Is This Tomorrow?: Catechetical Guild Anti-Communist Tract EXTRAORDINARY ARCHIVES FIND

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eccomic · August 30, 2018

Suffice it to say I have acquired a massive archive recently when I visited Chicago, that has an overwhelming amount of ephemera related to the Anti-Communist tract: Is This Tomorrow. I plan on sharing this over the next several days here.

This find is nothing short of phenomenal, and includes the typescript, with corrections, for the black and white uncensored Advance Confidential copy of Is This Tomorrow sent by the President of Catechetical Guild, Rev. Louis A. Gales.

I will also be scanning the COMPLETE manuscript here, as well as the envelope bearing the signature of Rev. Louis A Gales postmarked to the recipient, that housed the manuscript proper

NOTE: the copy of Confidential pictured is from my collection and not part of the purchase.

First up the PREVIEW letter that would have accompanied the Black and White advance copy of Is This Tomorrow/Confidential signed by the President and Founder of the Catechetical Guild, Rev. Louis A. Gales. It is DATED September 24, 1947 PRIOR to the publication date of the color version in November 1947, making it contemporaneous with the publication of the CONFIDENTIAL advance copy in black and white accordingly. 3000 copies of the black and white advance copies were circulated, yet only FIVE known copies survive... :whatthe:

Edited August 9, 2019 by eccomic

pmpknface · August 30, 2018

Cool! Would love to score a copy of that book...

eccomic · August 30, 2018

Next up is Rev Louis A Gales Speech on Anti-Communism and how the Daily Worker newspaper defiles the publication of Is This Tomorrow From December 4, 1947

Edited August 30, 2018 by eccomic

eccomic · August 30, 2018

More Daily Worker and an additional broadsheet.

sfcityduck · August 30, 2018

eccomic · August 30, 2018

Various newspaper clippings included in this archive pertaining to the publication of "IS THIS TOMORROW"

eccomic · August 30, 2018

Composition art of the three main ANTAGONIST COMMUNIST characters of Is This Tomorrow, including the nefarious Mr. Jones done by William Lackey, who would have been commissioned by the Catechetical Guild to create the likeness of the characters. (from the archive)

See below link to learn more about the artist William Lackey:

http://www.wpamurals.com/lackey.htm

"Both William and Joy Lackey became WPA artists under the New Deal Federal Art Project program. William painted murals for government buildings and museums; Joy worked as a sculptor and graphic artist. After serving in WWII, William and Joy took their talents to St. Paul, Milwaukee, and Chicago where they organized studios. These studios, usually headed by the Lackey couple, produced commercial products such as the original Hamm’s bears, the Roy Rogers/ Dale Evans publications, a score of comic books"

Edited August 30, 2018 by eccomic

eccomic · August 30, 2018

The very rare flyer that was circulated to promote 'IS THIS TOMORROW" from the archive

eccomic · August 30, 2018

Dear John letter from the New York Sun from the Archive

Edited August 30, 2018 by eccomic

eccomic · August 30, 2018

I suspect the "Dear John" above letter from the New York Sun was mailed to the below recipient.

The President and Founder of the Catechetical Guild, Rev. Louis A Gales, sent the original manuscript of Is This Tomorrow, per the below envelope pictured below.

Notice the signature of Rev. Louis A Gales on the top left of the envelope for the return address (which was the address of the Catechetical Guild)

Now align Rev. Gale's signature with that of the preview letter below it.

Also notice the word "Book" on the envelope adjacent to the recipient's name. This envelope contains the original typed manuscript for Is This Tomorrow within

Edited August 30, 2018 by eccomic

eccomic · August 30, 2018

Up next....THE ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT, typewritten with corrections for "IS THIS TOMORROW?" including the uncensored Cardinal being nailed to the door sequence, that was mailed by Rev. Louis A Gales to John Aschmeir in New York.

Edited August 30, 2018 by eccomic