Justin McCarthy Untitled Landscape c. 1950s - 1960s collection Jim Linderman

Justin McCarthy Untitled Landscape c. 1950s 20" x 28" - 1960s collection Jim Linderman Additional works by the artist at Http:justinmccarthyart.blogspot.com

Charles Jessup Radio Preacher and Cock Fighter

CHARLES JESSUP: RADIO PREACHER AND COCK FIGHTER By Jim Linderman Rev. Charles Jessup was a border radio fixture for years on a powerful station operating just across the Mexican border (and just outside U. S. regulations) at the same time as Wolfman Jack. One could hear Jessup beg for money all the way to Wisconsin on a good night, and surely God cleared the heavens so the signal could travel that far. Del Rio radio never sounded as crisp as when Charles Jessup was pitching for dollars in his commanding sacred voice. Reverend Charles Jessup was also married to a 15 year old girl while still married to his third wife, but that was generally left out of his sermons. Things haven’t changed much since Charlie was braying from Mexico. Religious preaching on the airwaves is still big business. A market so large it rivals the size of the snack market during the Superbowl. “Oh? Well guess who thinks they are going to be met by a troop of angels when they die?” The answer? More than believe in Darwin, at least in this country. At the age of 12, young Charles began preaching. There isn’t much more annoying than a child preacher, except one who has a bunch of brothers who can help him. Jessup’s posse was pretty big. Shown here are his peckerwood brothers from Alabama. They were the blessed offspring of Reverend “Daddy” Jessup of Kentucky and Maude Spribling of Mississippi. The states of Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky make up a holy trinity of religious caterwauling. The Jessup’s begat nine children and at least four of them followed in Daddy’s golden slippers to become preachers. There is also a family tradition for circus performers, and sure enough several years later young Charles purchased a used revival tent from the Ringling Brothers. Show Business! Robert Duvall cited Jessup as an influence on his film The Apostle, and others have compared him to Elvis, but then the King was never convicted of mail fraud and using ill-gotten contributions from loyal listeners for cock-fighting. That’s right. The right reverend sorta served time for cock-fighting. Some of God’s creatures apparently wear metal talons. It was part of the dirt dug up on him for his conviction of mail fraud. Jessup barnstormed God’s airways with mountain music, a squeaky voice and an insatiable sexual appetite. Taking in ten million dollars (while claiming was to help the Mexican people) he “llenarse los bolsillos,” which is Spanish for “line your own pockets.” There are folks who worry about Mexicans coming here? Maybe they should close the border to US! Cars, Seaplanes, real estate… whatever supposed pleasures awaited his followers in the afterlife, he was taking full advantage of in the present. Jessup cared not who sent in the money… he preferred it green, but fake Christian beggars can’t be choosers. Not to be outdone by his own brother’s double-neck guitar, shown in a photo here… he ordered a custom made THREE neck guitar from the Mosrite Factory which surfaced a few years ago. Three necks! I am not sure what he used to play it with, but perhaps his young wife can tell us. A scan of their 78 rpm record (which unfortunately I have not heard as God has not yet provided me with a working turntable, but he will, I believe). As music was another of Jessup’s fraud activities, his worst sin may have been stealing rights to the songs of Cajun singer Jimmy Donley. Donley was a naive but fantastic early rocker you likely haven’t heard. One of those “sign here” on the hood of a car in a juke-joint parking lot deals… from which Jimmy never recovered. It is said Jessup implied that as a personal friend of God, he would give the recordings a fast track to the heavens of the pop charts. He did, by way of Fats Domino and Jerry Lee Lewis, both who recorded Jimmy’s songs, but Jessup alone reaped the financial benefits. Donley never recovered, and committed suicide by sucking from an automobile exhaust pipe in 1963, a bible at his side. If Charles Jessup was really a faith healer, maybe he could have soothed Donley’s fevered brow and cured him of depression. His song “Think it Over” is here and the rest are available on the Bear Family compilation cited below. Great stuff and far superior to anything the Jessup brothers came up with on their own. The three most notable dates in the Jessup chronology are 1965, when the crook was indicted for mail fraud, 1968 when he was convicted and 1993 when he died. I hope Jimmy Donley was there to meet him at the gate with a posse of heavenly angels. Amazingly, Jessup continued to appear on other evangelist’s programs after serving his sentence (at least one of which still operates in my home state) and they welcomed him as an inspiration! Now THAT is faith. I am sure there are Jessup offspring around, and perhaps I should be scared. In 1948, Jessup was accused of beating one Mary Reynolds near death as she emerged from a motion picture theater in Gulfport. Her mistake was making the claim Jessup and his ministry was a sham, so he and his posse roughed her up a bit. NOTES: Photo excerpts from “Heaven and Hell” and “A Stirring Message on Death” all circa 1945-1950 by J. Charles Jessup, and “Preach the Word/I’ll Meet you in the Morning” by Jessup Brothers on Jessup Brothers records, 78 rpm. All Collection Jim Linderman. There is a magnificent profile of Jessup written by Peter J. Boyer at The New Yorker. The Find a Grave website always does just that, and the entry which reveals where Charles Jessup eternally rests. “Golden Slippers” is a phrase which derives from the song “Oh Dem Golden Slippers.” While today it is a bluegrass standard (and commercial for Golden Grahams cereal, nothing is sacred here) it was composed as a gospel song by African-American writer James A. Bland and made popular by the African-American gospel group The Fisk Singers. It has also been used in a Pokeman game. The magnificent recordings of the troubled Cajun singer Jimmie Donely (certainly not the first or last naive rock and roll recording artist) available. They are exceptionally composed songs, and the The Bear Folks package is highly recommended. Robert Duvall channels Jessup in a clip from The Apostle on youtube. He is far more convincing in the role than Jessup ever was. Jim Linderman is a collector, popular culture historian and author. His Dull Tool Dim Bulb blog is approaching 6 million page views.

