Lemke Drawings
by Bridget Wood
“Once a teacher, always a teacher” is a well-worn saying, a truism that, happily, has a core of truth to it.
The best teachers—at any level--both
know their subject material and constantly look for ways to reach their
students, whether in a classroom, in presentations or through
publications. This last category
includes works ranging from dense, scholarly tomes to accessible, popular
treatments. In the middle of the last
century, a respected Arkansas academic turned his hand to interpreting
Arkansas’s past for the general public. His project created not a staid
conventional history book, but instead an enjoyable graphic series, published
in the state’s newspapers for all to read and enjoy, and today preserved in the
Arkansas State Archives.
Walter J. Lemke (1891-1968)
was born in Wausau, Wisconsin, and moved to Arkansas when recruited by
University of Arkansas President John C. Futrall. Lemke served as head of the
Journalism Department at the University of Arkansas from 1928 until his retirement
in 1959. During his time in Arkansas, Lemke adopted the culture of the state,
involving himself in historical study and educating audiences. He was active in
several heritage organizations, including the Arkansas Historical Association,
serving on its editorial board; the Arkansas Genealogical Society; the
Washington County Historical Society, in which he served as president; the
Prairie Grove Battlefield Development; and the Butterfield Overland Mail
Centennial Celebration.
The Walter J. Lemke collection (MS.000379)
at the Arkansas State Archives includes 447 drawings, each one created by
self-taught artist Lemke, depicting figures and episodes from Arkansas history.
366 of these, one for each day of the leap year, were published in select Arkansas newspapers
in 1936 in honor of the Arkansas State Centennial. Featured first under the
title of “This Day in Arkansas History” and published again in 1938, restyled “Arkansas
Anniversaries,” these daily drawings offer a wide sampling of early Arkansas
people and events.
Lemke’s 366 daily drawings provide a quick and fun entry into
Arkansas studies, accessible and suitable for adults and children alike. These black
and white sketches provide visuals of early Arkansas activities and have been
known to spark additional research from viewers. The “cast of characters” is
diverse, including authors, educators, early territorial and state politicians,
historians, lawyers, mailmen, martyrs, newspaper editors, religious
representatives and war heroes. The illustrations feature early travel by hoof,
rail, air, and boat. The growth of rural and metropolitan areas is illustrated
by sketches of county courthouses and school buildings, some of which still
endure.
The sketches take note of natural wonders in the land and sky;
one panel commemorates a great display of falling stars. Another reports a meteorite that landed in Arkansas soil. Readers are
reminded of natural disasters in the form of earthquakes, tornadoes, and floods;
of how edible and otherwise useful crops grew in abundance; and of wealth-building
discoveries of natural resources including oil, bauxite, and diamonds.
The illustrations feature stories of struggle and change;
Lemke reminds readers of the work of modern Arkansans’ forebears, primarily
Euroamerican; Native Americans are present in some episodes but African
Americans, enslaved or free, are largely absent from Lemke’s narrative. Images recount
tales of epidemics and battles, innovations and disasters, occasional lawlessness,
justice, and woman suffrage. Lemke presented Arkansas’s history as episodes
part of a social evolution, from undeveloped border country to a modern state
with a diversified economy and bright prospects.
Lemke’s daily drawings are freely
available for viewing at https://digitalheritage.arkansas.gov/lemke-drawings-dailies/. Lemke’s other 81 Arkansas images, published
in 1937, under the title of “Men Who
Made Arkansas History”, are also available online at https://digitalheritage.arkansas.gov/lemke-drawings-bios/. We encourage educators to use these
illustrations as classroom aids or even coloring sheets.
Once on our Arkansas Digital Archives
site, browse around—the website holds hundreds of thousands of Arkansas
resources from the Arkansas State Archives. The content is diverse and
ever-increasing!
