The Liner

March 28, 2005 10:52 AM

The Liner. "The entire graduating class of Hamline University, 1925, in drawings of varying quality made semi-nightly in about one hour each." (Appears to be by our very own interrobang.)
posted by _sirmissalot_ (44 comments total)

Who's John C. Ralston then?
Interesting... Is this theHamline?
posted by klangklangston at 11:00 AM on March 28, 2005

Very nice.
posted by Tuwa at 11:02 AM on March 28, 2005

[this is exceptionally cool]
posted by StopMakingSense at 11:09 AM on March 28, 2005

I've been following this for a while. It's been a great project to watch.

Supposedly, we're going to get a chance to look at the junior class as soon as he gets his computer fixed.
posted by rocketman at 11:15 AM on March 28, 2005

Excellent! I'd been wondering when this would show up.

Fun game: Look through the pics and the brief descriptions of majors and activities and decide whom you might have dated, had you lived then and went to Hamline. (Ruth Lundeen looks fun to me.)

Note also all the 1920s bobbed hairdoos.

A magnificent obsession and also plenty of drawing practice for John/Interrobang.

By the way, here is the entire collection on a cubicle wall at John's job.
posted by Shane at 11:15 AM on March 28, 2005

This is about the coolest thing ever. I can't wait for him to continue with the junior class.

(P.S. I'm in love with Helen Berdan.)
posted by greasy_skillet at 11:17 AM on March 28, 2005

Oh, I forgot, here's a fun step-by-step. I love step-by-steps.
posted by Shane at 11:18 AM on March 28, 2005

That doesn't look like any of them! (/jokes)
posted by Peter H at 11:20 AM on March 28, 2005

If these were displayed in sequence, row by row, on a large linen canvas, I could see gallery material.
posted by docpops at 11:21 AM on March 28, 2005

docpops: Kinda like this?
posted by rocketman at 11:27 AM on March 28, 2005

Whoa, the names are awesome.

Florence Windemuth enchants me, but oh, Lilydaisy Wenzel, I'm sure you're the girl I've been longing for!
posted by borkingchikapa at 11:31 AM on March 28, 2005

zackly. but needs to be in a big empty loft with chardonnay on silver trays and bits of cheese conveyed by bored grad students.
posted by docpops at 11:32 AM on March 28, 2005

Shane...Ruth Lundeen appears to have some chest hair peeking out above her blouse. You may want to revisit your decision.
posted by spicynuts at 11:44 AM on March 28, 2005

That is a fine idiosyncratic project and some lovely art.
posted by PinkStainlessTail at 11:46 AM on March 28, 2005

The step-by-step was really nice. (I think I've got it figgered now).
posted by klangklangston at 11:53 AM on March 28, 2005

I would buy some of these. Seriously.
posted by Mid at 11:58 AM on March 28, 2005

Yay, interrobang! Great project! That Erhart Zemke seems to have a devil-may-care insouciance, what? I think he and Thyra Wirtenberger, with her Mona Lisa smile, would have made a cute couple. (Though, obviously, Edith Kaemmer was the hotsy-totsy of the graduating class.)
posted by taz at 11:59 AM on March 28, 2005

Jean M. Snyder went on to a fame as Velma on Scooby Doo, while Olga Selke became the world's first sex change patient, now known as Stephen King.
posted by spicynuts at 12:03 PM on March 28, 2005

My two favorites are Everitt Reed and Ardella Springsted
posted by rocketman at 12:04 PM on March 28, 2005

You should see what this looks in person -- they're all hanging in a grid by his desk. The first time I saw them whatever we were talking about just went completely away, and I just stared. They are so finely done, and so beautiful up close.

(*hops, skips, and runs to tell John about the existence of this thread*)
posted by melissa may at 12:56 PM on March 28, 2005

This is why I love the internets. Awesome project.
posted by xmutex at 12:56 PM on March 28, 2005

I'm with Mid, I'd buy some as well. Brilliant stuff.
posted by schoolgirl report at 1:00 PM on March 28, 2005

I'd like a poster of all of them together.
posted by idest at 1:13 PM on March 28, 2005

what idest said.
posted by stray at 1:36 PM on March 28, 2005

The names are awesome. I am envious. good link.
posted by blacklite at 1:58 PM on March 28, 2005

I hope that Melissa, or someone else, can get John to pass a comment here. It would be a shame if he didn't get the chance to add to this thread.

The names really do speak to the ethnic preponderance of Germans and Scandinavians (and a few Irish) in prewar Minnesota, and the limited range of regional schools. I'm curious, John: has any relative contacted you after finding the name via Google? I'm also curious whether any of the individuals went on to be notable in any way, e.g. a Twin Cities capitalist or salon hostess.
posted by dhartung at 2:23 PM on March 28, 2005

I've been The Liner for a while and love it. He's a talented guy.
posted by LeeJay at 2:39 PM on March 28, 2005

That should have been: I've been watching The Liner....
posted by LeeJay at 2:48 PM on March 28, 2005

Thanks for the kind words, everyone.

dhartung, one relative (the great nephew of Ingvald Talsness) has contacted me so far.

I don't know what to do with the whole collection; it's funny this was posted today, because I just took some of the pins down that are holding the pictures onto the wall at work. I was about to take them down so that as soon as I get my computer fixed, I can start the junior class.

Thanks, everyone!
posted by interrobang at 3:04 PM on March 28, 2005

The howto page is a really terrific example of how torturous the road to art is. Granted the scan is higher quality than the howto photos, but it really just is Not Right until the end, when all of a sudden it is. Actually the original line drawing is good but the intermediate stages would certainly make *me* question if I could pull it off.

I'm not an artist but I do write music and there is a very similar process in between Great Idea and Great Result. The middle parts are all complete crap and furthermore to someone watching I bet they'd have no idea where I was heading.
posted by RustyBrooks at 3:09 PM on March 28, 2005

Arguably this is a commercial promotion. Trods on the right of privacy, including intrusion upon seclusion, appropriation, and publication of private facts, should any of these people be living.

Could also be actionable as false light, which may or may not be recognized in Minnesota, but it might be in the artist's state of residence or that of the ISP. Could be an interference with the right of publicity with the same caveats, in which case it doesn't matter if they're living or dead.

Could be an abuse of the school's trademarks, trade dress or trade secrets, putting aside the likely mooted issue of copyright.

It would piss me off immensely for my photograph or those of my relatives to turn up on some would-be artist's site without permission.
posted by xowie at 3:13 PM on March 28, 2005

I'm sure he'd consider selling originals if you dropped him an email.
posted by Luke Pski at 3:17 PM on March 28, 2005

Great project, John. Your art rocks. Can't wait to see the junior class!

So what did the relative who contacted you think of the project?
posted by aine42 at 3:50 PM on March 28, 2005

Those are pretty sweet, interrobang.
posted by graventy at 3:52 PM on March 28, 2005

The relative said that his family would love to have the drawing.
posted by interrobang at 3:55 PM on March 28, 2005

i love these : >
posted by amberglow at 4:45 PM on March 28, 2005

So his speciality is smug?
posted by jon_kill at 5:13 PM on March 28, 2005

Wow, xowie, did you go to Buzzkill School?
posted by jon_kill at 5:31 PM on March 28, 2005

Great job, interrobang. I'm with Melissa on this one, they really are amazing to view in his cube.
posted by sleepy pete at 7:39 PM on March 28, 2005

If you made this all into a small book with each of these portraits on its own page...well, I'd buy a few... :)

Great stuff.
posted by vacapinta at 9:55 PM on March 28, 2005

LOL!

Fine print legal mumbo-jumbo:

Arguably this is a commercial promotion. Trods on the right of privacy, including intrusion upon seclusion, appropriation, and publication of private facts, should any of these people be living.

Could also be actionable as false light, which may or may not be recognized in Minnesota, but it might be in the artist's state of residence or that of the ISP. Could be an interference with the right of publicity with the same caveats, in which case it doesn't matter if they're living or dead.

Could be an abuse of the school's trademarks, trade dress or trade secrets, putting aside the likely mooted issue of copyright.

It would piss me off immensely for my photograph or those of my relatives to turn up on some would-be artist's site without permission.
posted by xowie at 3:13 PM PST on March 28 [!]

So what did the relative who contacted you think of the project?
posted by aine42 at 3:50 PM PST on March 28 [!]

The relative said that his family would love to have the drawing.
posted by interrobang at 3:55 PM PST on March 28 [!]
posted by Shane at 9:51 AM on March 29, 2005

Arguably this is a commercial promotion. Trods on the right of privacy, including intrusion upon seclusion, appropriation, and publication of private facts, should any of these people be living.

The pictures were published in a yearbook. Right of privacy, seclusion, false light, etc., etc. do not apply--plain and simple.

Could be an abuse of the school's trademarks, trade dress or trade secrets, putting aside the likely mooted issue of copyright.

Trade dress? Trade secrets? What are you smoking? These are published photographs of individuals. There is no conceivable trade secret here. Trade dress also has no application.

The only real legal problems, I think, would arise if the pictures were sold for money. Then you run into misappropriation/copyright type issues--i.e., the school or the families might demand a piece of the loot.
posted by Mid at 10:07 AM on March 29, 2005

But when's the cutoff date for public domain? The yearbook might be old enough to fall into the public domain, in which case, all's fair.
posted by rocketman at 12:32 PM on March 29, 2005

1923, never mind.
posted by rocketman at 12:34 PM on March 29, 2005