ANIMAL HOUSE: ANTHROPOMORPHIC SELECTIONS FROM THE SCHMULOWITZ COLLECTION OF WIT & HUMOR

The term "anthropomorphism" was coined sometime in the nineteenth century, although artists have conveyed human characteristics to animals for centuries. The annals of anthropomorphic humor are riddled with the names of the great comic artists, as well as the lesser knowns. Here we find J.J. Grandville's reptilian caricatures, popular in France and the continent. In the early twentieth century, we have the genius of T.S. Sullivant and Heinrich Kley, whose comic hippos, and dancing elephants and alligators inspired Walt Disney; George Herriman's Krazy Kat; Walt Kelly's possum from the Okefenokee Swamp; Jean de Brunhoff's Babar the King; Munro Leaf's Ferdinand the Bull; Dr. Seuss and his pile of turtles, cats in hats, and that elephant!

A literary device first appearing in nineteenth century political pamphlets, news sheets, and comic almanacs, as well as magazines of humor and satire, anthropomorphic or humanized animals and objects are now part of the twenty-first century commonplace. The gradual movement away from the publication of moralizing children's books toward the shaping of books with more entertainment value is reflected in this exhibition.

Many people grew up enjoying the comics section of the newspaper, a significant literacy tool as well as popular entertainment. For San Francisco Bay Area readers, at least eight strips featuring humanized animals currently appear in our local newspapers. But remember our excitement as we dipped into the comics pages for our daily dose of Calvin and Hobbes, Peanuts; King Aroo; the Get Fuzzy gang; Earl and Mooch, a couple of Mutts; Sherman's Lagoon; and cows creating outlandish disturbances in The Far Side?

In nursery rhymes, fairy tales and children's books, in political humor and in a wide assortment of international cartoons and comics, we recognize ourselves as we celebrate the mischievous antics of anthropomorphic animals. Join the fun with Animal House: Anthropomorphic Selections from the Schmulowitz Collection of Wit & Humor, an exhibition showcasing animals behaving like humans, and spotlighting comic artists of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

RELATED PROGRAMS

Thursdays at Noon Films: Yackety Yak: Animals Talk Back

April 7: Wallace and Gromit double feature: A Grand Day Out and Curse of the Were-Rabbit

April 14: The Adventures of Milo and Otis

April 21: Who Framed Roger Rabbit?

April 28: Ponyo

Koret Auditorium, Main Library, Lower Level

Nat Schmulowitz was a San Francisco attorney, civic leader, and humanitarian. Born in New York City on March 29, 1889, he moved to San Francisco with his family when he was nine years old. After graduating from Lowell High School in 1906, he earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley in 1910, and went on to receive his law degree from Hastings Collection of the Law two years later.

Although he specialized in probate and corporate law, Nat Schmulowitz achieved a national reputation in 1921 with his successful defense of Roscoe "Fatty" Arbuckle, in one of the most sensational murder trials of the 1920s. When Gavin McNab died in 1927, Mr. Schmulowitz became senior partner in the firm of McNab, Schmulowitz, Sommer & Wyman.

A confirmed bibliophile, Nat Schmulowitz was appointed to the San Francisco Library Commission for seven years; he served as president of that body in 1944. On April 1, 1947, he presented ninety-three jest books to the Library, including an edition of the Hundred Merry Tales, the first step toward the establishment of a research collection of wit and humor.

In his diligent search for humorous materials, Nat Schmulowitz combed bookshops around the world. He faithfully continued to add to the collection through donations, sometimes at the rate of one hundred books per month. The Library formally dedicated a room to house SCOWAH on November 30, 1950. The collection has grown to over 22,000 volumes, and includes periodicals and audio-visual materials, making it one of the most significant collections of its kind in a public library.

Nat's sister, Kay Schmulowitz, was a great friend of the Library who carried on the tradition established by Nat. She was his amanuensis, law office manager, and traveled the world with Nat, supporting his bibliophilic interests. After his death in 1966, she generously continued to donate books, periodicals, and funds for the enrichment of the collection, and in honor of her brother's memory. Kay died in 1984, and will be remembered as a happy sidekick to a remarkable legacy of wit, humor, and folklore.

Nat Schmulowitz emphasized that "Without humor we are doomed." It is with his motto in mind that the Book Arts & Special Collections Center has, for more than fifty years, presented the Annual Wit & Humor Exhibition, based on materials in the Schmulowitz Collection of Wit and Humor. A living tribute to Nat's generosity and lifelong interest in the San Francisco Public Library.

The collection is open to everyone with an interest in humor, from the merely curious to the researcher and scholar. The Marjorie G. and Carl W. Stern Book Arts & Special Collections Center is open seven days a week.