Original Items: Only One Set Available. We are thrilled to share with you an extraordinary discovery - an original article from The Saturday Evening Post, Volume 214, Number 2; July 11, 1942, a short story titled "The Dumb Dutchman". This article is a fascinating piece of history, capturing the spirit of the times during the World War II era and the comedy that ensued. What makes this find remarkable is that it comes complete with the original watercolor artwork used in the magazine - a stunning and vibrant illustration that brings the story to life. The artwork and article are beautifully framed together, creating a stunning display that is sure to impress any collector. It's truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a piece of history with such a unique and fascinating story.

The items are in fine condition, with only a subtle fading visible along the border of the matte. The watercolor paintings are a masterpiece, showcasing the artist's skill in using soft yet radiant colors. Despite the delicate appearance, the paintings will retain their brilliance for generations if the artist uses top-notch paints. However, the paper on which these paintings are typically created is not as enduring. Yet, Forester, the artist behind this set, used high-quality materials to ensure that the paintings would stand the test of time. The result is a breathtaking duo of paintings, elegantly framed and ready to be admired for years to come.

These exquisite pieces are meticulously crafted and beautifully designed, making it the perfect addition to any collection. Whether you're a history buff or an art connoisseur, you'll appreciate the intricate details and stunning artwork. From their intricate sketching to striking color palette, these pieces are a true masterpiece that is sure to impress. Display it proudly in your home or office and enjoy its beauty for years to come!

Measurements:
Magazine Article: 22 ¼”W x 14 ¾”H
Main Illustration: 23”W x 31”H
Secondary Illustration: 58”W x 15 ½”H

C.S. Forester
Cecil Louis Troughton Smith, who wrote under the pen name Cecil Scott "C. S." Forester, was a British novelist. He was born on August 27, 1899, and passed away on April 2, 1966. Forester was known for his stories about naval warfare, particularly the 12-book Horatio Hornblower series, which follows a Royal Navy officer during the Napoleonic Wars.

In 1938, Forester's novels A Ship of the Line and Flying Colors were jointly awarded the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for fiction. He also wrote The African Queen in 1935, which was adapted into a film by John Huston in 1951, as well as The Good Shepherd in 1955, which was adapted into a 2020 film called Greyhound, directed and starring Tom Hanks.

During World War II, Forester relocated to the United States where he worked for the British Ministry of Information. He was assigned to write propaganda to encourage the U.S. to join the Allies. After the war, he settled in Berkeley, California.

In 1942, while living in Washington, D.C., Forester met a young British diplomat named Roald Dahl. Forester asked Dahl about his experiences as a fighter pilot in the Royal Air Force. This conversation prompted Dahl to write his first story, "A Piece of Cake", according to his autobiography, Lucky Break.

C.S. Forester got married to Kathleen Belcher in 1926 and they were blessed with two sons, John and George, who were born in 1929 and 1933 respectively. Unfortunately, the couple got divorced in 1945. In 1947, Forester married Dorothy Foster.

Interestingly, Kathleen Belcher was related to Captain Edward Belcher, who was a renowned hydrographer and explorer. After his retirement, Belcher took up writing, starting with biographical material and then moving on to naval fiction, creating a character called Horatio Howard Brenton and giving him great adventures and feats. It is thought that Forester may have found some inspiration in these stories for his own character, Horatio Hornblower.

Forester passed away on 2 April 1966 in Fullerton, California. His son, John Forester, wrote a two-volume biography of his father which included many details of Forester's life that his son only became aware of after his father's death.

The Dumb Dutchman
By: C.S. Forester
“When the German police came aboard the Lek II that May morning at Düsseldorf, Jan Schuylenboeck thought that they had found out about his activities, and he set his hand to his pocket where his pencil was. Concealed beneath the rubber eraser at the end of that pencil was enough poison to ensure for him a death much more rapid than the Gestapo would allow him.

But it turned out that there was no immediate need for the poison, because the arrival of the police was not the first step in a personal tragedy.

