Description:

Jack Ruby
Dallas, TX, ca. 1965
Jack Ruby Rare Ink Line Drawing Framed in "Memories of a Deputy" Display
Framed Artwork
A framed display of an ink line drawing by Jack Ruby with an account by a Dallas deputy who spent time with Ruby. The sketch measures 8.25" x 5.25" (sight), Dallas, ca. July 17, 1965. A blue ink, abstract drawing done by Ruby while incarcerated in the Dallas County Jail. Rudy usually created his drawings with pencil, so this is a rare example. The sketch is matted and framed in a large display entitled "The Memories of a Deputy - My Three Days with Jack Ruby", measuring 19" x 23.25" overall. Included in the display is the sheriff's badge of Ervin W. "Sonny" Cawthon Jr., multiple photographs, and a typed recollection. Accompanying the framed display is a Statement of Authenticity signed by Cawthon. There is light soiling to the sketch, otherwise very fine. A fantastic display for any historical enthusiast!

Highlights from Cawthon's recollections:
"Nicknamed 'Sonny', I was on duty when President Kennedy was assassinated. I was 25 years old and had been a deputy for just 16 months. After Jack Ruby attempted suicide by putting his finger in a light socket, Sheriff Decker ordered he be guarded by a uniform officer, in cell, 24 hours a day. On three occasions I filled in for the regular assigned guard for our shift…This was my first personal contact with him and it was not what I expected. With all the stories I'd heard I expected to see a scraggly looking tough guy with a bad attitude. Instead, in front of me was a clean-cut guy sitting erect in his chair…As the day passed we had many pleasant conversations where he learned a lot about me, while I learned almost nothing about him…On the table he kept paper, pencils, and a ruler. Each day was the same. He ate his meals at the table and when the chatting was done he either took a nap or worked on his drawings. His line drawings were very detailed. His work on them was slow and very intense. At times he would zone out and stare at it. He created most of his drawings using a pencil. This one is unique and was done with ink…"

Statement of Authenticity in part:
"…The abstract drawing shown is an original and was done by Jack Ruby. Most of his drawings were in pencil. This one is very unique because it was done in blue ink. I was the only one I ever saw done in ink. It was given to a fellow deputy that didn't want it. He gave it to me outside Ruby's cell during shift change. On the backside it's dated July 17, 1965. It is not Jack Ruby's handwriting and I assume the other deputy dated it before giving it to me…The badge is one I wore at my retirement ceremony."

During the 1970s, prominent psychiatrist Irene Jakab, who was known for her use of art therapy in diagnosing and treating patients with mental illness, analyzed Ruby's artwork that had been created while he was in jail. While assessing one of Ruby's drawings, she claimed that his work conveyed "repressed aggression and secretiveness," adding "Notice how he really constricts himself so as not to reveal himself. He hides behind all those geometrical lines and pointed edges. You can feel his controlled aggression."

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Provenance: Statement of Authenticity signed by Ervin Cawthon.
  • Dimensions: framed: 19" x 23.25"
  • Medium: Framed Artwork

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