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1 of 1977 La Crosse Tribune, January 11, 1969

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Imagefile	People\Colvin_Howard.jpg
Name	Colvin, Howard
Birth Date	07/03/1908
Birthplace	Beaver Crossing, Nebraska
Deceased	06/11/1991
Place of Death	La Crosse, Wisconsin
Mother	Emma (Abraham) Colvin
Father	Fred Colvin
Spouse	Lugardia Gehrig
Children	F. Leah Affolter
Occupation	Artist Advertising
Role	Artist
Education	University of Minnesota
Places of Residence	La Crosse, Wisconsin Minnesota China
Notes	Howard Colvin was an active member of the art community and made his day job with his craft. He was a talented artist who worked with various mediums in his pieces, including oil, watercolor, pastels, pen and ink, and charcoal. The Colvin family moved to the Coulee Region when Howard was a child. He attended the University of Minnesota to study architecture, but after a short while, he realized that the general requirements to get the degree were going to hold him back. He returned home to La Crosse and began his career as a freelance advertising artist. Colvin was extremely active in the Men’s Sketch Club, serving as president in 1939 and 1940. Under his leadership, a Junior Sketch Club began for boys under the age of 21 that were too young for the Men’s Sketch Club. In the early 1940s, Colvin and Clifford Andrea started Andrea & Colvin, an advertising agency working out of the Rivoli building. The pair did commercial art, merchandising, commercial photography, and advertising copy. The partnership was short-lived when Colvin enlisted during World War II. Being stationed nearly 7,000 miles from home did not stifle his creative side. He painted pin-up girls on the planes and drew portraits of fellow servicemen after a good friend asked him for one to send home. While serving in China, he completed exactly 100 portraits, and when he received his orders to go home, he still had 125 more commissioned portraits to complete. While abroad, Colvin wrote home, checking in on the Sketch Clubs, and was proud to hear back that the sketch clubs were continuing in his absence. "It makes me happy to know that the Sketch club is still going. Hang on to it, because we fellows away on our travels will be glad to be back in it when the war is over." He began working for the La Crosse Tribune in 1946 and organized the first Advertising Department. After 23 years, he retired and was excited to pursue his hobbies of art and photography once again. Shortly before retiring, Howard and his wife, Lugardia, turned the small house on the back of their property (affectionately known as the "cottage") into a recreation space. The main floor of the cottage had a pool table and served as an entertaining space for friends, and the second floor was an art studio for Howard during retirement. Howard was a humble artist and insisted that there were always better artists than himself. He was hesitant to show his unfinished works and insisted that even his family wait until he was finished with a piece to see it. He had a passion for drawing and painting dogs. One of his dog drawings was purchased by the marketing department at La Crosse Breweries Inc. for an advertising campaign. The drawing is of a beagle destroying its owner’s shoe with an innocent expression and head slightly cocked to the side with a piece of leather in its mouth. The brewery cleverly added the text, "Sorry, Gee-I wish I could buy him a bottle of Peerless Amber."
Image Caption	La Crosse Tribune, January 11, 1969

Related Records

1. Advertisement - 2011.014.210

   A framed (21" by 25") advertisement for Peerless Amber by La Crosse artist Howard Colvin. The advertisement features a beagle puppy who chewed up a slipper. The text below the dog says "Sorry! Gee - I wish I could buy him a bottle of Peerless Amber."

   Record Type: Archive

   
2. Advertisement - 2022.016.003

   Advertisement for Peerless Amber by La Crosse artist Howard Colvin. The advertisement features a beagle puppy who chewed up a slipper. The text below the dog says "Sorry! Gee - I wish I could buy him a bottle of Peerless Amber." Detailed print with imitated brush strokes. Dimensions: 15.5 x 23.5 inches.

   Record Type: Archive

   
3. Broadside - 2022.016.035

   Movie poster painting on thin paper and mounted on board. Poster depicts the movie "Dracula" starring Bela Lugosi. A man with a green complexion stands on the right side an text on the left "Bela Lugosi in Dracula Amazing-Weird-and Eerie!"

   Record Type: Object

   
4. Broadside - 2022.016.036

   Movie poster painting on board. Poster depicts the movie "Trader Horn" starring Harry Carey, Duncan Renaldo, and Edwina Booth. An elephant is emerging slightly off-center with foliage on either side, poster has an orange hue.

   Record Type: Object

   
5. Drawing - 2022.016.001

   Pastel drawing on paper by La Crosse artist, Howard Colvin. The drawing is of a black and white pointer puppy who chewed up it's owner's slipper. Remnants of the slipper are hanging out of the pup's mouth. This is a final drawing of 2022.016.002.

   Record Type: Object

   
6. Drawing - 2022.016.002

   Pastel drawing on paper by La Crosse artist, Howard Colvin. The drawing is of a black and white beagle pointer who chewed up it's owner's slipper. Remnants of the slipper are hanging out of the pup's mouth. This is a preliminary drawing of 2022.016.001 and has notes from the artist listing changes for the final piece.

   Record Type: Object

   
7. Drawing - 2022.016.007

   Three-quarter view, head and shoulders self-portrait by Howard Colvin, pencil on paper.

   Record Type: Object

   
8. Drawing - 2022.016.008

   Three-quarter view, head and shoulders portrait of Fred Colvin by Howard Colvin, pastels on brown paper.

   Record Type: Object

   
9. Drawing - 2022.016.009

   Pen and ink, three-quarter view, head and shoulders portrait of Hamlin Garland by Howard Colvin.

   Record Type: Object

   
10. Drawing - 2022.016.010

    Pen and ink, three-quarter view, head and shoulders portrait of poet Edgar A. Guest by Howard Colvin. Labeled "Edgar A. Guest" in pencil in the bottom right corner.

    Record Type: Object

    
11. Drawing - 2022.016.011

    Pastel, three-quarter view, head and shoulders portrait of John Raymond Le Huquet by Howard Colvin. Labeled "John Raymond Le Huquet" in the bottom right corner.

    Record Type: Object

    
12. Drawing - 2022.016.012

    Pastel and watercolor three-quarter view portrait of a red Bloodhound by Howard Colvin.

    Record Type: Object

    
13. Drawing - 2022.016.013

    Pen and ink and pastel profile portrait of a Wire Fox Terrier by Howard Colvin.

    Record Type: Object

    
14. Drawing - 2022.016.014

    Pen and ink and pastel profile portrait of a Red Bone Coonhound by Howard Colvin.

    Record Type: Object

    
15. Drawing - 2022.016.015

    Pen and ink and pastel profile portrait of a King Charles Cavalier by Howard Colvin.

    Record Type: Object

    
16. Drawing - 2022.016.016

    Pen and ink profile view of a Wire Fox Terrier by Howard Colvin. Background is lightly colored blue and orange.

    Record Type: Object

    
17. Drawing - 2022.016.017

    Pastel three-quarter view portrait of a German Sheperd on paper by Howard Colvin. Possibly a study for 2022.016.031.

    Record Type: Object

    
18. Drawing - 2022.016.019

    Pen and ink drawing by Howard Colvin of three views of black Scottish Terriers mounted on board.

    Record Type: Object

    
19. Drawing - 2022.016.020

    Pastel three-quarter view portrait of a cinnamon-colored Chow Chow on a green background by Howard Colvin.

    Record Type: Object

    
20. Drawing - 2022.016.021

    Profile view of a black Labrador Retriever in an open field with birds flying in the distance. Drawing is on light blue paper by Howard Colvin.

    Record Type: Object