Please help Roy Thomas identify man in this circa 1946 photo with Lee Harris

[jlevey-migration]

Amongst many other exciting projects, Roy is finishing off an article on my late father Harris Levey (aka "Lee Harris", co-creator of Air Wave), to be featured in the pending June 2014 (#125) issue of Alter Ego.

 

In addition to the series of colour photos depicting my dad's artwork, that will be included in the story, we have a black & white photo (circa 1940 - 1943) that shows my dad sitting on the left (holding pencil) next to another (older) gentleman with greying hair and round wire-rimmed glasses. He "might" be a Golden Age editor at Detective Comics, Fox or Blue Ribbon... he might not.

 

We would very much like to accurately identify this "mystery man".

 

If you happen to know who this gentleman is (or even, perhaps, have a strong hunch) kindly let us know, asap.

 

With much appreciation.

 

Jonathan Levey (Montreal)

 

 

[BB-Gun]

Could it be Inky? They both worked on Airwave.

[Pat Calhoun]

George Roussos Wiki page has 1941 pic of him (Inky) that looks like a different person...

[jlevey-migration]

Yes. Thanks, Pcalhoun. It is very important to compare the facial features of our "mystery man" shown in this photo, with the person you are contemplating "might" be the a match.

 

Actually, my dad and George (inky) were good friends and I have photos of George during his time with my dad at Detective Comics and this "mystery man" is older than George was at the time, with very different facial features, thus definitely not George. But thanks for offering a guess BB-Gun.

 

Too bad the lower section of that Life Magazine shown in this photo is cut off mid-way. Otherwise we might have a more accurate clue as to the actual time frame that year his photo was taken.

 

Please keep your suggestions coming. Very much appreciated. Who knows... we may strike gold.

 

Jonathan

[VintageComics]

Any more clues in the picture itself? That artwork on the left looks like it could be possibly be some Fox GGA.

[jpepx78]

that's the jan 28 1946 issue of life mag in the picture.

 

[VintageComics]

that's the jan 28 1946 issue of life mag in the picture.

 

That makes more sense to me than the circa 1940-43 era.

 

That artwork they are inspecting definitely looks like mid to late 1940's at the earliest.

 

(thumbs u

[jlevey-migration]

WOW! I'm no Sherlock Holmes, but I do believe that this is a very significant clue you have provided us with jpepx70. Thank you.

 

I originally thought that this photo was taken of my dad when he was between the ages of 19 and 22 (he was born iAug. 1921), just before he took a three year leave of absence from his comic book illustrations to serve in WWII.

 

My guess was obviously incorrect. In was 1946 (or there after).

 

Now, I believe, a good question to answer is...

 

- Who was among the art and editorial staff at Detective Comics in Jan. 1946?

 

Of course, the magazine shown in this particular photo "might" have been an "old" issue, but it is worthwhile noting that there are no other Life Mag issues on the table along with it. So perhaps it is a recently received magazine, and Jan. or February 1946 is the date that this photo was taken.

 

Not sure, of course. Just conjecture.

 

Please keep your clues, observations and suggestions coming.

 

Wish we could see the details of those pictures hanging on the wall in the background and could definitively identify the illustrations on their art table that they are inspecting. This might help.

 

Jonathan

[VintageComics]

I still say it's a photo of Fox employees.

 

The art on the table, particularly the beautiful head shot of the brunette looks a lot like some of the artwork on the covers of My Life. Particularly issues #7 and #10

 

Here are the Grand Comic Database entry of covers.

 

 

[jlevey-migration]

Interesting observation, VintageComics.

 

I cannot recall for certain, but I am pretty sure that my dad only worked for Fox in the late 1930's (circa 1938-39), and that he returned to his Air Wave drawings at Detective Comics, soon after retiring from his service in WWII (Sept. 1945).

Actually, he left the Airforce with honourable discharge in Sept. 1945, but the Chronology of Air Wave found on internet databases suggest that he did not resume drawing Air Wave at Detective Comics until the Batman issue #133, which was published in July of 1946.

