Posted in: Comics, Vintage Paper | Tagged: golden age, Patsy Walker

Louise Altson Marvel Painted Covers on Patsy Walker & More, at Auction

Accomplished artist Louise Altson painted portraits for numerous important 20th century figures, and also did some Marvel covers.

Published Mon, 17 Apr 2023 15:57:10 -0500

by Mark Seifert

Comments

Louise Altson (1910-2010) began painting at the age of 12, studying for six years under Belgian painter Léon Brunin. Her family later moved to London, where she continued her art studies at the Polytechnic School of Art (this appears to have been part of the Regency Street Polytechnic in that era). In 1939, her family moved to the United States, and Altson soon began to work on a variety of commercial art endeavors, including children's books and magazine illustrations. By the mid-1940s, her work could also be widely seen in syndicated Sunday sections in newspapers around the country. During this period, she began her association with Marvel/Timely publisher Martin Goodman's various endeavors, contributing to his humor magazine line and Miss America Magazine. Towards the end of the 1940s, Altson had also contributed a handful of comic book covers to the Marvel line, including for titles Junior Miss, Cindy Smith, and Patsy Walker.

Louise Altson covers on Marvel's Patsy Walker and Junior Miss, 1949/1950.

By 1948, Altson had become a part of the prestigious Portraits, Inc., a company founded in 1942 with a focus on high-end portrait commissions. During her association with the company, Altson painted portraits for a number of famous or noteworthy individuals or their families, including the families of President George Bush, James Maytag, the DuPonts, the Vanderbilts, and the Woolworth family, among many others.

Interestingly, it seems that Altson kept up at least a little of her other freelance work for a short period after 1948. Beyond the comic book covers, she also did some paperback covers through the end of the 1940s and beyond, including for Martin Goodman's Red Circle Books line. The small group of comic book covers she did for Marvel/Timely in 1949-1950 stand out, and a number of comic books featuring Louise Altson's painted covers are up for auction in the 2023 April 20 Timeless Good Girl Art Comics Featuring Dan DeCarlo Showcase Auction #40221 at Heritage Auctions. For new bidders, take the time to familiarize yourself with Heritage Auctions' FAQ and auction event details before the event to ensure a seamless and enjoyable bidding process.

In the interest of completeness, it should be noted that there is some uncertainty about the attribution of the covers of Mitzi's Romances #10 and Cindy Smith #39. Both CGC and GCD attribute the Cindy Smith #39 cover to Altson. Timely expert Dr. Michael J. Vassallo has noted that both of these issues may be Altson or perhaps Peter Driben. The Cindy Smith #39 cover does look like Altson to my eye, though I would agree that the artist of the cover of Mitzi's Romances #10 is less certain. Driben, of course, was a pulp legend and is another cover artist whose work is sought after.