The Gerlach Barklow Co. was an art calendar factory located in

Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( ) is a city in Will and Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois Illinois ( ) is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East sect ...

, which was "one of the largest calendar and advertising companies in America." the company was founded in 1907. The factory employed over 1,500 people at its peak in the 1950s. Artists who worked for Gerlach Barklow included

Arthur H. Hider Arthur H. Hider (1870–1952), was a Canadian painter and commercial illustrator. Hider was born in London, England. He moved to Canada at age two. He became an apprentice at a lithographer in Toronto, Canada when he was fifteen. He went on to w ...

Bradshaw Crandell Bradshaw Crandell (June 14, 1896 – January 25, 1966) was an American artist and illustrator. He was known as the "artist of the stars". Among those who posed for Crandell were Carole Lombard, Bette Davis, Judy Garland, Veronica Lake and Lana Tur ...

, Fletcher C. Ransom,

Adelaide Hiebel Adelaide Hiebel (1885–1965) was an artist and illustrator who worked for the Gerlach Barklow Co. in Joliet, Illinois, a manufacturer of art calendars. Hiebel preferred to work in pastels, and was known for her photographic detail and portraits ...

, and

Zula Kenyon Zula Kenyon (June 5, 1873 – June 23, 1947) was an American illustrator, best known for her pastel work for the Gerlach Barklow Co. Early life Kenyon was born in Deansville, Wisconsin, the daughter of John Kenyon and Sarah Clark Kenyon. Her ...

. Many of the company's artists were women, or local residents, and many local residents served as artists' models.

Lois Delander Lois Eleanor Delander (February 14, 1911 – January 23, 1985) was Miss America in 1927. Biography Delander, a native of Joliet, Illinois and high school junior, aged 16, won the Miss America crown on her parents' twentieth wedding anniversa ...

of Joliet, better known as Miss America 1927, was among the most famous models. A Gerlach-Barklow fan is displayed in the collection of the

Oakland Museum of California The Oakland Museum of California or OMCA (formerly the Oakland Museum) is an interdisciplinary museum dedicated to the art, history, and natural science of California, located adjacent to Oak Street, 10th Street, and 11th Street in Oakland, Ca ...

. Gerlach Barklow calendars were purchased by businesses to be given to their important customers as gifts.

References

* Calendars Economy of Joliet, Illinois History of Joliet, Illinois Companies based in Will County, Illinois 1907 establishments in Illinois Design companies disestablished in 1971 Defunct companies based in Illinois Design companies established in 1907 1971 disestablishments in Illinois {{US-manufacturing-company-stub