Images from the 1949 Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office
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(Next post on Monday: The American Printer, Sesqui-Centennial Number)
Monday, June 27, 2022
Monday, June 20, 2022
Monday, June 13, 2022
Comics: Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Letterer, Colorist and Photographer
Lora Sprang was born Lora Ann Neusiis on May 28, 1911, in Mt. Olive, Illinois. The birth information is from the Social Security Death Index and an Evangelical Lutheran Church Record at Ancestry.com. Her parents were Frederick William Neusiis (1875–1949), and Augusta M. Kaemming (1876–1955), a German native. The newspaper, Mt. Olive Herald, June 3, 1922, said “A girl baby arrived at the home of Prof. and Mrs. F. W. Neusiis on Sunday.”
Sprang was baptized on June 4, 1911 at the Zions American Lutheran Church in Mt. Olive.
A September 1916 edition of the Mt. Olive Herald reported “F. W. Neusiis, teacher of the Zions school, has accepted a call as teacher of the Lutheran school at Pegion [sic], Mich, and will leave about Nov. 1.”
On September 12, 1918, Prof. Neusiis signed his World War I draft card. His address was Pigeon, Michigan, where he was an assistant pastor.
The 1920 U.S. Federal Census recorded the Neusiis family of six in Winsor, Michigan on Main Street. Sprang had a brother, Frederick (1906–1988), and two sisters, Elda (1904–1995) and Olga (1916–2007).
The Evangelical Lutheran Church Record said Sprang received her confirmation in 1925 at the Solomon church in Woodville, Ohio.
According to the 1930 census, Sprang, her parents and younger sister, resided in Woodville. Sometime after 1935, Sprang moved to New York City.
In the 1940 census, Sprang lived at 230 West 101 Street in Manhattan. Her occupation was a colorist in photography. Her highest level of education was the second year of college.
Coincidentally, her future husband, artist Richard William “Dick” Sprang, resided at the same address according to his World War II draft card which was signed on October 16, 1940.
The New York, New York, Marriage License Index, at Ancestry.com, said they obtained a license in Manhattan on April 25, 1944.
Their marriage was reported in the News-Messenger (Fremont, Ohio), May 10, 1944.
An announcement of interest to relatives and friends in Fremont and Woodville is that of the marriage of Miss Lora Ann Neusiis, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. F. W. Neusiis, of Woodville, to Richard W. Sprang, son of Mrs. W. H. Sprang, of 1007 east State street. The wedding took place in Holy Trinity Lutheran church in New York City Sunday, May 7, at 5 p. m. Dr. Paul Scherer, pastor of the church, officiated. Attending the couple were Miss Barbara B. Scherer and Norman L. Fallon, both of New York City. Mrs. Sprang is a commercial artist and photographer, currently engaged in the production of U. S. Navy Training films, and Mr. Sprang is a magazine illustrator. The couple will reside in New York City.
“Danger Strikes Three!”, Detective Comics #86, April 1944, reprinted in
Batman Archives Volume 3 (1994), lettering credited to Sprang as Pat Gordon
Dick Sprang was drawing Batman for DC Comics. In Alter Ego #19, December 2002, Dick said he wanted to move out West to either Arizona, Utah or New Mexico. According to Joe Desris, in Comic Book Marketplace #34, April 1996, the couple moved to Sedona, Arizona, in May 1946. (The November 1951 issue of Arizona Highways published photographs of Sedona and mentioned Dick on page 29.) The Sprangs divorced in 1951.
She returned to New York and continued lettering for DC Comics. Sprang was listed in 1953 and 1957 Manhattan city directories at 306 West 75 Street. Her address in 1960 was 600 West 113 Street.
Sprang was profiled in the Batman Archives, Volume 3 (1994).
Pat GordonLaura [sic] A. Sprang, nicknamed, Pat Gordon, was the wife of Dick Sprang during the period when Sprang first began to illustrated Batman. Sprang taught Gordon how to letter comics and except for his earliest efforts, Gordon lettered many of his Batman stories, coloring a number of them as well. She also freelanced as a photographer for Film Fun magazine, hand-lettered titles for industrial films, worked on title photography and art for Navy training films during World War II and did theater posters for 20th Century-Fox. Gordon continued to work for DC Comics throughout the 1950s, lettering numerous stories for Batman, Superman, Superboy and others. She left DC about 1961.
In Alter Ego #94, June 2010, Jim Amash interviewed George Kashdan who spoke about artist Dick Sprang.
Did you ever meet his [first] wife Patricia? I know that he and Pat were separated, and headed towards a final divorce. I only met Dick briefly, but Pat was a very outgoing personality. She was always working on our friendship. [mutual chuckling] She had a list of birthdays in the editorial and art departments. Whenever a birthday came up, Pat came in with donuts and coffee and made a party. Sometimes she brought a little birthday cake, and lit the candles on it, and gave away pieces. Pat was also a freelance letterer, and she was usually dependable. ... They usually gave Dick’s work to Pat for lettering, and I think she threw in little corrections. She was good, and a very good-looking woman. Everybody was trying to make out with her. She was there for about 15 years, and then gave up on it. One day, she walked up to Mort, who did her work vouchers. She said, “Mort, I’m leaving. Hell, I’ve had it. I just wanted you to know I’ve had it.” And out she went, never to come back for work. I believe she was just tired of coming in there, and all the guys trying to make out with her.
Sprang passed away on June 19, 1999, in New York City.
Further Reading and Viewing
Northern Arizona University, Cline Library, photographs of Sprang (identified as Pat Gordon) are here and here
Flickr, Lora Neusiis Photos
Grand Comics Database, Pat Gordon
Who’s Who of American Comic Books 1928–1999, Pat Gordon
The Hayfamzone Blog, Mystery Letterer Revealed
Todd’s Blog, Early Batman Letterers
Comics Letterer Posts
A. Machine and Royal Cartoon, Mario Acquaviva, Al Allard, Gerald Altman, Gene Barnett, Vivian Berg, Daniel Bhang, John Bulthuis, Ray Burley, Ray Burzon,
Jean Callahan, Helen Chu aka Duffy Mohler, Milton Cohen, Ellen Cole, Herb Cooper, Danny Crespi, Laurens Crossley,
Gerda Gattel, Selma Meyers Gleit, Louis L. Goldklang, Angelo Grasso, Anita Greene, Al Grenet, Ed Hamilton, Delores Heilman, Ray Holloway, IBM Directory, Alex Jay, Albert and Charlotte Jetter,
Abe Kanegson, George Kapitan, Anna Kaufman, Gary Keller, Rick Keller, Nadine French King, Ralph Komisarow, Grace Kremer, Morrie Kuramoto, Al Kurzrok,
Bob Lander, Bob Laughlin, Bob Leatherbarrow, Shelly Leferman, Len Leone, Joe Letterese, Veda Lufkin,
Robert N. MacLeod/Leroy Lettering, Lee Maroshek, Larry Mayer, Ed McLean, Jack Meltzer, Mel Millar, Jim Novak, Bill Oakley, Ben Oda,
Walter Palais, Stephen Palmisano, Charles Paris, Otto Pirkola, Fred Proctor, Jerry Robinson, Joe and Sam Rosen, George Roussos,
Georgette Sauterel, Ira Schnapp, Irving Settel, Rome Siemon, Artie Simek, Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Herman Stackel, Stan Starkman, Daisy Swayze, Zoltan and Terry Szenics,
Richard Deane Taylor, Alberta Tews, Matthew Tweedy, Frank Vina, George Ward, Irv Watanabe, Irving Werstein, Leo Wurtzel, John Yakata, Bill Yoshida, Bernie Zuber
Women in Comics Posts
Jeanne Alippe, Ruth Atkinson, Olive Bailey, Valerie Barclay, Betty Bentley, Vivian Berg, Zena Brody, Jean Callahan, Helen Chu aka Duffy Mohler, Ellen Cole, Corinne Boyd Dillon, Anahid Dinkjian, Jill Elgin,
Barbara Clark Fogel, Laura E. Foster, Evelyn Gaines aka Lynn Lovelace, Merna Gamble, Gerda Gattel, Selma Meyers Gleit, Jane Krom Grammer, Anita Greene,
Bonnie Hano, Delores Heilman, Ray Hermann, Joye Hummel, Marjorie Wilkes Huntley, Grace Jacquet, Charlotte Jetter,
Anna Kaufman, Bessie Mae Kelley, Nadine French King, Alice Kirkpatrick, Grace Kremer, Ada Levy, Pauline Loth, Veda Lufkin,
Marion McDermott, Emma C. McKean, Tarpé Mills, Claire S. Moe, Phyllis Muchow, Lily Reneé, Ruth Roche,
Georgette Sauterel, Marie Severin, Marcia Snyder, Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Serena Summerfield, Daisy Swayze, Terry Szenics, Claire Szep,
(Updated March 17, 2024; next post on Monday: The Strathmore Quality Deckle Edge Book Papers)
Monday, June 6, 2022
Typography: John Henry Nash
John Henry Nash was born on March 12, 1871, in Woodbridge, Ontario, Canada. The birthdate is from the California Death Index at Ancestry.com. Wikipedia named his birthplace.
