Tuesday, July 15, 2014

 

Ink-Slinger Profiles by Alex Jay: A.Y. Hambleton


(
William M. Owen, Jr., the great-grandson of Arthur Y. Hambleton, contributed some family information which has been incorporated in this updated profile. The earlier profile is here.)

Arthur Yeager Hambleton was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on September 24, 1876, according to his World War I draft card at Ancestry.com. According to a family tree at Ancestry.com, his parents were Richard Emory Hugg-Hambleton (1845–1898) and Ella Frances Yeager (1849–1933). Owen said: “Richard Emory Hugg-Hambleton was born Hugg but took his bride’s maiden name in order to keep her family name alive. That can’t have been a very common decision in the 19th century.”

The 1870 U.S. Federal Census recorded Hugg, his wife, Ella, and son, Willie, in District 12, Allegheny County, Maryland; their post office was located in Cumberland.

The 1880 census recorded the Hugg family, including Arthur, in Sharpsburg, Maryland, on Main Street. (The spelling of the surname was “Heugg”.) When Arthur reached his mid-teens, Owen said: “According to legend, A.Y. ran away from home at age 16 to join the circus because he could walk on his hands, and the circus sent him right back home.”

At some point, Hugg added Hambleton to his surname. When Arthur married, he had dropped Hugg from his name as reported in The Sun (Baltimore, Maryland), November 14, 1899:

Issued by the Clerk of the Court of Common Pleas 
The following marriage licenses were issued yesterday in Baltimore, the parties residing in Baltimore unless otherwise stated: 
Arthur Y. Hambleton, 319 North Paca street, Alice B. Sisselberger.
In the 1900 census, Hambleton and wife, were in the household of his mother-in-law, Mary Sisselberger, a widow. They lived in Baltimore at 1506 Mount Royal Avenue. Hambleton’s occupation was artist. Addresses for Hambleton were also found in the R.L. Polk & Co.’s Baltimore City Directory for 1901: Hambleton Arthur Y, artist, 1506 w Mt. Royal av; 1903: Hambleton Arthur Y, artist, Woodland av c Reisterstown rd; and 1904 Hambleton Arthur Y, artist, 607 Lennox.

One of Hambleton’s early works, The Theatrical Alphabet, appeared in the Baltimore Herald. He illustrated the poetry, which was written by H.L. Mencken, and the signed his name “Hamb”. The five-part series ran in early 1901.





Hambleton did number of chalk talks as noted in The Sun, January 2, 1902: “A chalk talk was given in the boys’ room during the afternoon by Mr. A.Y. Hambleton, a sketch artist.”; and the Morning Herald (Baltimore, Maryland), November 21, 1903: “An entertainment will be provided by Knight’s orchestra and Mr. A.Y. Hambleton, chalk talker.” On September 26, 1910, The Sun reported that: “A.Y. Hambleton, the comic artist and illustrator, recently launched on the vaudeville stage, where he gives ‘Chalk Talks’.”

Hambleton’s work was included in a number of exhibitions including the Charcoal Club (The Sun, March 10, 1905); the Newspaper Artists Association and the Book and Magazine Illustrators’ Society exhibition (The Sun, May 2, 1906); and the Journalists’ Club Show (The Sun, February 26, 1909).



The Sun 10/7/1906

The Sun 9/30/1906

Hambleton contributed cartoons to the Sunday Sun in 1906 and signed them “Hamb.” His Sunday strip, Waldo and His Papa, ran in the Washington Times (District of Columbia) in 1906 on these dates: July 8, July 15, July 22, July 29, August 5, August 12, August 19, and August 26.

In 1910, artist Hambleton was the head of the household which included son, Richard Waldo, born 1901. The family of three lived in Baltimore on Pimlico Road.

Hambleton signed his World War I draft card on September 12, 1918. He lived at 2710 Reisterstown Road in Baltimore and was a newspaper artist for the International Syndicate. His description was tall, slender, with gray eyes and brown hair.

In the next census, Hambleton remained in Baltimore at another address, 2710 Fanview Avenue. He had his own business as an artist. According to the 1924 Baltimore city directory, he lived at 2710 Reisterstown Road. Advertising Arts & Crafts (1927) had his business address: Hambleton, A. Y. Studio, 13 W. Mulbury, Ven 6065 Baltimore, Md. The 1929 Baltimore city directory listed his studio at 122–24 West Franklin and his residence at 3110 Reisterstown Road.

The 1930 census said Baltimore remained Hambleton’s hometown where he lived with his wife and mother at 3110 Reisterstown Road. He was a newspaper artist. The listing in the 1936 Baltimore city directory said his address was unchanged and he was an instructor at the Maryland Institute.

At some point after 1935, Hambleton moved to Severna Park, Maryland. He continued teaching at the Maryland Institute. The record shows that he completed the seventh grade. His home was valued at $4,500. In 1939 he worked 40 weeks and earned $1,500.

The Sun, November 14, 1949, reported the Hambleton’s fiftieth wedding anniversary. In addition to being a commercial artist, he had conducted guitar and ukulele lessons, for ten years, beginning around 1915.

Hambleton passed away July 3, 1957, according to a death notice, the following day, in The Sun:

Hambleton.—On July 3, 1957, at his home, Luna lane, Round Bay, Arthur Y., beloved husband of Beatrice S. Hambleton (nee Sisselberger) and father of Mr. Waldo Hambleton. 
Funeral services will be held at Wm. J. Tickner & Sons, North and Pennsylvania avenues. Due notice of services will be given.
He was buried at Mount Olivet Cemetery in Baltimore.

(Thanks to Cole Johnson for the color scan, and Leonardo De Sá for additional information from The Sun.)

—Alex Jay

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Comments:
This talented man was my Great Grandfather, whom my father called “Pop”! Hugg is a lovely name, worth keeping.
Sarah Beattie Webster Hambleton Hugg
 
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