Shaw-Barton: the Inside Connection

On page 8 of The Catalogue, I illustrate a couple of pencils that were given to me by a friend, Ellen McCoy, who found them in her mother's desk drawer after her mother passed.

What I didn't know at the time the book was printed was that both Ellen's mother, Della Hall, as well as her father Lauress, both worked for Shaw Barton in the 1940s.  At that time, Shaw Barton was the major employer in Coshocton County.  Since I knew my friend grew up in Coshocton, I guess it shouldn't have surprised me to find out that my friend's parents worked there. 

But it did surprise me when Ellen showed up on my doorstep with a couple other pieces of Shaw Barton memorabilia . . .

NOTE:  This article is now included in the print version of The Leadhead's Pencil Blog, available anywhere you buy books, or also from The Legendary Lead Company.

To order, here's the link:  Volume 1 at Legendary Lead Company