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Originals by William D. Goebel


Marshall University Old Main – Pen & Ink / Prismacolor – 1999 – Wm. D. Goebel

It has been nearly three years since the passing of Charleston artist William D. (Doug) Goebel. For those of us who knew Doug his absence is felt practically everyday.

What he left behind, in addition to many friends, was a body of work unmatched in our state. With pen in hand, Doug captured not only the architecture but also the spirit and pride of West Virginians. His drawings and prints have become heirlooms in many families and his work graces many homes, offices and public buildings throughout West Virginia.

Doug’s friendship with the modern lady and I went back much further than The Purple Moon but the presence of his work at our shop has been a constant since we opened.  It seemed only natural when we christened our new Over the Moon Gallery last month to feature original works by Doug and we were very pleased when all the pieces fell into place to allow us to do so and included several works which have never been previously exhibited.

The show of original works and rare prints will continue though September 15th.


Kanawha – Pen & Ink – 1985 – Wm. D. Goebel


P.A. Denny – Pen & Ink – 1985 – Wm. D. Goebel

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Lynn’s Paradise Cafe – Louisville, KY


Lynn’s Paradise Cafe – 984 Barrett Avenue – Louisville, Ky

On a recent trip to Louisville I had the opportunity to revisit one of my favorite eateries – Lynn’s Paradise Cafe. Lynn’s combines a fabulous kitschy decor with fabulous food and service making it a “must” stop for any trip to Louisville.

Located at 984 Barrett Avenue, the restaurant is in a great part of the city with fabulous vintage and antique shops. But the real attraction for me has always been the Paradise Cafe. The Cafe is widely known for their New Years Eve and Day pajama parties, the best post-Derby party in the city and for their sponsorship of “The Ugly Lamp Contest” at the Kentucky State Fair each year.  This contest reaps them many of the eclectic and bizarre lamps which are on tables throughout the restaurant.

I had the black bean chili, which was devine, but their menu was a hit with everyone I was with and there was a lot of “you have to taste this” sharing at the table. 


Interior shots of Lynn’s Paradise Cafe

One of my favorite items in the Cafe’s collection is the pants hanging in the lobby made from used tea bags – they welcome you to this fine establishment and offer a hint of the fun space your are preparing to enter!


Tea Bag Pants – artist unknown – Lynn’s Paradise Cafe

So if you find yourself in Louisville anytime soon stop by Lynn’s. Tell them the modern guy sent you.

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Downtown Charleston ArtWalk – Thursday March 20th

The Downtown Charleston ArtWalk will be held this Thursday, March 20th, from 5pm – 8pm and will feature the following galleries:

Art Emporium Gallery
823 Quarrier Street – Charleston, WV 25301
304-345-2787

Artist reception featuring handmade pottery by Sue Gregg.


Handmade Pottery – Sue Gregg

Clay Center
One Clay Square – Charleston, WV 25301
304-561-3500

“Rite of Spring: An Installation by Chris Dutch and Robin Hammer”
An installation by these Charleston artists interpreting the ballet and music of Igor Stravinsky’s “Rite of Spring”

“Muses and Madness From the Permanent Collection”
Among the artists: Reginald Marsh, Henry Moore, David Riffle, Ellie Schaul, Ann Shreve, Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, Jerry Uelsmann, Andy Warhol, and James McNeil Whistler


Accelerated Complexity – Mixed Media – Robin Hammer & Chris Dutch – 2001

Chet Lowther Studio
223 – 1/2 Hale Street – Charleston, WV 25301
New works by Chet Lowther

Gallery Eleven
1033 Quarrier Street – Charleston, WV 25301
304-342-0083

Gallery Eleven will be celebrating spring by exhibiting floral and other works of Phyllis Larimer.


Floral Watercolor – Phyllis Larimer – 2008

Good News Mountaineer Garage Gallery
221 Hale Street – Charleston, WV 25301
304-344-8445

Roger Lucas Gallery
1033 Quarrier Street – Charleston, WV 25301
304-344-2787

Roger Lucas Gallery is presenting many original works by Kemp Littlepage McElwee, Roger Lucas plus various prints from around the globe.

Stray Dog Antiques
219 Hale Street – Charleston, WV 25301
304-346-1534

Works of art, items of interest, gold and sterling silver jewelry and Antiques from all ages.

Squire Tobacco Unlimited
108 Capitol Street – Charleston, WV 25301
304-345-0366

Taylor Books – Annex Gallery
226 Capitol Street – Charleston, WV 25301
304-342-1461

The Taylor Books – Annex Gallery features works from local and regional artists.