It was part of a national tragedy, of a world-wide tragedy, for that was the morning that the Germans invaded Holland, and the police were arresting, not a spy, which Schuylenboeck had been for a long time, but an enemy alien.

The Lek II was a tugboat, almost new; since long before the war began between Germany and England, Schuylenboeck, as her owner and captain, had been taking vast tows up the Rhine to supply the German war machine.

It had been a profitable contract, but the tug's captain had found his chief reward in reporting to London the numerous things a tugboat captain can discover during voyages to the German munition towns on the Rhine.

The police officer was quite apologetic about arresting Jan Schuylenboeck.
"The purest formality, captain," he said. "We are under orders to arrest every Dutchman and Belgian in the country. But I am quite sure that it was not meant to include you, because you have been known too long as a friend of the party. A pity that you did not join along with your brother-in-law, but in any case, I am sure you will soon be released."
"I am glad to hear that," said Schuylenboeck.

Even before the Dutch surrender arrangements had already been made to continue Schuylenboeck and the Lek II in the employment of the Third Reich. Now there were huge quantities of loot to be got out of the prostrate country. For a time, until the Dutch should be reduced to utter misery, the shipments up the Rhine would be heavier than ever.

Schuylenboeck nodded when he was told. He could not trust himself to speak.
And yet, when the time came and he met that brother-in-law of his whom he always disliked so intensely, the one who had been a N*zi for years, he nerved himself to be quite cordial to him.

The rest of the story can be found at this link.

John Fleming Gould Biography
John Fleming Gould was born on February 14, 1906, in Worcester, Massachusetts. His parents were Julia E. Gould and George M. Gould, with George being a plumber. They resided at 39 Richards Street, and John had an older brother named George. However, George passed away from an illness when he was six years old in 1911.

In 1912, the Gould family moved to Illinois, where they welcomed a new son, Robert. In 1915, they relocated to Brooklyn, New York, where their daughter Marian was born. They lived at 1502 Bushwick Avenue, and George continued working as a plumber, often hired by Henry Baumhofer, the janitor of the building at 1498 Bushwick. Baumhofer's son, Walt, who was thirteen at the time, became John's best friend, and they attended school together.

One of their misadventures led to Walt losing parts of his left hand due to an accidental explosion of a box of live ammunition. John encouraged Walt to become an artist after the incident, and they both went to Bushwick High School on Irving Avenue and Woodbine Streets. There, they met Frank Kramer and William Ralph Keifer, who also had a natural talent for drawing and shared their ambitions of becoming illustrators. John was elected President of the Class in his senior year.

After graduation, all four friends attended the Pratt Institute of Brooklyn, where they studied under Dean Cornwell and H. Winfield Scott. In 1926, John and Walt, along with seven other young artists, rented a Manhattan art studio at 161 West 23rd Street for $90 a month. Their neighbors were George and Jerome Rozen, who rented the studio next door.

In 1927, John started illustrating interior stories for pulp magazines such as Aces, Air Stories, Astounding Stories, Blue Book, Clues Detective, Cowboy Stories, Danger Trails, War Birds, and Wings. In 1929, he began teaching art at Pratt Institute, where he worked for twenty-two years.

John began a long and fruitful freelance relationship with Popular Publications in 1930, drawing interior story illustrations for their pulp magazines, such as Detective Action Stories, Dime Detective, G-8 and his Battle Aces, Operator #5, Knockout, The Spider, and 10-Story Western. In 1940, he married Mary Gould, and they raised three sons, Robert, William, and Paul.

By 1942, John was selling freelance illustrations to higher-paying slick magazines such as The Saturday Evening Post, Country Gentleman, Redbook, Colliers, and Popular Science. He started teaching art at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Art in 1951.

Throughout the 1950s, John worked for men's adventure magazines such as Argosy, Outdoor Life, and True. He retired from illustration in 1957 and moved to Newburgh, NY, where he opened his own private art school and gallery.

John Fleming Gould passed away in New Windsor, NY, at the age of ninety on May 26, 1996.