The sun., 1918-10-14
BOCHE HEAD POSTER
USED FOR RAINCOAT
Artist Gilbert Is Mortified BY
Vandalism of Spectators in
Liberty Parade.

Adulation OF q doubtful nature was
accorded the artistry Of C. Allan Gilbert,
painter and illustrator. during the Lib
erty Loan parade OF Saturday-acclama-
ton Of 50 disturbing a kind that not
until yesterday was Mr.. Gilbert able to
60 into details concerning the nature Of
the public tribute to his art.
One Of the artists contributions to war
| work is his activity as q camoufeur in
the shipping section Of Governmental
| war industry, much Of Mr.. Gilberts time
being given to making one deck gun
or ship funnel look like a brace Of fried
| eggs. And when he isn't scramb!ing the
compilations Of harbor shipping he 10
painting posters.
A most recent contribution was large
poster entitled Beat Back the Hun"
which Mr. Gilbert and associate artists
painted all over about 500 worth Of
white lineoieum and then fastened to q
billboard in font OF the property at the
northwest corner of Fifth avenue and
Twelfth street. which once marked the
site Of Thomas Fortune Ryan's residence.
The far spreading painting showed the
brutal head OF Hun as he struggled to
grab raft amid a sea Of lettering which
stood many feet high. All over the rest
smaller. but easily discernible, pro-
claimed emphatically that this was q
Government Bulletin-Do Not Destroy"
Young America Beats "the Hun"
But the admonition on the Liberty
Loan posters. Beat Back the Hun" was
too great temptation to the young
American idea The first ravages suf-
fered by the poster were begun last
week. when small boys passing that way
began to beat the head of the pictured
Hun to a torn and Tapping frazZie.
Nevertheless enough OF the general idea
Of the poster and its pictured plea to
buy bonds still remained. up TO the time
the rain began to fall on Saturday, to
make 1t effective.
But on Saturday when Mr. Gilbert
came from his studio in the lower Fifth
avenue section to mingle with the crowds
jamming the line Of march Of the parade
he noticed three little girls wearing
most resplendent rainproof capes Of
linoleum that was red where II wasn't
white and where 1t wasn't blue. Then
along came a swarthy little man decked
In a hastily fashioned waterproof cape
which on one corner bore the painted
features Of a Hun which somehow were
forcibly familiar to the painter.
4
standees In the Fifth avenue and Twelfth
street neighborhood were linoleum shoui-
der coverings worn by men and women,
old and young. and little boys and girls
The tattered 'raincoats" went strongly
to decorations which included stretches
OF giant letters b. E. A, T. and, c and X
and II and N.
Painter WAKES Indignant.
II the wearers OF the linoleum could
only have been arranged in orderly fash
ion TO read Beat Back the Hun" the
painter would not have waxed 80 in
dignant. But in the technical language
OF the best typographical circles the
'raincoat" wearers In the crowd were
hopelessly pied. Through the linoleum
clad standees the artist worked his way
to Twelfth street. only to learn that a
partly blank billboard was standing
where a few minutes before had been
his oiled cloth poster.
In the interest OF the sale of Liberty
Bonds rather than because OF an cut
ragged aesthetic sense Mr.. Gilbert tried to
find a policeman. BY this time the cops
who had been keeping the sidewalk
crowds of the pavement hal disap-
peared. the paraders having all gone by.
And all the rest OF che coppers-aceord-
ing TO the artists rails OF Indignation
yesterday--were so busy trying to sell
bonds indoors that no policeman could
be found to guard what was left OF the
bond selling poster.
"Such wanton destruction OF a poster, /"
complained the artist yesterday. which
had been painted with much labor by
ten OF US who are engaged in marine
camoufiage work for the Federal Ship
ping Board. doesn't speak we'll for tho
patriotic sentiments OF the men. women
and children who tore the poster apart
in order TO save themselves from a eight
wetting. That kind OF vandal doubtless
will take some satisfaction out OF the
thought that In n moment the result OF
. lot of work was destroyed and that
the big sigr. will be useless as an appeal
during the rest OF the Liberty Loan
drive"