 

Therefore, it is feasible that he "might" have been drawing for a short span of time at another publishing house (ie. Fox) prior to returning to his work at Detective comics.

 

Perhaps if a graphically/computer skilled fellow CGC member could manipulate the artwork shown on the table in this photo, so that the drawing of the woman's head, as well as the other scene shown directly below it (which to me looks like a group "huddle" of people/characters), were enlarged and "rotated" 360 degrees, then this particular piece of artwork could be definitively identified.

 

I just don't have the computer graphic skills to do this...

 

Jonathan

 

[50YrsCollctngCmcs]

Jonathan,

 

I can't help with the photo ID but I wanted yo to know that I was a big fan of Airwave. I didn't read them in original editions but in reprints in the 100 page books of the seventies.

 

You might also like to know that Howard Chaykin was a fan; we discussed Airwave at a convention one year.

 

Hats off to your Dad's creation!

 

Frank

[jlevey-migration]

Dear Frank,

 

Thanks of your kind and thoughtful words, it means a lot.

 

Please tell Howard that his genuine interest in my dad's work is greatly appreciated too.

 

I believe that you two will greatly enjoy the Alter Ego #125 (June 2014 edition) that Roy Thomas had been working diligently on and that is soon to be released (ships out on May 7th).

 

Jonathan

[Crimebuster]

Amongst many other exciting projects, Roy is finishing off an article on my late father Harris Levey (aka "Lee Harris", co-creator of Air Wave), to be featured in the pending June 2014 (#125) issue of Alter Ego.

 

In addition to the series of colour photos depicting my dad's artwork, that will be included in the story, we have a black & white photo (circa 1940 - 1943) that shows my dad sitting on the left (holding pencil) next to another (older) gentleman with greying hair and round wire-rimmed glasses. He "might" be a Golden Age editor at Detective Comics, Fox or Blue Ribbon... he might not.

 

We would very much like to accurately identify this "mystery man".

 

If you happen to know who this gentleman is (or even, perhaps, have a strong hunch) kindly let us know, asap.

 

With much appreciation.

 

Jonathan Levey (Montreal)

 

 

 

Some amateur sleuthing:

 

There's a calender on the wall behind them.

 

The first day of the month is a Saturday. The only month in 1946 that began on a Saturday was June.

 

Now, that's assuming it's a new issue of Life. There were three months in 1947 that began on Saturday: February, March and November. And only one in 1948, May.

 

The calendar is pretty blurry, but it kind of looks to me like the month had 31 days, which narrows this down to March of 1947 or May of 1948. On the other hand, the text at the top is too blurry to read, but the length of it suggests it might say NOVEMBER - which would be November, 1947.

 

Maybe someone with mad skills can somehow clear up the calendar part of the photo with some sci-fi device to tell. I thnk the calendar could be a key clue if we can figure out what it says.

 

 

The art suggests to me personally that this is from late 1947 or 1948, due to the pretty girl, as the romance genre didn't start until late summer 1947. Or it could be a teen comic I guess from earlier.

 

 

I thought initially that the page with the girl's face on it was a panel page, but I think it's a cover (or maybe a splash I guess). If you flip it upside down, it looks like there's a group of figures on the bottom left of the image and they are looking at a billboard or something with the girl's face on it.

[jlevey-migration]

To help us to figure out the location (ie. which publishing house) where this photo with our "mystery man" was taken, and ultimately, who the mystery man is, I am in the process of trying to determine if my dad, aka Lee Harris, was taking art courses at the Art Students League in NYC, immediately following his return form the war (Sept. 1945), up until July 1946, when he seems to be on record as having resumed his Air Wave drawing responsibilities at Detective Comics (Batman issue #113). If he was not taking art courses during this time period, he was likely working for another publishing house (ie. Fox). Or perhaps he was taking art courses at night, and working during the day at a publishing house. Not sure. To my novice eyes, the setting in this photo seems to be in a publishing house studio to me rather than an art class where many other students and tables would likely be seen.

