""Ricketts' Circus, Sixth and Chestnut Streets," Philadelphia Blended Whisky" Lot no. 244
By James A. Bingham (American- 1917-1971)
1945
13.00" x 18.00"
Gouache on Board
Signed Lower Left
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"Ricketts' Circus, Sixth and Chestnut Streets, Philadelphia, circa 1798." From a series of historic prints designed as advertisements to promote Philadelphia Blended Whisky. Later published in Gerald W. Johnson's book Pattern for Liberty: The Story of Old Philadelphia, published by McGraw Hill in 1952, which captions the image: "Ricketts' Circus, at Sixth and Chestnut, where cheerful Philadelphia made merry."
In the 1940s, the Continental Distilling Corporation commissioned artists Simon Greco, James Bingham, and Edward Everett Henry to create a series of historical images of Philadelphia to promote its Philadelphia Blended Whisky, which it referred to as “The Heritage Whisky.” By highlighting key moments that led to the founding of the country and the city’s cultural heritage in its advertising, the company sought to position Philadelphia Blended Whisky as having a rich and enduring legacy.
The advertising copy links the City of Brotherly Love with “a legendary heritage of hospitality,” which is “one of the proud traditions established by Colonial Philadelphia.” Despite the textual emphasis on hospitality, the corresponding illustrations don’t touch upon the friendly reception or entertainment of guests, nor do they include any imagery of whisky-drinkers. Separated from the advertising copy, it would be difficult to determine the product these images were commissioned to sell. This lack of emphasis on the product in the imagery may in part be due to the fact that the Continental Distilling Corporation also released the illustrations as lithographs, likely with the hope the pictures would be treated as home decor. Some illustrations from the series were later published in Gerald W. Johnson's book Pattern for Liberty: The Story of Old Philadelphia, published by McGraw Hill in 1952. Of the 32 illustrations published in the text, The Illustrated Gallery has held around 20 of the original paintings in its collection.
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See all original artwork by James A. Bingham
ABOUT THE ARTIST
James R. Bingham was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology. During World War II, he put in a stint animating Army Air Force films and received an appointment as a Naval officer attached to the Office of Research and Invention.
Following the war, the heroics and adventure in his life was confined to the usual subject matter of his illustrations, such as a long series of pictures for Erle Stanley Gardner’s “Perry Mason” serials and other mystery stories in The Saturday Evening Post. He also illustrated the “Tugboat Annie” series for the same publication.
In addition to editorial work, Bingham did a great deal of advertising illustration for clients such as Philadelphia Whiskey, the Gulf Oil Corporation, Maxwell House Coffee, the Air Transport Association, the Caterpillar Tractor Company, and won numerous awards, including Art Directors Club Medals in New York, Philadelphia, and Miami.