Important American Etching "The Long Trail" by Pulitzer Prize Winner and Duck Stamp Artist Jay N. Darling "Ding"

Fine Art : Printmaking : Etchings

 

Exceedingly fine original etching by the important American cartoonist, conservationist, and artist Jay Norwood Darling, also known as "Ding'. The title of this etching is "The Long Trail" and features Teddy Roosevelt (admired by Ding) on horseback with his hat in the air. This example is signed in pencil on the fly, titled, and numbered 53/100. Signed within the plate in the lower right corner "J. N. Ding". Darling's works rarely are seen on the market. This example is housed in the original period frame. The plate area measures 8 3/4 by 11 1/4 inches. The frame size is 14 3/4 by 22 inches. Condition is very good with slight toning. A nice strong impression. An excellent choice for discerning American print collector.

Jay N. Darling was born on October 21, 1876. His middle name was Norwood after Norwood, Michigan (MI), his birthplace. When he was young his family gave him the nickname "Ding", and it stuck. For the rest of his life he was known as "Ding" Darling to those who knew him and admired his work. Jay Darling received his early schooling in a succession of Midwestern cities. He went to grade school in Elkhart, Indiana (IN); high school in Sioux City, Iowa (IA); and in 1894-95, attended Yankton College in Yankton, South Dakota (SD). He later transferred to Beloit College in Beloit, Wisconsin (WI) where he earned his Ph.B. degree in 1900. Mr. Darling worked as a reporter with the Sioux City Tribune for a year, and then went to the Sioux City Journal, where he began cartooning. He married Genevieve Pendleton, the daughter of a Sioux City judge on October 31, 1906. While he was on his honeymoon, Mr. Darling received a wire offering him a job with the Des Moines Register and Tribune. He accepted the offer and stayed with the paper from then until his retirement in 1949. Beginning in 1917, his cartoons were syndicated to 130 daily newspapers by the old New York Tribune. His drawings were compiled and published in a book every two years from 1908 to 1920. He wrote and illustrated two other books as well. He let his cartooning slide in 1934 and 1935 to go to Washington as Chief of the Biological Survey. There, for his work on behalf of our migratory birds, he became known as "the best friend ducks ever had." When the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act was passed in March, 1934, Mr. Darling designed the first stamp himself. The money from the sale of the Duck Stamps was used for the purchase and development of waterfowl refuges. During and after his 48 years as a cartoonist and conservationist, Mr. Darling was showered with awards in both fields. His honors included two Pulitzer Prizes for journalism, two honorary doctorates, and innumerable medals and awards. Two lakes were names for him: Lake Darling in an Iowa state park; and Lake Jay Darling, a waterfowl nesting area in Saskatchewan, Canada. Mr. Darling died of a heart ailment February 12, 1962 in Iowa Methodist Hospital at the age of 85.

And more….

Jay Norwood "Ding" Darling (1876-1962), the designer of the first Federal Duck Stamp, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist for the Des Moines Register. His greatest enthusiasm was for conservation. In the 1930s, he answered a call from Washington to aid the migratory waterfowl crisis. He served as a member of two committees that examined the crisis, and also was chief of the U. S. Biological Survey, 1934-35. He was one of the leading advocates of the Migratory Bird Hunting Stamp Act.

Item ID: 1214f