WEIMER PURSELL (1906-1974) PRODUCTION AND MATERIALS ENGINEERING. Gouache maquette. 1942. 15 1/2x14 3/4 inches, 39 1/2x37 1/2 cm. Condition A-: paint chipping and staining in image; minor tape residue and abrasions at edges, not affecting image. Hand-titled in pencil. Painted on illustration board. Born in Tennessee, Pursell had no artistic training until the late-1920s when he moved to Chicago and enrolled at the city's prestigious Art Institute. He financed the completion of his studies through his work as a package designer and billboard artist. He became a successful freelance illustrator for many of the most well-known American magazines such as Life, Redbook, Town & Country, Forbes and Newsweek. He also designed posters for the 1933 Chicago World's Fair and some of the country's largest companies, including American Airlines, Winchester Rifles and Coca-Cola.
