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New film celebrates Iowa legend Jay N. Darling

Jason Clayworth

Black-and-white photo of a man in a light lab coat and gloves, wearing glasses, operating a vintage metalworking machine. He leans over a bench with gears and a vertical rod, wooden beams in the background. — Jay N. "Ding" Darling was a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist who also created etchings, often giving them to friends rather than selling them. Photo: Courtesy of the Jay N. Darling Legacy Center

A new documentary celebrating the 150th birthday of legendary Des Moines cartoonist and conservationist Jay N. "Ding" Darling premieres Wednesday.

Why it matters: The film introduces a new generation to an Iowa icon who helped transform wildlife conservation in America.

Flashback: Darling (1876–1962) won two Pulitzer Prizes as a Des Moines Register cartoonist, helped establish the National Wildlife Federation and created the first federal duck stamp.

Zoom in: "Finding America's Darling" explores his enduring influence through 16 years of research by filmmaker Samuel Koltinsky.

If you go: Free screenings are at 3 and 6:30pm Wednesday at Trinity Las Américas United Methodist Church, 1548 Eighth St.

Seating is limited. RSVP by today at [email protected]

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New film celebrates Iowa legend Jay N. Darling

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