Iowa newspaper art becomes a hobby

👋 Jason here with an admission: I collect the works of Des Moines Register artists from the days when it had cartoonists and art critics.

• They are snapshots of history and while they're not worth a lot of money, I cherish them.

State of play: More than three dozen original paintings, sketches and prints signed by Register artists hang on my walls.

• My favorites are from George Shane, Frank Miller and Ding Darling.

Of note: I previously worked at the Register, which is where I learned to appreciate these very fine craftspeople.

• Other than Brian Duffy, the artists in my collection are dead and I never met them.

Driving the news: I recently purchased original printing plates for 26 of Miller's cartoons.

• One of the more recognizable images is from 1961 and depicts Fidel Castro with a cigar.

🏆 Do you have any unique local collections? Email [email protected]

Editor's note: This story appeared in the Axios Des Moines newsletter.