Laurens Sylvester Crossley was born on June 16, 1889, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His full name and birth information were on his World War I and II draft cards. (Crossley’s first name was frequently written or listed as Lawrence.) His parents were Clifford Mattheys Crossley and Adelaide H. Wallazz who married in 1888 in Philadelphia. Crossley’s paternal grandfather, Sylvester, was a Civil War veteran.
A Philadelphia city directory for 1888 listed Crossley’s father as a salesman residing at 1524 Garnet. In 1894 Crossley’s father and grandfather were at 2228 Vanpelt.
On January 9, 1898, Crossley was baptized at the Church of the Advocate in Philadelphia. (Parish book at Ancestry.com).
The New Rochelle Pioneer (New York), October 6, 1906, noted the Crossley family’s new address, “Clifford M. Crossley is now occupying the house at No. 100 Woodland avenue.” The Crossleys were listed in Dau’s New York Blue Book (1907).
The society page of the New York Herald, January 26, 1908, said
Announcement is made of the engagement of Miss Beatrice W. Crossley, daughter of Mr. Clifford M. Crossley, and Mr. Alexander Gillespie Raymond.
On December 16, 1908, Beatrice and Alexander Gillespie Raymond, a New Rochelle resident, obtained a marriage license in Manhattan, New York City. Their son, Alexander Gillespie Raymond, Jr., was born on October 2, 1909 in New Rochelle. Junior would become the cartoonist of Flash Gordon, Jungle Jim, Secret Agent X-9 and Rip Kirby, as well as an illustrator.
At some point the Crossley family moved to New York City. In the 1910 census, they resided in Manhattan at 52 West 93rd Street. Crossley’s father was an advertiser for the Wanamaker Department Store. The census said Crossley (line 15) and brother, Frank, were helpers on the Wanamaker wagon.
According to the New York Blue Book (1911) the Crossleys were residents of Roslyn, Long Island. Beatrice was erroneously included.
Crossley’s father and brother, Duncan, were listed in the 1913 Baltimore city directory. Their address was 1700 North Calvert.
Crossley signed his World War I draft card on June 15, 1917. He lived in Middle River, Maryland, and was a self-employed ornamental designer in Baltimore. His description was medium height and build with brown eyes and light-colored hair. No information has been found on his art training.
According to the 1920 census, Crossley (line 20) was living with his parents and brothers in Baltimore at 312 North Carey Street. Crossley’s occupation was packer at a drug company. The family address in the 1927 city directory was 10 Ailsa Avenue.
In the 1930 census Crossley (line 65) was a packer for a chemical company. He and his parents were counted in Frank Crossley’s household which included his wife and son. Their address was 6927 Harford Road in Baltimore.
On December 31, 1930, Alexander G. Raymond Jr. married Helen F. Williams in Yonkers, New York. They lived with his mother, a widow, and siblings at 33 Glenorchy Road in New Rochelle. The 1931 city directory had the same address for him. In 1932 his address was 38 Glenorchy Road. Sometime after the 1932 directory, Raymond moved to Connecticut.
The Baltimore Sun, March 9, 1934, reported the passing of Crossley’s father.
Raymond’s Flash Gordon comic strip debuted January 7, 1934. In the mid-1930s, Raymond showed the basics of lettering to Crossley. The book, Flash Gordon: The Planet Mongo (1974), said “The Flash Gordon lettering, which so fits the mood of the strip, was often done by Raymond's uncle, Larry Crossley.” The Golden Age of Big Little Books (2007) said “Raymond’s uncle, Laurens Crossley, did the lettering for the narrative.”
The 1940 census said Crossley (line 80) and his mother were in the household of Raymond’s mother, Beatrice, which included her four sons. The address was 33 Glenorchy Road. Crossley’s occupation was “art printing”, meaning lettering, in the cartooning business.
Crossley was not in the 1952 New Rochelle directory. The next available directory, 1955, listed him as an artist at 52 Leland Avenue.
Crossley passed away on November 4, 1957, in Darby, Pennsylvania, according to his death certificate at Ancestry.com. The cause of death was “acute congestive heart failure & pulmonary edema”. He never married. Personal information in the death report was provided by Crossley’s brother, Frank, a chemist. For a brief time, both of them resided in Collingdale, Pennsylvania at 127 Wayne Avenue.
At some point the Crossley family moved to New York City. In the 1910 census, they resided in Manhattan at 52 West 93rd Street. Crossley’s father was an advertiser for the Wanamaker Department Store. The census said Crossley (line 15) and brother, Frank, were helpers on the Wanamaker wagon.
Crossley’s father and brother, Duncan, were listed in the 1913 Baltimore city directory. Their address was 1700 North Calvert.
Crossley signed his World War I draft card on June 15, 1917. He lived in Middle River, Maryland, and was a self-employed ornamental designer in Baltimore. His description was medium height and build with brown eyes and light-colored hair. No information has been found on his art training.
The Baltimore Sun, March 9, 1934, reported the passing of Crossley’s father.
Crossley. On March 8, 1934, Clifford M., of 3009 Bayonne avenue, beloved husband of Adelaide W. Crossley (nee Wallazz). Services from the Funeral Home of Leonard J. Ruck, [illegible] Harford road, on Saturday at 8.15 A. M. Requiem Mass at St. Dominic’s Church at 9 A. M. Interment in Loudon Park Cemetery.Crossley and his mother moved to New Rochelle, where city directories, from 1934 to 1950, listed him as an artist at 38 Glenorchy Road.
Raymond’s Flash Gordon comic strip debuted January 7, 1934. In the mid-1930s, Raymond showed the basics of lettering to Crossley. The book, Flash Gordon: The Planet Mongo (1974), said “The Flash Gordon lettering, which so fits the mood of the strip, was often done by Raymond's uncle, Larry Crossley.” The Golden Age of Big Little Books (2007) said “Raymond’s uncle, Laurens Crossley, did the lettering for the narrative.”
The 1940 census said Crossley (line 80) and his mother were in the household of Raymond’s mother, Beatrice, which included her four sons. The address was 33 Glenorchy Road. Crossley’s occupation was “art printing”, meaning lettering, in the cartooning business.
Jim Raymond’s cartoon of his brother and uncle
Crossley signed his World War II draft card on April 25, 1942. His address in New Rochelle was 33 Glenorchy Road. His employer was Alexander G. Raymond [Jr.] of Springdale, Connecticut. Crossley was described as five feet eight inches, 200 pounds, brown eyes and bald.
On February 20, 1945, Crossley’s sister passed away in New Rochelle.
In the 1950 census, Crossley (line 14) was in his niece’s household. Beatrice was married to Paul Dillon, an advertising salesman. Crossley, a cartoon studio artist, was still at the same address.
Raymond died in an automobile accident on September 6, 1956.
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