition from steam to diesel power. At a gala hosted by Alco, Fogg met two men who would have an important impact on his career, Lucius Beebe and John Walker Barriger III. Beebe was the first to publish Fogg's paintings and used Fogg's illustrations in most of his books. Barriger arranged for a large display of Fogg's art at the St. Louis Union Station. A lifelong customer of Fogg's artwork, Barriger gave away numerous paintings and prints. During Fogg's years at Alco, the demand for his commissioned works rose steadily. Fogg's continuous employment at Alco ended in 1957, however Alco continued to send him commissions for several more years. He also worked on private commissions.
In August 1955, Fogg, his wife, and three children moved to Boulder, Colorado. Fogg received many commissions from railroad companies, industrial firms, and individuals. The waiting list for his paintings sometimes stretched two or three years. Fogg remained in Boulder and continued painting until his death on October 1, 1996.
During his career, Fogg produced over 1,200 paintings - at least 800 of these by commission. He illustrated approximately 100 books and 70 different Leanin' Tree cards. Fogg was considered by many to be "America's finest railroad artist." (Schur, Zeke. "Top Train Artist on Right Track." The Denver Post, March 8, 1983.)
Extent
2 Boxes
Other Finding Aids
PROVENANCE:
Source unknown. Railroad collections processed with funding provided by Marilyn Hodges Wilmerding in memory of William Van Derveer Hodges and William Van Derveer Hodges, Jr.
SIZE:
Number of Boxes: 2
LOCATION:
WH1612
PROCESSED BY:
Mary Foley
Jo Anne Lee
Patti Plambeck
November 2001
REVISED AND ENCODED BY:
Ann Brown
2004
PROJECT MANAGER:
Ellen Zazzarino
- American Locomotive Company -- Archives.
- Fogg, Howard -- Archives.
- Illustrators -- United States. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Railroads -- United States -- Pictorial works. Subject Source: Library of Congress Subject Headings
- Title
- HOWARD FOGG PAPERS
- Date
- REVISED 2004
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Denver Public Library, Western History and Genealogy Repository
