Saturday, February 1, 2014

Here Comes the Jeep

No, not Popeye's freakish pet, the General Purpose vehicle that was borne out of World War II and made the transistion from the front lines to the home front and onto America's roads.  The most likely theory of its name is the slurring of G.P (General Purpose), but some maintain it is in fact named after Thimble Theatre's inter-dimensional traveler.

I found this book at an estate sale today.  It dates from 1951, so it's very early in the Jeep's career of serving the common cititzen.   


In the book, it's used for both transportation to town and even plowing a field.





Based on the signature found on a few pages, I was able to determine the artist was Nan Pollard of Kenosha, Wisconsin.  Nan was a prolific children's book artist and was a ghost illustrator for many books including The Berenstain Bears and Donald Duck. According to her son Jim, “My mother was very chameleon-like. She could adopt most any style.”

Nan Pollard passed away in 2012 at the age of 87 from Lou Gehrig's disease.





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