Elliott Dold - "The Midnight Mail Takes Off For Mars" pulp illustration
Artist: Elliott Dold (All)
5 Comments - 961 Views - 4 Likes
Artwork Details
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DescriptionAmong the various original black and white interior illustrations we own from the science fiction pulps, this may be the earliest, having appeared 90 years ago. By artist Elliott Dold, it ran as a frontispiece in the April-May 1931 issue of "Miracle Science and Fantasy Stories." It was not for any particular story; instead it was a one page feature showing "An Incident of the Future: The Midnight Mail Takes Off for Mars."Dold was the art editor of this short-lived title; the April-May 1931 issue was the first of only two. Dold's brother, Douglas, was the editor (though some have speculated that Elliott was the real editor as well). Both Elliott and Douglas, as well as the publisher of "Miracle," Harold Hersey, had worked together previously over at the Clayton pulp chain. As an aside, Douglas was likely unique in the pulp field as an editor in that he was blind; he edited several pulps for the Clayton chain in the 1920's, as well as writing some fiction and non-fiction as well. In 1915, both brothers had joined the American Red Cross' Serbian Relief Expedition to combat a typhus epidemic in Serbia; Douglas had recently graduated from medical school. Following a series of adventures, during which they joined the Serbian army to fight the invading Bulgarian army, the brothers were captured by the Bulgarians. Douglas was put in charge of a medical clinic for refugees, but was blinded in December of that year when he accidentally used wood alcohol to wash. As a result, Douglas (as well as Elliott, who needed to act as his guide) was released by the Bulgarians. Douglas Dold died on May 6, 1931 in his early 40's, but in 1935, the Yugoslav state posthumously awarded him the Cross of Mercy for the medical services he'd performed during 1915. Coming back to this illustration, it's one of the few we own where I can trace its ownership all the way back to the artist. At the bottom of the piece, Dold has inscribed, "For Forrest J. Ackerman, D III-92 from his friend Elliott Dold." I've never figured out what "D III -92" means, but I suspect it could be a Zorome name given to Forry, based on the Professor Jameson stories by Neil R. Jones which were popular at that time. Sometime between its creation in 1931 and late 1933, Dold gave this illustration to Forry. When describing his science fiction collection in the October 1933 issue of Fantasy Fan (issue #2), Forry writes, "And Elliott Dold, Jr. has autographed his original frontispiece for Miracle Stories' first issue, "The Midnite (sic) Mail Takes Off for Mars." After owning it for over six decades, Forry let this go to my friend Jerry Weist. Our mutual friend, Glynn Crain, eventually got it from Jerry in a trade, and we acquired it from Glynn in another trade a few years ago. Social/Sharing |
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Comments on this Artwork
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Doug Ellis 
Member Since 2004
Posted on 4/6/2021
John Davis wrote:
Very cool early SF piece, and a nice provenance!
Thanks!
Bruce W
Member Since 2015
Posted on 4/6/2021
Oh, man, LOVE early SF illos! First fruits are sweetest...
Doug Ellis
Member Since 2004
Posted on 4/6/2021
Bruce W wrote:
Oh, man, LOVE early SF illos! First fruits are sweetest...
I'm with ya!
Steven Dilworth
Member Since 2012
Posted on 7/22/2023
Certain pieces just scream, "I'm from that period!" This is one of them. Perfect.
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