terryb18
Gone but not forgotten R.I.P.
Many years ago the Daily Mirror used to run a cartoon strip called Jane, our older members will remember it, (especially the men). This leads me on to when back in the 60’s we regularly visited my dad’s brother who at the time lived in Rupert St, Nechells. As was the custom then, the men went for a drink while the women stayed behind. As I was just about old enough to drink, I used to look forward to be going with them. The pub we always went to was the Oliver Cromwell, which was near to where they lived. Anyway, this one particular night when we were there, (we always sat in the smoke room), there was this lady in a group, all having a nice quiet drink. This lady must have been in her mid to late 50’s, had really long blonde hair, and obviously she must have looked a stunner in her younger days, you could’nt help but look at her to be honest. My uncle said to us that she was the original model for Jane, we had no reason to disbelieve him so we carried on drinking as normal.
Over the years I often thought about it and I came to the conclusion that it was just a story with no fact to it, and gradually forgot about it. However, I now wonder, I have just done a search and came up with this info… The cartoon was devised in the 30’s by a guy named Norman Pett and he used his wife as the original model..… read on.
Pett, Norman (1891 - 1960)
After taking a correspondence course in drawing from Percy Bradshaw's Press Art School in London, Pett began to contribute cartoons to Punch, Passing Show and other publications, including children's comics. He also taught art at Moseley Road Junior Art School in Birmingham. Pett is the creator of the famous Second World War comic heroine, Jane. Jane was "born" in 1932, when 'Jane's Journal, the Diary of a Bright Young Thing' was launched in the Daily Mirror. As war broke out, Jane (who was modeled after Pett's wife), shed more and more clothes, thus keeping up the morale of servicemen both at home and abroad.
What do others think ? or is there anyone out there that knows something.
Terry
Over the years I often thought about it and I came to the conclusion that it was just a story with no fact to it, and gradually forgot about it. However, I now wonder, I have just done a search and came up with this info… The cartoon was devised in the 30’s by a guy named Norman Pett and he used his wife as the original model..… read on.
Pett, Norman (1891 - 1960)
After taking a correspondence course in drawing from Percy Bradshaw's Press Art School in London, Pett began to contribute cartoons to Punch, Passing Show and other publications, including children's comics. He also taught art at Moseley Road Junior Art School in Birmingham. Pett is the creator of the famous Second World War comic heroine, Jane. Jane was "born" in 1932, when 'Jane's Journal, the Diary of a Bright Young Thing' was launched in the Daily Mirror. As war broke out, Jane (who was modeled after Pett's wife), shed more and more clothes, thus keeping up the morale of servicemen both at home and abroad.
What do others think ? or is there anyone out there that knows something.
Terry