 

If anyone has any documented record of his published artwork during this short span of time, please let us know.

 

...or any other clues, hunches or definitive information.

 

The best would be, of course, to have a fellow member that was an artist and or editor active in the Golden Age art scene recognize our Mystery Man as an "old" friend/associate. Sadly, from what I understand, there are only a handful left to help us in tis way, with this wealth of first-hand knowledge. Perhaps, this is where Stan Lee could be of extra service. Or if the grown son or daughter or family member of this man were to see this photo, then we would know who he was for sure.

 

In the meantime, perhaps the next few days will turn up some more significant clues.

 

With much appreciation.

 

Jonathan

 

 

[adamstrange]

I think it's quite possible that picture is from Jan 1946.

 

The Evidence of the Life Magazine is backed up by the calendar on the back wall. It has days of the week consistent with December 1945 linky . I would suspect that it's still up because it's just past the new year and no one has bothered yet to throw it out.

 

I see little reason to believe that the art is destined for Fox and suspect that the best candidate is a fellow employee at DC. Post WWII Fox art was produced by the Iger shop and very little of it would have been drawn in early 1946.

[Crimebuster]

Ah, good call. I didn't think to look at 1945 calendars.

[jlevey-migration]

I just now read your very insightful post, CrimeBuster. Thanks! I guess they don't call you CrimeBuster for nothing!

 

Perhaps a fellow member with high tech /graphic skills can enlarge the key objects in this photo without losing all definition, so as to determine the month and year on the calendar, and perhaps some of he illusive details.

 

Thank you for everyone's timely and thoughtful efforts. It feels like we may be getting closer to solving this riddle.

 

So keep those clues, observations, and suggestions coming.

 

With much appreciation,

 

Jonathan

 

PS: I just read your very enlightening post above, adamstrange. Thanks for these thoughts and observations. Closer and closer we are moving towards solving this mystery.

 

PPS: I have to get some shut-eye, but look forward to the morning when one or two new bit s of helpful information might be posted.

[jlevey-migration]

OK. Here is an unplanned treat... I was able to post this photo on a non-public web site so that I could then post the link to it here on the CGC forum.

 

For a guy like me that is not so technically inclined this is a major achievement!

 

 

This particular photo shows two men standing in front of a chalkboard. I do not believe that this chalkboard is in a traditional classroom setting. One of the two men is definitely George Roussos (the one almost touching the board with his hand/chalk and nearest to the board). And the other individual is our "mystery man". It seems to me that this photo was taken at the same period of time as the previous (art table) photo that I posted earlier, because the age of the older man (with the greying hair and wire-rimmed glasses) appears to be the same as in the art table photo.

 

Of course, it is also very interesting to note that on the top-right corner of the chalkboard, the date Jan. 31 is clearly written.

 

Perhaps a fellow CGC member (or members) can pick out some key clues on this chalkboard that will help us to move forward in determining which publishing house these photos were taken at and (most importantly) "whom this older "mystery gent" is.

 

As an aside, Ito my relatively novice eyes, found this photo fascinating as it shows how the art staff during the Golden Age of Comics collaborated closely to brainstorm ideas and develop some of the extraordinary names, genres and content for their episodes in progress.

 

Just curious... does "Black Eagle", "Jimson Pix", and/or "Pitkin Ave." mean anything to anyone? These are some of the key words written clearly on the right side of this chalkboard.

 

Hope you all enjoy seeing this pic, as it has never been publicized to date.

 

Jonathan

[adamstrange]

What a cool photograph and what a fun puzzle to work on!

[jlevey-migration]

Thanks , adamstrange. I cannot agree more with you. And what makes it even more fun and exciting, is sharing it with such knowledgeable, inquisitive and appreciative fellow CGC members.

 

Jonathan