Old Postcards

Today I came upon some old postcards I've been saving for over twenty years. I've kept them because I like the art work and for the first time I tried to learn more about the artist. On the back of the cards was written "The Riker Company, Western Americana Art, Box 668, Salida, Colo." Also, "Historical R. R. Series, 1966 H. Riker, 2-25-66 400". It took some time online to find his name was Hugh Riker and he was my father's age. I hadn't expected that. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I really like all the history included on the back of each postcard. By the way, they are not traditional, single sided postcards. They are postal notes that open up like a greeting card so that a personal message can be written inside.

 

 

 

 

 

 This is what I learned from his obituary. Hubert Dale “Hugh” Riker was born December 8, 1921, in Muir, Michigan, son of Alta and Sam Riker. He grew up in Flint, Michigan, where he attended the Flint Institute of Arts during his public school days. His fourth grade teacher recognized his artistic talents and encouraged him to develop his gift of drawing. He attended Layton School of Arts in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, School of Practical Arts in Boston, Massachusetts, and Chinard School of Design in Los Angeles, California.

 

 

Mr. Riker was a veteran of WWII, having served in the North Atlantic aboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Escanaba, where he participated in the heroic rescue of 133 survivors of the S.S. Dorchester that sank off Greenland after being torpedoed by a German submarine.

 

 

 

 

 

 Hugh was a kind, peace loving gentleman, always seeing the good in everyone he met. He saw beauty in all of God’s creations and always thought happy, positive thoughts. He was a loving husband and wonderful friend, filled with wisdom, always supportive and encouraging people to be their best and do what is right. He lived his Christian faith. He was a disciplined man, not only with his work but with himself. He loved people but he also treasured his quiet time. He was an avid reader and kept three or four books going at a time, until Parkinson’s slipped in. He said the Hamilton, Texas, library was the best he had ever seen for a town its size.

 

As a little boy he sold the Saturday Evening Post & The Grit door to door. As he got older he sold the daily newspaper on the street corner. He was fascinated by the newspaper industry and later did lettering and layouts for several cartoon strips.

 

 

 

 

 

In 1961, after a career in advertising, he launched his art career with a one-man exhibit at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City. He loved Mexico and its culture. Mr. Riker taught work-shops in watercolor, drawing and pen and ink calligraphy throughout the Southwest and Mexico, and English at the Mexican-American Language Institute in Uruappan, Mexico. His work appeared in Arizona Highways and Ford Times. He exhibited throughout the United States and Mexico. He was a prolific artist having drawn many of the historic Court Houses in Texas. He authored and illustrated Ghost Towns and Mining Camps of Colorado, Learning to Draw in Pen Ink, Vol. 1 & Vol. 2, Wit & Wisdom Under the Tree of Knowledge, and published a travel column for newspapers. His last major project was the 1999 Historic Texas Forts Calendar that he researched and worked on for a year and a half before printing.

Hugh Riker passed away July 1, 2004, in Hamilton, Hamilton County, Texas. The personal information about Hugh's loved ones I have not included here. Reading this much about his life makes me want to see photos of his studio, and I really want one of those Texas Forts calendars! I got out my old postcard collection today to see if I could find a home for it, for downsizing is my goal. And now I want to add to it! Yikes!