E.C. Matthews

In Memoriam: Eric Christian Matthews
from Signs of the Times magazine; October, 1977 issue, pp. 98-99

Eric Christian Matthews, author of 28 books (Bibliography), most of them relevant to the sign industry, passed away on July 9, in a nursing home near St. Louis, MO. Mr. Matthews had been hospitalized for the past five years after sustaining incapacitating injuries in a fire at his home in January, 1972. He was 84.

During the more than 50 years Mr. Matthews was associated with the industry (Masterful Matthews), he authored books on cartooning, commercial art, illustrating, landscape painting and numerous other subjects. Mr. Matthews was also known for his innovations in sign painting technique, including demonstration of a simplified method for working with gold leaf and other signs on glass. In addition, he pioneered the lacquer system, beginning in 1926. (Some of his articles on the subject were published by ST from July 1930 through July 1931.)

Mr. Matthews began what was to become a varied career in 1912, after leaving his father's ranch and a promising future in rodeos behind him. He lettered his first trucks that first year and the interest and talent displayed eventually led to a formal art school education four years later. In the spring of 1920, he found employment with a large auto painting company lettering trucks, the same year his first book, How to Paint Signs and Sho' Cards was published. Twenty years and many editions later, the book still remained on the market.

Other notable books written by Mr. Matthews include: Commercial Art and Cartooning, Modern Show Card Lettering, Quick Landscape Painting in Oils, and How to Draw Funny Pictures.

Surviving relatives of Mr. Matthews include: two brothers, Adin E. Matthews and Hugh H. Matthews; two sisters: Ruth Plummer and Lucille Ellis; a son, Howard; a daughter, Alice Hanson; three grandchildren and five great grandchildren.