Black Sculptor George Williams in the Museum and in the Field. Black Folk Art in America Exhitibion

Detail of an exhibition of early George Williams of Mississippi wood carvings shown in the touring Black Folk Art in America show in 1983, and a photo I took some ten years later of Mr. Williams making one for me. Original photo (detail of Detroit Institute of Arts staff photo) and original photo by Jim Linderman c. 1990 Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Amateur Femme Fatale Noir Drawings by a Young Woman Scrap book Late 1940s

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Amazing images of Folk Art Environment Ray's Ornamental Garden in Texas.

Two images of Ray’s Ornamental Garden in Texas, or I should say formerly of Texas. The color one is a Jumbo format postcard. The other an 8 x 10 wide shot. The giant Folk art environment was in Stephenville, TX but it is nearly gone now. After George Ray passed in 1957, his wife maintained it for a while but she died ten years later. vandals and juvenile delinquents ruined much of it and the rest was bulldozed in the 1980s. Large postcard and original photograph of Ray’s Ornamental Garden Late 1930s to 1940s. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Mid-century thread spool and canning jar ring toss game American Folk Art collection Jim Linderman

Mid-century thread spool and canning jar ring toss game American Folk Art collection Jim Linderman

Antique Bottle Cap Folk Art Environment Logs

Bottle Cap Tree / Logs. A folk art environment unknown location and date. Original Snapshot Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb #bottlecaps. #art. #folkartenvironment

Handmade Folk Art Puppet Head with hair and a great painted face. c. 1950 folk art collection Jim Linderman

A mid-century handmade folk art puppet head with hair and a great painted face. c. 1950 folk art puppet head Mounted on a base. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb the Blog

Articulated Figure Man on a Ruler Dancing Wooden Folk Art Carving c. 1930

Man on a Ruler! as shown, 7 inches tall. A beautiful handmade and handcarved dancing toy with original mustard paint on the midsection. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

The Nutshell (!). A charming folk art environment from the wayback past.

Meet me at The Nutshell. I wish I could make out the indistinct writing over the front door. Original Photograph circa 1930 (?) Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

A GIANT duck costume with a man inside from Missouri c. 1930

Man in a Duck costume meeting the train. Why? I dunno. Original snapshot c. 1930 Lee Jellum photo shop Chillicothe. Missouri Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Giant Articulated Figure Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb the Blog

Giant Articulated Figure. Nearly 5 feet tall with moving arms, legs and joints. It could be a trade figure, but I wonder if it was an industrial tool to show workers how to correctly lift heavy objects? CLICK to see entire figure. C. 1950? Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Folk Art Relief Carving of a Reclining Woman Unknown Artist c. 1950

Folk Art Relief Carving of a reclining woman, no date. 21” long, 10 inches tall. Unknown artist circa 1950. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

