Searching for info - Howard Fogg original paintings

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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Hello folks. Brand new to the community. In researching Howard Fogg, I noticed another post regarding his work, and thought I would try posting this inquiry here. Please direct me if I should be posting elsewhere.

I have 2 Fogg originals - hopefully I’ve followed the directions to post pics of these properly, below. These were given to me in the 70s by my grandfather, who for 60 years was in the printing business in NYC. These were given to him in lieu of or in addition to payment for printing these originals, which are pretty clearly Christmas specials. Either commissioned as Christmas cards for a railroad, or perhaps another specific request from or for a railroad exective, at the time. I know Fogg painted many works for J.W. Barriger and others.

I was told they might depict either the Monon line or perhaps the Rock Island line. Some Monon historians have indicated it’s not Monon.

In short - I’m looking for more information on these wonderful paintings. In my research of Fogg’s over the years, I’ve always kept an eye open for anything like them, and I’ve found nothing. So many (if not all that I’ve seen) of his paintings have the locomotive or rolling stock as the main subject. I’ve never seen anything like this where the trains themselves are secondary to the story, with people in the forefront. Not to mention the humor, and also the pure black and white vs his usual color.

Thanks in advance!

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Welcome to the forums!

I just did a couple of search for his work, I found lots of railroad art, but not the ones you show.

I think if one our fellow members in here, Ed aka gmpullman sees this, he may have something to ad, so I’m giving your post a “bumb”, to help you get more responses.

Ed seems to have an endless supply of resources for such things.

Mike.

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Hi, and Welcome!

Mike, you put too much faith in me [:$] I just fumble around Google…

You probably tracked Mr. Fogg to his last residence, Boulder, Colorado. He formed a Friendship with Ed Trumble of Leanin’ Tree, hence all his paintings with them.

https://tradeleanintree.com/aboutus

Perhaps, you could contact the family of Ed Trumble who are still at the helm of Leanin’ Tree, and ask if they may get you in touch with one of Howard’s three sons, or perhaps they may be able to shed some light on the origination of your drawings.

Judging by some of Mr. Foggs early editorial cartoon work those are from very early in his career.

Perhaps you might want to copy your question and enter it as a post at the Classic Trains forum, here:

http://cs.trains.com/ctr/f/3.aspx

Also, you might try contacting author, Janet Fogg, the wife of Howard’s son, Richard. Janet wrote a book of Howard’s WWII memoirs:

http://fogginthecockpit.blogspot.com/p/richards-bio.html

There is contact information at her blog site. Perhaps she can help you and, I’m sure, would be interested in seeing those sketches. There is a chapter in her book about Howard’s early work.

Unfortunately, the people I’ve been in contact with in the past who knew Howard Fogg are no longer with us…

Off hand, I’d say the subject matter of the sketches take place on the B&O Railroad. They used a C- prefix on their cabooses.

Hope that helps, Ed

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Sorry Ed, didn’t mean to put you on the spot, to me, your the go-to guy for these kind of things. Sure, I fumble around Google too, but you seem to know where to fumble to find the good stuff, [(-D]

I mostly wanted to give his thread a bump, he is new here, and get his question back up in front, so the right people would see, and give it another chance.

I did spend some time this morning looking at all of his images. Couldn’t find the humorous ones the OP posted.

Could be that because of the additude of today’s society, such things might not be found, sadly, as the trend continues to delete history.

Mike.

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No worries, Mike. I like to help out, even if only a little, any way I can.

If you dig around Janet’s blog that I linked to above, you’ll find several ink sketches and political cartoons scattered about. I’m sure many were syndicated and probably remain the property of the publisher.

I was very young when I first recognized Fogg’s work. My dad had a few books with his paintings in them or cracing the covers. Later he bought both the P&LE book and the post card collection. Those are great collections of Fogg’s work.

Ted Rose is another one of my favorite water color artists among many others.

Regards, Ed

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Thank you so much for your replies - Mike for bumping my post and Ed for the insight.

So indeed I have already made contact with Janet Fogg, who immediately put me in touch with her husband Richard Fogg, Howard’s eldest son. We’ve shared a few emails with no definite conclusions. He suspects they were painted around the time Howard aspired to be a cartoonist.

These are black and white watercolors, fairly certain they were painted for Christmas 1948 and 1949. As I mentioned, they were in my grandfather’s possession for many years before he gave them to me as a gift when I was a young boy in the 70s. So many folks have suggested possibilities of what railroad they depict, as the overwhelming majority of Howard’s paintings depict very real scenes and he was a stickler for realism. This led me to believe they must have been commissioned by a railroad executive/owner, for whom Fogg painted many images. Often was the case he would have been commissioned to paint a particular scene from a specific railroad to be used for that railroad’s christmas card. That’s what I had assumed with these. But ANY and all christmas cards, and quite frankly, ANY painting I see of Howard Fogg’s, is always of a real scene of a real locomotive with real rolling stock, etc.

But these - I don’t know - I’m beginning to think these may have been an amalgam of generic railroad imagery, set as a backdrop for the buffoonery of the people in the foreground. Again all quite the deviation for what we normally think of in a Fogg painting.

I’ve also reached out to Gil Bennett, another brilliantly talented artist who had worked with Fogg before he dies and restored some of Howard’s originals, but alas, no definitive answers on the origins of these.

I will for sure see what I can find from the Leanin’ Tree folks. I have come to visit Boulder recently on occassion as my company has a new office locate

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The internet is an amazing thing. I already reached out and heard back from Leanin’ Tree folk. Were pleased to get my email but didn’t have any more info that might help. Also said they’ve never seen anything like that from Howard Fogg. and they mentioned Ed passed away just in December, but that they’ve also closed the museum and sold off the Fogg originals they had - which I had seen reference to an auction where several Fogg’s sold - they must have been Leanin’ Tree’s collection.

Well the research continues! I have a feeling I’m a few decades too late to ever solve this mystery - but doesn’t take away from how wonderful the paintings are.

I’ll keep all updated. And appreciate any more insight along the way.

Many thanks -

Brad