Finch, Edwin (b. 1895) Drawings, 1943-1958, undated

Held by The Filson Historical Society

Creator:  Finch, Edwin A., 1895-1958

Title:  Drawings, 1943-1958, undated

Rights: For information regarding literary and copyright interest for these papers, contact the Curator of Special Collections.

Size of Collection:  7 ovsz. boxes

Location Number:  Mss. A F492

Scope and Content Note

This collection is comprised of the drawings and cartoons of Edwin Finch, an artist for the Courier-Journal in the mid-twentieth century.  Included in the collection are 113 of Finch’s original political cartoons dating from the height of the Second World War.  Drawn in charcoal, these cartoons highlight both foreign and domestic concerns during World War II, with many poking fun at the Nazis and their leader Adolf Hitler. Also among Finch’s cartoons are a few original watercolors of the comic strip “Sergeant Cinch,” which feature the misadventures of a bumbling military sergeant.  The strip was based on Finch’s experiences as a WWI infantry sergeant.  In addition to cartoons, Finch also illustrated “Kentuckiana All Over,” a series that appeared regularly in the Courier-Journal magazine section.  The series featured amusing anecdotes from local history accompanied by Finch’s watercolors.  The Filson has 457 issues of this series.

 

Biographical Note

Edwin Aloysius Finch was born in 1895 in Norwood, Ohio near Cincinnati to Louis S. Finch and Minnie Lee Smith. As a young man, he enlisted in the military and served during World War I, attaining the rank of sergeant. He also studied at the Cincinnati Art Academy. In the late 1930s, he moved to Louisville, Kentucky where he worked as an artist for the Courier-Journal and the Louisville Times. During World War II, he served for two years as the Louisville Times editorial cartoonist. He also illustrated features for both the Times and C-J editorial pages. Beginning in 1945, he edited and illustrated the “Kentuckiana All Over” column in the C-J Sunday Magazine. In 1950, Finch was praised at the International Folklore Council for preserving the folk stories, songs, and sayings of Kentucky and southern Indiana. He died on August 21, 1958, and is buried in Calvary Cemetery.

Sources:

Edwin A. Finch obituary, Courier-Journal, 13 August 1958.

 

Folder List

Box 1

Folders 1-4 (Pkg. 1): 50 miscellaneous cartoons, (primarily watercolors), 1949, undated

Folders 5-8: (Pkg. 2): 38 miscellaneous cartoons (primarily watercolors), undated

Folders 9-10 (Pkg. 6): 21 pictures of individual people (primarily pen and ink), 1949-1954, undated

 

Box 2

Folders 11-15 (Pkg. 4): 56 political cartoons (charcoal), 1943-1944

Folders 16-20 (Pkg. 5): 57 political cartoons (charcoal), 1943-1944

 

Box 3

Folders 21-23 (Pkg. 3): 27 miscellaneous cartoons (watercolors), undated

Folder 24 (Pkg. 7): 7 installments of the comic strip “Sergeant Cinch” (watercolors), undated

Folders 25-27 (Pkg. 8): 35 drawings of miscellaneous scenes and groups of people; 1 picture of Phoenix Hill (watercolors, pen and ink sketches), 1949-1957, undated

 

Box 4

Folders 28-31 (Pkg. 9): 45 drawings of miscellaneous scenes and groups of people (watercolors, pen and ink sketches), 1950-1954, undated

Folders 32-36 (Pkg. 10): 57 drawings of “Kentuckiana All Over” (watercolors), 1956, undated

 

Box 5

Folders 37-46 (Pkg. 11): 100 drawings of “Kentuckiana All Over” (watercolors), 1951-1953, undated

Folders 47-51 (Pkg. 12): 100 drawings of “Kentuckiana All Over” (watercolors), 1954, undated

 

Box 6

Folders 52-56 (Pkg. 12 cont.): 100 drawings of “Kentuckiana All Over” (watercolors), 1954, undated

Folders 57-66 (Pkg. 13): 100 drawings of “Kentuckiana All Over” (watercolors), 1957-1958, undated

 

Box 7

Folders 67-75 (Pkg. 14): 100 drawings of “Kentuckiana All Over” (watercolors), ca. 1950s

 

*This collection originally consisted of 14 wrapped packages but has since been rehoused into 7 boxes and 75 folders. The original package numbers are in parentheses.

 

Subject Headings

Art – Kentucky – Louisville.

Caricatures and cartoons.

Cartooning – Kentucky.

Kentucky – Folklore.

Louisville (Ky.) – Social life and customs.

Indiana – Folklore.

Political cartoons.

Wit and humor.

World War, 1939-1945 – Caricatures and cartoons.