From The Archives: A Vintage Jon Gnagy Kit and Drawing

American Painting legend Bob Ross (1942 - 1995) is continuing to have a surge in popularity with 24 hour streaming channels and YouTube. Long before the genial perm sporting PBS artist, there was Jon Gnagy (1907 - 1981). Gnagy pioneered teaching a television audience how to draw begining in 1946 over the historic WNBT station in Washington D.C. His Jon Gnagy "Learn to Draw" Kits have sold millions for decades, and I was delighted to come across a vintage edition in a church mission thrift store.

The biggest surprise was finding that there were still charcoal drawings inside the kit, one of which is posted at the top of this article.

Also included in this kit were original Jon Gnagy drawing pencils, with additional art supplies. 

There is no way of knowing for sure if this drawing or kit belonged to a child, but Gnagy's impact on generations of future illustrators is well documented. One can wonder if Bob Ross watched Gnagy as a kid.