The Purple Moon
716 Lee Street East – Charleston, WV 25301
304-345-0123

Kitschy & Cool: Mid-Century Art for the Masses – An “Art” Exhibit
Also original works and signed limited-edition prints from nationally-known artist Kerry Beary. Art from Felix Krasyk, Wm. D. Goebel, Jennifer Susman, and Rob Cleland.

This month’s ArtWalk is full of surprises and promises to be an evening of art, fun and wonderful spring weather! Don’t miss it!

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Items from My Collection – Herbert Bayer


bauhaus 50 Jahre Stuttgart – Herbert Bayer (signed) – 1968

Herbert Bayer was a graphic designer, painter, photographer and architect who left a lasting impression in each of these fields. Born is Austria at the very beginning of the 20th Century, Bayer studied at the Bauhaus under Wassily Kandinsky and László Moholy-Nagy. Bauhaus founder Walter Gropius named Bayer director of printing and advertising and his work in this area produced the iconic typography Universal, a Grotesk typeface, in 1925. This was later adapted known as Architype Bayer font and is still popular today.

In 1928 Bayer became art director of Vogue Magazine’s Berlin office. In 1938 he moved to New York to become consultant art director for J. Walter Thompson and art director of Dorland International. He then formed what would be a long, fruitful association with the Container Corporation of America, which produced some of the most innovative and widely applauded print advertising of the 20th Century.

Bayer again relocated in 1948 to Aspen, Colorado where he co-designed the Aspen Institute and restored the Wheeler Opera House. His work developing promotional posters for Aspen’s new skiing attractions led to that site becoming one of the top skiing destinations in the World. Bayer donated over 8,000 of his works to the Denver Art Museum.

I have two works by Bayer in my collection – both acquired at a yard sale a few blocks from my home. It seems a young lady, whose parents were art collectors, was moving to Hawaii and selling out virtually the entire contents of her apartment in her front yard. I purchased these two signed pieces by Herbert Bayer, and several other wonderful works of art by other artists, as others at the sale scrambled to get the fishing poles. The young lady, much more focused on her upcoming move than on the artwork her parents had collected, let them go for next to nothing.


Two Owls – Serigraph – Herbert Bayer (signed) – #30/65 – 1948

I originally took these to our shop to put on sale but ultimately couldn’t stand to part with them. So, these works by this 20th Century modernist master now have places of honor in our home.

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Items from My Collection – The Glass Menagerie


Glass Horses– Kanawha Glass Company – circa 1960’s

Most of them are little animals made out of glass, the tiniest little animals in the world. Mother calls them a glass menagerie!

                                                                                Laura Wingfield
                                                                                A Glass Menagerie
                                                                                by Tennessee Williams

The little glass animals from my menagerie all happen to hail from West Virginia. These fun pieces were produced by a number of companies during the 1950’s and 60’s. The horse figures above were made by Kanawha Glass – just a few miles down the river from where I am right now.


Glass Fish, Penguin and Rabbit– Kanawha Glass Company & Rainbow Glass – circa 1960’s

Another maker of these animals was Rainbow Glass of Huntington,WV who produced the penguin and rabbit shown here. The local legend about these small figural pieces is that they had there beginnings from glass blowers simply playing around with bits of molten glass. A pull here, a twist there and pretty soon an animal shape took place.

These then became favorites in the factory shops of the time and still maintain a nice following by collectors.

I just can’t seem to pass these up when I come upon them  – particularly if they are free from any breaks. I have these and others scattered about the house and the shop. Like Laura, I find there’s a quiet comfort in having these “tiniest little animals in the world” around.

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Items from My Collection – The Atomic Man


The Atomic Man – One Sheet – Allied Artists – 1956

As I have said here before, first and foremost I am a collector. Having drug things home since I was child, the more unusual the better, I have amassed a fairly large stash of obscure, unique or just plain cool items.

Over the coming week I’ll be sharing some of those items here starting with today’s feature – a few items from the 1956 film The Atomic Man.

Originally released in the UK as Timeslip in 1955 this film is lackluster, at best, and is really nothing more than a “B” grade mystery with a somewhat strange sci-fi twist. That twist involves a scientist who has been found floating in a river, shot in the back and with a strange radioactive glow. (And you thought you had a bad day!) He survives the shooting but the radiation exposure causes him to live 7-1/2 seconds in the future. But enough about what is a very mediocre plot.

The truly amazing thing to come from this film was the classic movie one sheet shown above. This one has been proudly hanging by my TV for quite some time now and is one of my prize possessions. In my opinion this is among the great movie posters from the 1950’s and is one item I will likely never part with. 

After having this for a few years I was lucky enough to find an original print advertising plate for this film. This was originally distributed to theatres showing The Atomic Man to provide to the local newspaper to promote the film. The pair makes for a mini-collection all of its own. The image below has been flipped so that it reads as it would show when printed.


The Atomic Man – Lead Print Plate – 1-3/4″ x 2-7/8″ – 1956

As with many of the items I’ve gathered over the years I have these just because I like them. The title, the graphics, and even the concept for the film reflect the sensibilities of the mid-20th Century. While I can go the rest of my life and not see this movie again these artifacts will be part of my life almost every day.

Especially on those days when I feel like I’m 7-1/2 seconds ahead of or behind everybody else.

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Homer Laughlin’s Great Wall of China


The Great Wall of China – Homer Laughlin China Company: West Virginia’s Gift to the World
West Virginia Cultural Center


While it is a bit of a challenge getting around the Capitol Complex this time of year while the circus is in town it’s worth the effort if you can stop by the Cultural Center and see The Great Wall of China. This fitting celebration of the Homer Laughlin China Comapany’s long tradition of producing fine dinnerware is something every West Virginian can take pride in – and since the Cultural Center hasn’t been instilling much pride in recent weeks this display is quite refreshing.

On display on the first floor of the Cultual Center this exhibit does not displace any archive or library space. But get there quick to see this before The Commish and Madame Secretary start using these plates in a new Cafe.

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Andy Warhol’s Children’s Book Illustrations


Illustration from The Magic Porridge Pot – Andy Warhol
Best in Children’s Books – Nelson Doubleday, Inc. – 1958


During the 1950’s Andy Warhol worked as a commercial artist in New York and illustrated a number of children’s stories for Nelson Doubleday Inc. – publisher of the Best in Children’s Books series.

The illustrations shown here are from The Magic Porridge Pot in Volume 21.

Playful and fun, these drawings give us a glimpse of the most influential American artist of the 20th Century early in his career.



Illustration from The Magic Porridge Pot – Andy Warhol
Best in Children’s Books – Nelson Doubleday, Inc. – 1958



Illustration from The Magic Porridge Pot – Andy Warhol
Best in Children’s Books – Nelson Doubleday, Inc. – 1958


Warhol also provided art for several other stories in this series including Card Games Are Fun (Volume 27 – 1958), The Little Red Hen (Volume 15 – 1958) and Homemade Orchestra (Volume 7 – 1958).


These books are getting harder and harder to find as Warhol collectors are snatching them up. I found a copy last week, with cover intact, and was just overjoyed.



Illustration from The Magic Porridge Pot – Andy Warhol
Best in Children’s Books – Nelson Doubleday, Inc. – 1958



Illustration from The Magic Porridge Pot – Andy Warhol
Best in Children’s Books – Nelson Doubleday, Inc. – 1958


I especially like Warhol’s cats – they are just so happy and carefree.



Illustration from The Magic Porridge Pot – Andy Warhol
Best in Children’s Books – Nelson Doubleday, Inc. – 1958

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High-Style, Low-Brow Art 2 – Paint By Number


Ballerinas – Paint by Number – 35″ x 26.5″ – Ruth Loudermilk – circa 1960’s

In a post a while back I discussed what I called “High-Style, Low-Brow Art” and today we revisit that subject with some fabulous examples of the classic paint-by-number painting method.

These kits took hold in the 1950’s and allowed the common man, with a minimum of composition or drafting knowledge or skill, to produce “original” works of art for their home. All that was required was the ability to paint within the lines. The kits came complete with the drafted “art” on board with each section of color numbered and referenced to the small containers of paint which were included.


Parrot I – Paint by Number – 16″ x 12″ – Ruth Loudermilk – circa 1960’s


Parrot II – Paint by Number – 16″ x 12″ – Ruth Loudermilk – circa 1960’s

At the time of our first post on this topic I discussed gravel art and mass produced prints from the mid-20th Century as we did not have any quality paint-by-number in our collection. The skill exhibited in paint-by-number works varies widely and I have seen paintings range in caliber from the grotesque to the primitive to ones like are shown here – the exceptional.

I picked these up at a local estate sale this past weekend. Wonderfully executed by Ruth Loudermilk in the 1960’s these pieces represent some of the best of genre. I was impressed by the precision of this work and the underlying artistic ability Mrs. Loudermilk exhibited with her brush strokes. She was quite talented and had displayed these prominently in her home. She obviously was proud of her efforts and rightfully so.


Herons – Paint by Number – 24″ x 18″ – Ruth Loudermilk – circa 1960’s


Cockatoos – Paint by Number – 24″ x 18″ – Ruth Loudermilk – circa 1960’s

I always enjoy finding quirky and kitschy items like these and the quality of this work made this find a particular joy. Thank you Mrs. Loudermilk, wherever you are.

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