Today I found a worn and moldy copy of Albad the Oaf, a children's book by Burl Ives, published in 1965. I have always thought that Burl Ives is a little bit creepy, but I'm not writing today to show his book-jacket biography. Instead, I would like to talk about the illustrator, E. Harper Johnson. Unfortunately, I know very little about him, not even a date or place of birth. All I know is that he was an illustrator, comic book artist, violinist, and opera singer. He may also have been an archaeologist. Johnson illustrated many books in the 1950s and '60s, especially biographies and historical books for children. At least two of those books were by the poet Arna Bontemps. Johnson's illustrations for Ageless Africa: A Pictorial History of the Golden Past by William Leo Hansberry appeared in Ebony magazine in 1965. I'm not sure that the book was ever published, as Hansberry died in November of that year. In any case, the artist Johnson lived on Long Island in 1965. He later married Salma Tahira Malik (Aug. 8, 1928-Oct. 10, 1979, Beverly Hills, California).
Text copyright 2012 Terence E. Hanley
Text copyright 2012 Terence E. Hanley
I have a very nice copy of this book if you would like to have it. No charge. I am an ebay seller, but there is no demand for the book. If you have an archive of illustrators, it might be nice to have.
ReplyDeleteHi, Marci,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your offer. Please let me know what kind of arrangements you would like to make on the book. My email: info@hoosiercartoonists.com.
Terence Hanley
Terence, I met Mr Johnson in Oman in 2006. He was in his 80's then. I was good friends with his son who is also a remarkable artist. I lost touch with him but meeting him was an honor and treat. He is an amazing person with many wonderful stories. I saw a piece he was working on for the Sultan of Oman at his home. It was a pictorial of Oman's history. He gave me a personalized signed book that is a treasure to me. If anyone has any other books that he has illustrated please let me know. ~ Pat Smith
ReplyDeleteMy Grandfather E. Harper Johnson Died on March 24th 2016
DeleteKisha Johnson
My sincere condolences to you and your family. The contributions of your grandfather continue to inspire.
DeleteDear Kisha,
DeleteThank you for letting us know and sorry for your loss.
Terence Hanley
Thank you very much. I read your previous post where you said you were unsure of his place of birth. He was born in Birmingham AL, in the 1920's. He moved to New York in the 1940’s where he met my grandmother, (Mildred Anita Johnson). In the 1960’s he relocated to Nairobi, after being invited to live there by the late Joseph Murumbi, who was the first Vice President under Jomo Kenyatta at the time. I have a rare painting of the Three Wise Men that was painted by him in the 1950's; if you are interested in obtaining this piece contact me at (KishaJohnson1@hotmail.com).
DeleteKisha, I am so sorry for your loss. Your grandfather was indeed an incredible person. When I met him I knew that he was a one of a kind individual, a true gem. I am also an artist so you can imagine what a thrill it was to see his amazing, majestic artwork so prominently displayed and in progress at his home studio. I feel eternally grateful for that experience. My most sincere condolences to you and your family.
Delete~Pat