Happy Birthday FDR

By Mark Kaufman

Today is Franklin Roosevelt’s 127th birthday. The image above is of course Our Friend, by Ben Shahn, a painting and poster design created for the National Citizens Politcal Action Committee in 1944. The photo is taken of the end papers of my copy of Book 10 of The American Heritage Book of the Presidents and Famous Americans, Dell Publishing, 1967.

I believe that this series bought for me and my brother when I was 7 years old is the single reason that I chose a career in art and design with a side helping of political discourse. The 12 book series covered the events and people from George Washington to Lyndon Johnson, but the most interesting part for me was that it was filled with paintings, etchings, maps and editorial cartoons, historical documents and objects, and art treasures of American history to tell the stories of America. It is certainly the first place I ever saw the work of Gilbert Stuart, Charles Wilson Peale, Peter Arno, Ben Shahn, WPA Murals, Carl Sandburg and Thomas Nast. I still have the complete set, it is one of my most treasured possessions.

So happy birthday Mr. President, and as always, thanks mom and dad.