Unsigned handwritten lyrics to a song Guthrie wrote for his daughter, Cathy, one vertically lined page, 7.5 x 11.5, dated at the bottom April 23, 1946. In part: “My green turtle ran away from my red turtle and he ran under the cedar chest to see his uncle turtle and my doggie some and he saw the pussy cat up in that tree and he said let’s go in and see the turtles And the pussy cat and the doggie came in and they broke my polka record and my disk And the little green turtle ran out from under the cedar chest and made the doggie go home.” The reverse of the document features a pencil sketch by Guthrie of a female face (perhaps his daughter?). Matted and framed on a hinged frame so both sides may be viewed, to an overall size of 16 x 20. In very good condition, with several storage folds, scattered toning (heaviest to edges) and a light stain to the left side of the lyrics, scattered light creasing, and two small areas of paper loss to bottom edge (the paper loss has been completely matted out).
While there is no concrete evidence that Guthrie ever formally studied art, he was a lover of art, having created line drawings, a couple of oil paintings, pen-and-ink illustrations, and the like. Some are simple squiggles, others are more well-formed creations, not unlike the sketch in this offering. A visual artist, Guthrie also found inspiration in his daughter, and in the 1940s began writing children’s songs, which he then recorded for Asch Records, beginning in February 1946. Released later in the year on the album Songs to Grow On: Nursery Days, these became some of Guthrie’s most popular recordings. Cathy Ann, who was also contemporary singer Arlo Guthrie’s older sister, died on February 10, 1947, in one of a bizarre series of accidental fires, which sent Guthrie into a serious depression. Handwritten and ultimately heart-wrenching proof of the love the songwriter had for his young daughter. RRAuction COA.