How to Get to Heaven and Avoid Hell Original Photogaph of a Religious Banner

How to Get to Heaven and Avoid Hell Original Photogaph of a Religious Banner c. 1920 Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Police Puppet Show for Safety. Undated Press Photograph

Police Puppet Show for Safety Undated Press Photograph ? Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Original Art from “Trace and Color” by Anonymous 1937. Crayon on translucent paper Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Original Art from “Trace and Color” by Anonymous 1937. Crayon on translucent paper Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Tintype Copy of a Folk Art Portrait 19th century art and photography merge

A half-plate tintype photograph of an even earlier folk art portrait of a young woman. We might place the portrait to 1825 or 1830, I'm going to say the tintype was taken thirty or forty years later. Taking photographs of paintings was far more common than one may think. One of the powers of the tintype was their ability to be sent in the mail, and many a family portrait was photographed and shared. Additionally, because of floods, fires and mold, often a PHOTO of a painting is all that remains. I would like to hope the painting remains as well, but chances are probably slim. At the top, directly above the figure, the pin used to hold the piece in place to be photographed is also seen. Art historians and folk art collectors alike prize 19th century photographs of paintings, in particular when it may document a missing piece from an artist's body of work. I have not identified either the original artist or the photographer, certainly, and I suppose I never will. Suggestions as to the identity of the painter are welcome. Charming in either medium. Attempts to merge folk art with photography have occurred over the years, some with success. I personally do not think photographs are folk art, but as my blog often shows, one can take a picture of folk art. Half-plate Tintype of a Folk Art Portrait Circa 1860 Dull Tool Dim Bulb Archives

Time for Laundy and some Debt! Handmade Sign with life-size folk art figures orignal photograph

Time for laundry and debt ! Original Sign with life-sized folk art figures Snapshot photograph. "A Copper Washer for a Silver Dollar" was a popular 1920s advertising slogan for Automatic Electric Washers. The promotion allowed customers to purchase a new copper-tub clothes washer with a $1.00 down payment (the "silver dollar”) followed by monthly installments. Original photograph (cropped) Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb #folkartsign.

Eight-Pagers from the 1930s The ribald little comics comment on Wallis Simpson and the Royal Scandal.

Well, it’s been scandal after scandal for the Royals, and Prince Andrew may be the worst of them. Creep. It’s not the first dicey debacle to threaten the monarchy…witness this rare Tijuana Bible circa 1936 featuring Wallis Simpson, an American socialite who slept her way around the world then married King Edward VIII after a torrid affair! Edward Abducted, becoming the only British King to volunteer to resign as King. He became the Duke of Windsor. Anyway, this racy little booklet was one of hundreds published in home workshops and underground printing presses which satirized the snooty upperclass and all manner of celebrities. This one is unusual as it was hand colored by crayon! Tijuana Bibles by anonymous c. Late 1930s. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Sewer Tile / Pipe Folk Art Grotesque Man Sculpture

Grotesque Man (co-worker or the boss?) End of Day Sewer Tile Figure, Likely Ohio. Sewer Tile Folk Art was made from left-over clay at pipe factories after the shift was over. Later, Molds were made to make “commercial” items to sell like small animals, doorstops, etc. The handmade original pieces such as this are the ones I am most interested in. Sewer Tile figure hand-formed late 19th - early 20th C. 7” tall. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb #sewertile. #folkart. #folkartsculpture. #sewerpipe

Chalk Talks for Young People by J. W. VanDeventer. Low Art made High

Years ago I collected about a dozen “Chalk Talk” books. Chalk Talk is what that charlatan Glenn Beck used to do to confuse his unwitting tv followers…It’s a propaganda technique that was primarily applied by traveling religious preachers who seemingly couldn’t keep any other job. It involves drawing moral stories on a blackboard while using patter to distract…mostly from the Bible. Moral lessons illustrated with drawing meant to keep the chairs filled before the collection basket. I would call it a “low” art rather than high, but these illustrations from J. W. Van Deventer cross over into real art. The cream of the chalk crop! His “Chalk Talks for Young People” book, now well over 100 years old is as good as the technique gets…a shame I can’t find a film of the obfuscating master at work. VanDeventer, from Michigan, lived from 1855 to 1939 and graduated from Hillsdale College. The college helped advise on the hate document “Project 2025” which is causing so much discourse today. Shudder. Illustrations from Chalk Talks for Young People by J W Van Deventer c. 1900. No date in book, collection Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Unknown Folk Art Environment in Canada

