The 1920's: The Brothers' Paths in Peacetime

Left: A recently recovered early painting by Wylie Warren Curry, Half-Dome, Yosemite, possibly 1930's. This painting was found in an Ohio thrift shop in June, 2011, and shipped to me by the finder. She identified WWC through a Google search that brought up this blog. I'll write more about this painting in my next post.

In 1920, The Great War was over and a new era began in the United States. Prohibition was in effect, women were granted the right to vote, and a two-year economic depression from 1920-1921 affected industry and economic stability. Birth rates dropped, and immigration numbers slowed. It was a time of change and growing modernity.

By 1920, Noble Curry had completed the illustrations The History of Battery C. He worked for his father's insurance company after returning from service in France and Germany. It was also at this time that he attended art classes at the Columbus Art School. Sometime in 1920, seeking further art education, Noble moved to New York City to study at the progressive The Art Students League® of New York. One of Noble's teachers there was John Sloan, a painter with strong convictions about drawing and painting in a freer style, a non-academic approach to artwork. Reading about John Sloan helps give us insight into Noble's development as an artist. I recommend reading the illuminating profile of Sloan by clicking on his name above. Very few of Noble Curry's artworks, many of which are in the private collection of his family members, were dated but two drawings identified as having been done while he was a student at the The Art Students League belong to one of his grandchildren. Here is one: the back view of a female model rendered in charcoal, the long-standing drawing medium of choice for studio drawing.

Noble married Margaret (Peggy) Fritz in 1923. In 1925, he drew one of several dramatic portraits of her, one of which is below.

During this period, Wylie Curry continued to work for the jewelry and medallion company. He did the rendering for the 1925 World Series winners, The Pittsburgh Pirates.

A review of available photos of the two brothers led me to guessing that the picture below of Noble plowing (uncharacteristic, it would seem!) was taken in the 1920's. I know that the photo of my grandfather Wylie was taken ca. 1925. In my next article, I will portray the two brothers as they survived the Depression and continued raising their families and doing artwork to help sustain them through very difficult times.