Tailgate Featured Artists: Otis & Dorothy Shepard
Dorothy Shepard 1906-2000 | Otis Shepard 1894-1969
Otis Shepard met Philip Knight Wrigley, owner of the Chicago Cubs and gum manufacturer, in 1932. Although not as often credited as the artist, Dorothy was a talented designer and worked alongside and in partnership with her husband, Otis. Dorothy and Otis started working with Wrigley creating advertisements for the Wrigley brand chewing gum prior to the work completed for the Cubs.
Otis Shepard was the original designer behind the All American Girls Professional Baseball League shield style logo. He also designed the programs and the uniforms. However, the first design used the name “All American Girls Softball League” / “AAGSBL”. It was Philip Wrigley who financially backed the AAGPBL in 1943.
© Erin Shepard. dorothyandotis.com
Otis took on the task of a complete design overhaul of the Chicago Cubs. This included programs, scorecards, signage, tickets, scoreboard and uniforms. He oversaw the renovation of Wrigley Field and was the genius behind the suggestion of the iconic ivy on the outfield wall. Shepard was known for his bold and innovative designs, which helped to establish the Cubs as one of the most recognizable brands in sports.
The beautiful program and scorecard artwork was vibrant and colourful yet minimalist in nature. His ability to convey movement by use of size and scale in a minimalist design is second to none. Otis worked with the Cubs for several decades but officially stepped away, with the exception of some contract work, in 1962.
© Chicago Cubs
If you'd like to learn more about the Shepard's, check out this 4 minute video from PBS:
If you love looking at Chicago Cubs program art, here's a link to a wonderful online database "Cubs Scorecards Thru The Years" from the 1890s-2014.
Until next time - Robyn + Wrigley
References:
Dorothy and Otis Shepard: Art & Design in Chicago. WTTW Chicago. (2018, November 1). Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://interactive.wttw.com/art-design-chicago/dorothy-otis-shepard
Marks, B. (n.d.). Double the fun: The husband-wife team who made everyone want to chew gum. Collectors Weekly. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/the-husband-wife-team-who-made-everyone-want-to-chew-gum/
Dorothyandotis. (2014, December 11). Dorothy and Otis Shepard. Dorothy and Otis. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.dorothyandotis.com/post/104927366432/the-famous-all-american-girls-baseball-league-from
AAGPBL league history. AAGPBL League History. (n.d.). Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.aagpbl.org/history/league-history
Thorn, J. (2017, August 10). Otis Shepard. Medium. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://ourgame.mlblogs.com/otis-shepard-2ac835a93d61
Ignarski, K. (n.d.). Cubs scorecards thru the years. Cubs Scorecards. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.cubsbythenumbers.com/scorecards.html