A colorful Canadian folk art environment. The decoration looks like marshmallows! This is a photograph as opposed to a postcard, there is no location indicated. I’ll add a location if any of our Canadian friends can identify. Supposedly circa 1990. Canadian Yard Show c. 1990 original photograph collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Group of Crayon Exercises Anonymous antique School Child Art c. 1910 Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Vibrant Group of Crayon Exercises Anonymous antique School Child Art c. 1910 Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb #juvenillia. #schoolchildart. #dulltooldimbulb

The Paper House still standing. Folk Art Newspaper Environment

When I looked up The Paper House I expected it to have burned up. Nope! Entirely made from rolled paper! The maker invented a special sauce which protected the place from wear, tear and fire. Still open for viewing in Pigeon Cove, MA. There is a short video of the place on YouTube. Three Paper House postcards, c. 1940? Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Disembodied Folk Art Head

A curious disembodied head. Painted on 5.8” thick ruff hewn wood and 7 inches tall. There is wear on the wood subsequent to it being painted (see around the back of the head) so it is old but I am not sure how old, Certainly earlier than 1950 given the patina on the unpainted wood surface on the reverse. Painted wooden head of unknown purpose collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb.

The World's Largest Crow. Folk Art Carvings Handmade Sign

Well, I know Spring is around the corner as the family of crows has started reproducing. Actually, this is a polaroid snapshot of Crow’s Nest Pass in Alberta, Canada.The name is a translations of the Cree name “kah-ka-ioo-wut-tshis-tun” and the Blackfoot name “ma-sto-eeas”, which together translates to “Nest of the Crow/Raven” and it appears to be a splendid place to visit. Once known for rum-running and the tragic “Frank Slide” which decimated a portion of the Rockies and caused 1240 deaths! Now it is known for skiing. I don’t know if the crow family is still there Original Polaroid snapshot of Crow’s Nest Alberta, Canada. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Tube the Blog

Women in Hats by Miss Daisy Outsider Art

WOMEN IN HATS Outsider Art by Miss Daily 1950 - 1970 The world’s a mess but Spring is imminent and that means woman in hats. Plus the Outsider Art Fair is close, I won’t be there. Instead here are six original drawings by Miss Daisy, a West Coast shut-in who produced hundreds of 9 x 12 drawings of women, one a day, from 1950 to 1970. She dated (and reported the weather) on the reverse of every one, but she remain anonymous. Ten different ones are posted on the Dull Tool Dim Bulb Facebook Page. Six Original Drawings by Miss Daisy. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Large Antique Homemade Folk Art Horse and Buggy Toy

A Large wood carved horse pulls a handmade cart made of hand cut sheet metal and wood. The largest pull toy ever! Folk Art toy wagon and horse toy, circa 1900. Found in Michigan. Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb #folkarthorse. #Homemadetoy

Victor Joseph Gatto "Deer" ink drawing c. 1950

Victor Joseph Gatto “Deer” ink on paper c. 1950 Portions of the artist’s wikipedia entry follows: Gatto, who was entirely self-taught, began painting in 1938 at the age of 45 after hearing that artists in New York could make good money. He began with a simple setup, using an old plate as a palette and the back of a chair as an easel.[6] Elaine and Willem de Kooning, who were neighbors of Gatto, encouraged him to pursue painting.[3] By 1940, he had gained popularity among collectors of modern primitive art. His work is characterized by great attention to detail… In 1943, the Charles Barzansky Gallery hosted a one-man show in his honor, garnering widespread praise. Gatto became a favorite of art collectors, who referred to him as "New York's Rousseau." A number of magazine pieces were written on him, and his work twice graced the cover of Town and Country. Despite his critical success and popularity among collectors… “Deer” ink on paper c. 1950 - 1960 Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Superman ! A Homemade and Handmade Superman Doll from Mexico

I have posted several naive attempts at creating Superman on the blog. A wood carving, several drawings, etc. but this fellow is the best. A handmade Superman doll from Mexico. Whenever I post it on the Dull Tool Dim Bulb Facebook page it flies…mast be the scrap fabric cape! Homemade and handmade folk art Superman Doll circa mid 20th Century Collection Jim Linderman / Dull Tool Dim Bulb #superman. #naiveart. #folkart. #comicbookcharacter.