In 1895, Nash moved to San Francisco, California.
The 1900 U.S. Federal Census recorded him as “Harry J. Nash” who was boarding with Henri B. Brough, his wife and son in San Francisco at 1218 Fulton Street. The census said Nash’s birth was April 1872 and occupation was printer. Henri Brough, better known as Bruce Brough, was the manager of a printing house. The Inland Printer, June 1900, said Brough was the manager of the Sunset Press. In 1901 Brough and Nash would start their own firm, Twentieth-Century Press. In 1903 the partners changed the name to Tomoyé Press.
According to the 1910 census, Nash, a publisher, was married to Mary (1871–1958) and had an eight-year-old daughter, Evelyn. Also in the household was a Japanese servant, Toge Kosuma. They resided in Oakland, California at 249 Alcatraz Avenue.
The same address was in the 1920 census and Nash operated a printing plant.
Western Advertising, April 1921 (below), mentioned Nash’s trip to Europe. His passport application, at Ancestry.con, named the countries he planned to visit: Italy, Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, England and Scotland.
On July 18, 1921, Nash and his family were aboard the steamship Aquitania which departed Southampton, England. They arrived in the port of New York City on July 23. The passenger list said his home was at the Whittaker Arms Apartments in Berkeley, California.
Nash and his wife made a second visit to Europe. They departed Boulogne sur Mer, France, on June 19, 1928 and arrived, ten days later, in New York City. The passenger list had a San Francisco address, 447 Sansome Street.
Sometime the late 1920s Nash established the John Henry Nash Fine Arts Press at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
In the 1930 census, Nash made his home in Berkeley, California at 1831 San Juan Street. He operated a print shop.
The weak stock market had caused Nash’s patron, Mrs. Edward L. Doheny, to end her support. Nash moved his business and library out of the “445 Sansome” building. In 1938 Nash moved to Portland, Oregon.
Nash has not yet been found in the 1940 census.
Wikipedia said he moved to Berkeley in 1943 and lived with his daughter, Evelyn (1901–1994). She married Weldon Carl Nichols (1902–1957) on June 5, 1924. He was a lawyer, whose address, in 1942, was 143 Alvarado Road in Berkeley.
The San Mateo Times (California), May 19, 1944, said Milton S. Ray purchased Nash’s library for the University of California.
Nash passed away on May 24, 1947, in Berkeley, California. Obituaries appeared the following day in many newspapers including the San Francisco Chronicle, Oregon Journal, Oakland Tribune and The New York Times.
Further Reading
Publisher’s Weekly, March 20, 1926, Fine Printing in the Far West
Publisher’s Weekly, June 4, 1927, American Book Arts at the Leipzig Exhibition
Publisher’s Weekly, April 6, 1929, The Limited Editions Club Is Organized
Publisher’s Weekly, April 13, 1929, The Master Typographers of San Francisco
Sunset, December 1929
Publisher’s Weekly, May 2, 1931, John Henry Nash
Publisher’s Weekly, February 2, 1935, The Fifty Books of the Year
Graphic Arts Monthly, August 1947, John Henry Nash—Craftsman
Online Archive of California, Guide to the John Henry Nash papers, 1909–1947
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(Next post on Monday: Lora Sprang aka Pat Gordon, Letterer, Colorist and Photographer)
Monday, May 30, 2022
Comics: Comic Book Trademarks, Part 10
Images from the 1948 Official Gazette of the United States Patent Office
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(Next post on Monday: John Henry Nash)
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