www.sandrawalkerri.com
On Friday I was saddened to hear from Sandra Walker’s daughter Jessica that her mother had died this past August 23rd 2018, three months after being diagnosed with cancer. Attached with this email message was a jpeg of the watercolor below of a fading ad for a 5 cent cigar with the image of a early 20th century man with the tag line, “I Am For Men.”
© Sandra Walker, RI
Ten years ago this December 20, Sandra Walker, RI sent me this image of a fading ad she had taken in Denver, CO while with her daughter Jessica.
© Sandra Walker, RI
The image was here in Denver in 2002, I think. We were exiting a restaurant and across the street was a construction site and this had been uncovered when they demolished a building. My mom was thrilled when we saw it and basically stopped traffic to get a shot of it from the middle of Santa Fe Drive. It was right in the arts district of Denver. It’s since been covered up again. – Jessica Walker
© Sandra Walker, RI
Just a few years after UK’s Guardian had published my photographs in the May 23, 1999 edition of the London Observer, I received a card with this image of Omega Oil, the first fading ad I ever photographed.
© Sandra Walker RI
note from Sandra Walker
Dear Mr. Jump-
Several years ago a friend sent me a newspaper clipping of your photography – which mirrors the work I do in watercolour. Last year I went to Harlem in search of the wonderful “Omega Oil” building – & found it – & painted it.
I just wanted to say thank you for the inspiration!
With best wishes-
Sandra Walker
The rest is multimedia history. We maintained a steady correspondence and when I launched the Fading Ad Blog, I began to feature Walker’s photographs and watercolour renderings of fading ads. I documented our collaboration in my subsequent book, Fading Ads of New York City (History Press, 2011) and included the watercolour of Omega Oil as well as that of Hams & Capocolli from the Brooklyn waterfront.
© Sandra Walker, RI
In 2012, Sandra and I traded art pieces and I sent her a framed photograph of a shot of a derelict factory in Montréal Canada which she later painted.
Guardians of Rust
Original watercolor by Sandra Walker RI based on Guardians of Rust (photo by Frank H. Jump 2012)
© Frank H. Jump
In return of this gift Sandra sent me a watercolor of one of my fading ads Mount Morris Baths which hangs in our Brooklyn apartment.
Watercolour of Mount Morris Baths from Fading Ads of NYC (History Press, 2011) © Sandra Walker RI
Two years after the publication of Fading Ads of NYC (History Press, 2011), I was approached by the art & set designer of the TV production of the Fox network’s GLEE in February of 2013 for permission to use one of my photographs and Walker’s Omega Oil on their sets.
Sandra Walker’s Omega Oil watercolour as it was featured in an episode of Glee.
Of course, Sandra was thrilled to give her permission to use her image- and so our joint media spotlight shone that much longer spilling onto a different stage as it was also covered by Entertainment Weekly Magazine.
In one of our penultimate correspondences in January of 2017, Sandra sent me an email with an attachment of this lovely watercolour:
© Sandra Walker RI
“Wall of Dreams”
I found this crumbling wall in a derelict area of Manchester (UK – not New Hampshire). It seemed to speak eloquently of the dreams that Messrs Hall and Rogers must once have had…judging from their array of merchandise, e.g., fireplaces, sanitary ware, catering equipment, etc.
Thanks Frank. I’m glad you like it.
Best,
Sandra x
In our last email correspondence on August 18, 2017 – just a year almost to the date of her death, we talked about the results of the last American presidential election and how things have become unhinged. Sandra included this magnificent image of a building she painted in Madrid:
Madrid, Spain © Sandra Walker RI
She wrote:
…the other is an older painting by me of Plaza Mayor in Madrid. Have you been there? My second favourite bldg…first being the Chrysler.
xxx
Sandra
© Sandra Walker RI
I told her how fond I was of Spain and how Vincenzo and I considered selling everything and moving there until after some sanity was restored in the US. I lamented that I would have to wait until I retire in five years, “if we could all make it until then.”
- Click through this hyperlink to see all of the postings on the blog that involved Sandra Walker RI which also includes some of the work she based on Banksy in Brick Lane London, and other photographs and paintings that were featured.
From Facebook page – Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours
