Use Restrictions

There are no restrictions.

Access Restrictions

Collection is open without restrictions.

Preferred Citation

Box/folder, Billy Debeck Collection, M 147, Special Collections and Archives, James Branch Cabell Library, Virginia Commonwealth University

Acquisition Information

The collection was given to the Department by Mr. DeBeck's Richmond secretary, Mrs. Addison C. Armstrong Jr.

Biographical / Historical

William Morgan DeBeck was born in Chicago on 15 April 1890. He briefly attended the Academy of Fine Arts before working as a staff artist and cartoonist for several mid-western newspapers. He joined the staff of the Chicago Herald in 1916. Debeck was moved to New York in 1919 when William Hearst bought the Herald. In New York, DeBeck created the character of Barney Google and achieved immediate fame and fortune. After he married in 1927, DeBeck lived in Paris for two years before settling in alternating residences in Great Neck (Long Island), New York and Palm Beach, Florida. His assistant, Fred Laswell, took over the strip ("Barney Google and Snuffy Smith" and today just "Snuffy Smith") after DeBeck's death in 1942.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of Mr. DeBeck's library of 121 books, many with notes and sketches by the artist were transferred to book collection. A green door that has artwork by DeBeck depicting Barney Google and his racehorse, Spark Plug is part of the collection. A first day cover U.S. postage stamp of Barney Google was added in 2003. A second first day U.S. postage stamp was added in 2006.

Arrangement

Materials arranged in alphabetical order.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Cartoonists -- Archives -- United States
• De Beck, Billy, 1890-1942 -- Archives