Anonymous Outsider Art / Art Brut found on the streets of Manhattan

Anonymous Outsider Art / Art Brut found on the streets of Manhattan circa 1985.  Now lost.  Each was 18 x 24. 
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Lonnie Holley Birmingham Alabama Outsider Art Environment Unpublished Photos c.1992

Photographs of Lonnie Holley and his workshop at what has come to be known as the Birmingham Alabama Airport environment.  They date to 1992 or so.  I believe at the time this was both "studio" and home for the artist.

You'll find dozens of his sculptures (made from scrapped foundry sandstone) and hundreds of painted and shaped works of wire, fabric and detritus. It might look ragged, but every thing was purposeful and in place. Something out of a dream. While chatting and touring with the artist, I realized everything was connected through small caves from which children began to emerge.  Beautiful, handsome young children who had been living (or hiding) in their places for safety.  Shy at first, they romped like any kids as they became comfortable with my visit.  

Holley had purchased the land intending to establish it as a refuge for artistic expression.  He was certainly not one short of artistic ideas. Apparently the airport didn't agree and claimed the land. I hope the artist and his family received what was deserved, but it sounded like a land grab at the time. Mr. Holley was and is a genius. This is something I have learned to know and increasingly appreciate over the last 25 years.

A feature article was published by The Guardian which tells his personal story in depth.

ORIGINAL PHOTOGRAPHS by Jim Linderman Collection Dull Tool Dim Bulb.

Boy Evangelist Press Photograph with touched up Bible Charles E. Jaynes Jr. 1938

Boy Evangelist Charles E. Jaynes Jr. and his hand embellished Bible. Original Press Photograph and paint 1938.  Photo by E. Stephen.  Collection Jim Linderman

Walter Hale and the Beatniks

A bizarre beatnik booklet from Beelzebub Books!  1959. Height of the non-existent beatnik revolution.  An unexpurgated expose of the beat generation! (Which was largely a big-media invention in the 1950s...there were only about five real, actual, living beatniks.) Life Magazine had nothing on this shocking expose! It just one of the moronic magazines produced by one man. 

The book is "edited" with a pastiche of purloined press from "editor" Heater Wall.  Heater Wall cribbed clippings and such from prominent "beatnik" writers and paired them with risque photos.  

"Heater Wall" was really Walter Hale.  A carnival barker of a publisher.  A legendary huckster and promoter.  Hale produced a string of vintage vehicles which ran on dames, most of them burlesque dancers. He distributed his magazines in an unusual manner…by giving them away at carnivals and strip shows he promoted.  In fact, the fine folks at Something Weird Video have even located..and generously provided, free of charge only to you, our special clients, step right up here today, an actual film of Hale pitching his porn!  Hale Published Tom Cat, Girls, Scandoll, Hollywood Confidential and Play Girl (for which he was sued by no less than Hugh Hefner)  Enjoy the clip at the end of this article.

The best part of Walter Hale product (other than the publicity photos of strippers from the golden age of stripping) is his alliteration.  Never has a publisher run together so many words which start with the same letter. That is Hale taking his "step right up" slogans to the smut market.  

Shown here is but a few of the other magazines in the Walter Hale catalog.  Collect them all!

 
Books by the author are available HERE as instant  Ebooks and paperback or hardcovers at Blurb.  
   

How is your New Years Resolution going? Percy and his Tiny House

A wirephoto press photograph showing Percy Coplon as he prepares for drastic measures to control his weight.  Caption reads "Plans to fast atop 30 foot pole.  Percy Coplon, all 357 pounds of him, stands beside the tiny house in which he plans to fast for 100 days.  
Original 1949 Wirephoto Photograph.  Collection Dull Tool Dim Bulb

Artists and their Models. Painters paint Vintage Sleaze Paperbacks

Representations of painters on paperbacks from the 1950s and 1960s. The most recognized artist in America was Norman Rockwell at the time.  These ain't him.