This collection is located on-site.
Collection closed until processed.
Hubenthal kept a meticulous morgue, or image library, for reference purposes. In hundreds of folders, clearly labeled by topic, he collected drawings, illustrations, cartoons, advertisements, and more. This was the "technology" that all cartoonists and illustrators used before Google Images, but Hubenthal's is remarkable for its organization and its breadth. Animator J.J. Sedelmaier notes that in thirty-five years in advertising he has "seen various morgue applications, and this is the EPITOME - even beyond - of what an artist/designer's morgue was; a totally lost element of our culture, and getting more 'loster' every day." Many of the drawings are Hubenthal's own, for a variety of clients, and there are many other 20th-century cartoonists' work included as well.
In a separate box, there is a collection of wire-service photos, many with visible air-brushing, and with dated descriptions attached. These run the gamut from Chancellor Adolf Hitler reviewing the troops in the mid-'30s to child actress Jane Withers, dressed as a clown, in a carriage drawn by a hippopotamus.
This collection consists of digitized versions of two notebooks that serve as indexes to the morgue—one in the numerical order of the files, the other in subject order. Each item in the collection—both the photos and the reference drawings—is labeled with the number of its folder, either by stamp or in red ink.
You will need to make an appointment in advance to use this collection material in the Rare Book and Manuscript Library reading room. You can schedule an appointment once you've submitted your request through your Special Collections Research Account.
This collection is located on-site.
Collection closed until processed.
Reproductions may be made for research purposes. The RBML maintains ownership of the physical material only. Copyright remains with the creator and his/her heirs. The responsibility to secure copyright permission rests with the patron.
Identification of specific item; Date (if known); Karl Hubenthal Image Morgue; Box and Folder; Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library.
Materials may have been added to the collection since this finding aid was prepared. Contact rbml@columbia.edu for more information.
Gift of Bob Staake, 2018.
Columbia University Libraries, Rare Book and Manuscript Library
Karl Hubenthal (1917-1998) was an editorial and sports cartoonist for nearly fifty years, primarily in the Los Angeles Herald-Examiner, but also syndicated in Hearst newspapers. He was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize five times (although he didn't win), and received twenty-five Freedom Foundation medals, among a host of other awards and recognition.
The subject headings listed below are found in this collection. Links below allow searches for other collections at Columbia University, through CLIO, the catalog for Columbia University Libraries, and through ArchiveGRID, a catalog that allows users to search the holdings of multiple research libraries and archives.
All links open new windows.
| Subject | ||
|---|---|---|
| Caricatures and cartoons | CLIO Catalog | ArchiveGRID |