Line Man

On this date in 2003 caricaturist Al Hirschfeld dies at the age of 99 in New York City. Known for his inimitable ink line drawings of theatrical personalities and other celebrities, Hirschfeld's portraits usually incorporated the name of his 1945-born daughter Nina — sometimes multiple times — cleverly hidden in strands of hair, the folds of a garment, et cetera. He would add a number next to his signature, indicating the total NINA appearances in a given illustration, to aid his viewers, many of whom found NINA-scavenger-hunting to be an obsessive pastime. In 1991 the United States Postal Service commissioned the artist to create a series of commemorative postage stamps — waiving their rule forbidding hidden messages in US stamp designs by allowing the inclusion of the famous NINAs. Mr. Hirschfield was very disappointed to learn that the US Army had employed his cartoons to train bomber pilots, using the NINA insertions as instructional spotting devices. He told The Comics Journal in a late 1990's interview that he found the idea of his work being used to help kill people repulsive.

In a oddly related counterpoint, today in 1949 F.B.I. Director J. Edgar Hoover gives actress Shirley Temple a tear-gas fountain pen.

This lovely got ink? Book Bag — more got ink? wares and wear here — is just one of many attractive and quite literate offerings to be found within the CafePress.com Bibliophile Bullpen shop.

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