1000 Men, 1000 Stories : The Arts of War: Editorial Cartoons, Maps (1) (Montreal Star)

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

From the November 17, 1943 issue of The Montreal Star

Introduction:

I think that readers will find a lot of valuable, informative news articles and some rare material from various, determined war correspondents in the many entries I have made on this website under the heading Editor's Research, connected to my searches of microfilm associated with The Montreal Star, 1943 issues. So far I have made 27 entries related to that newspaper.

Readers will also find - in each of the 27 entries I am certain - valuable, informative and creative cartoons or drawings (mostly from the Editorial pages) that relate to the nearby written reports or daily headlines.

Most of the editorial cartoons in The Montreal Star are provided by James Reidford, a man whose name I thought was Reid Ford for several months, until I checked Mr. Google.

I think that carefully drawn cartoons or illustrations certainly qualify as a member of "the arts of war" because of the information they share (worth 100s or 1000s of words), along with associated moods, tensions, sorrows, etc.

Below I share a handful of the creative drawings I have found while searching for stories re Canadians in Combined Operations (and links to the entries are provided):

Credit - James Reidford, Nov. 11, 1943 issue of The Montreal Star.

About the illustrator, the following was found with the help of Mr. Google:

Reidford was born in Scotland in 1911, and came to Toronto as a baby with his family. He studied at the Ontario College of Art and was employed as a commercial artist in Toronto and London in the early 1930’s. He moved to Los Angeles in the U.S. in 1938 and studied at the Chouinard Institute. He worked as an animator for the Walt Disney Studios for several years.

He returned to Canada and in 1941, began working as an editorial cartoonist for the Montréal Star after the death of A. G. Racey. In 1951 he moved to the Globe & Mail where he worked till his retirement in 1972.

He won three National Newspaper Awards one each in 1950, 1956 and 1957. In 1953, he received a public interest award from the National Safety Council’s 1952 Christmas safety cartoon project. The cartoon depicted “ …the front of a car and its headlights looking back at the drinker out of a glass of liquor …”. Apparently the award was American as it is stated the award was “… in competition with 133 entries from the finest editorial cartoonists in the United States.”

In the 1950’s he illustrated at least two books, by fellow Globe & Mail employee, journalist Lex Schrag. Whether this was the extent of his work or whether he illustrated other books cannot be determined.

Click here for more details about James Reidford.

From the November 6, 1943 issue of The Star

By "special arrangement with Punch"

There is some very good value in the carefully drawn maps

that appear regularly in The Star. (Nov. 8, 1943)

Adolf Hitler was the main character in a good many editorial cartoons:

"The Russians are coming!" The Star, November 2, 1943

Allied advances on various fronts a powerful signal to Axis leaders:

The Bat Signal!! The Star, October 30, 1943.

Action in the Balkans was popping!

By James Reidford, October 20, 1943, The Star

More by "special arrangement ($$$??) from Punch" - a depiction of Himmler (?) getting a taste of his own medicine - and another illustrated and informative map:

Both above are found in The Star, Oct. 16 and 19, 1943, respectively

Next we see another cartoon by Reidford and two illustrated maps, from The Star, October 12 and 15 issues:

Below we see another detailed drawing by Bernard Partridge, about Hitler and Misgivings, and another by James Reidford, about Canada and Thanksgiving (from Oct. 6 and 11, 1943, The Star):

Readers will perhaps, by now, quickly recognize the difference between a Partridge and a Reidford:

Published by special arrangement with Punch. Oct. 2, 1943, The Star

With the help of Mr. Google, I have found some information about B. Partridge and his careers, one as illustrator for Punch:

Sir John Bernard Partridge (11 October 1861 – 9 August 1945)[1] was an English illustrator. Born in London, he was the son of Professor Richard Partridge, F.R.S., president of the Royal College of Surgeons, and nephew of John Partridge, portrait-painter extraordinary to Queen Victoria. For some years he was well known as an actor under the name of Bernard Gould.[2]

Click here to read more at Wikipedia.

Click here to view 59 illustrations at the National Portrait Gallery. "Cartoons of early 20th century political figures, mainly pen and ink, some gouache, drawn by Bernard Partridge for Punch magazine between 1902 and 1942."

Below we see two more illustrations by Canada's James Reidford:

As found in The Star, Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, 1943

The quality of the reproduction - from old newspapers to new computers - leaves a bit to be desired at times due to the ability of the microfilm reader to focus properly. Once I was told which machine was the newest I did get better results: