SAM HYDE HARRIS (1889-1977)
174
●
TOURIST SLEEPERS EAST / ON FAST DAILY TRAINS. Tempera maquette on board.
Circa 1935.
39
1
/
2
x29
1
/
2
inches, 100
1
/
4
x75 cm.
Condition B+ / B: losses in corners and at edges; minor paint loss and staining in image. Framed.
Harris was born in England and moved to Los Angeles when he was 15. His career began as a commercial
artist, painting notices on sides of buildings, creating signs and billboards, designing posters, typography
and more. In 1920, he was hired by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company to design
posters. He also worked for Southern Pacific. “The major portion of the advertising appeared in
brochures, magazines and newspapers, but local advertisements were in the form of billboards and hand-
painted posters that appeared in department stores, banks, displays in windows and bulletin boards in
ticket offices and lobbies” (Harris p. 18). Harris is best remembered as a Southern Californian plein air
painter, but his bright, bold advertising work for the railroads was an important part of the American
commercial landscape in the 1930s and 40s. Harris p. 97.
[3,000/4,000]
