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James Sessions WWII Images on Menus

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Artists/Drawings, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

Bill shared an image of a menu from the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha. It was one of several hotels that featured James Sessions’ images on hotel menus. Anyone know the history behind why hotels were doing that?

For a complete overview of the Willys-Overland WWII (and post WWII) illustrations featuring jeeps, this page demonstrates how the illustrations unfolded over the years 1941-1946. For an analysis of how the changes in verbiage may have reflected changes as Willys-Overland during the war years, view this page.

I’m sure there are more examples than the ones gathered below. Here is what I have so far:

This is the Blackstone Hotel example that Bill shared:

New-Guinea-Jeep-bill-willys-overland-hotel

This one is from the Lexington Hotel in New York City:

lexington-hotel-menu-thanksgiving1

And this one is from the Hotel New Yorker:

1944-manhattan-room-nyc-menu2

This menu:

1944-menu-benjamin-franklin-hotel-pa1

The Benjamin Franklin also ran this other menu with a different illustration:

1946-menu-born-in-war

 
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Lexington Hotel Menu on eBay

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

This is the third different hotel restaurant to use this menu front cover. In his case, the Lexington used the cover for a Thanksgiving menu.

View all the information on eBay

lexington-hotel-menu-thanksgiving1 lexington-hotel-menu-thanksgiving2 lexington-hotel-menu-thanksgiving3 lexington-hotel-menu-thanksgiving4

 

 
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1944 Manhattan Room NYC Menu **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE:  **SOLD** Was on eBay.

Here’s an interesting piece. There was a similar menu from the Benjamin Franklin Hotel in Philadelphia.

“Vintage menu from the Manhattan Room, Hotel New Yorker in NYC dated August 9, 1944. The front shows a painting by artist James Sessions which is a World War II advertisement for Willys Jeep. Overall in good condition. There is a crease mark where the menu was once folded. There are three menu items checked in pencil. See pictures for details. Measures 9″ x 12″.”

1944-manhattan-room-nyc-menu2

1944-manhattan-room-nyc-menu3

1944-manhattan-room-nyc-menu4

 
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1944 Benjamin Franklin Hotel Menu **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Was on eBay.

Here’s a different version of a menu that was also used at the Benjamin Franklin Hotel.

“Menu – The Benjamin Franklin Hotel, Garden Terrace, Philadelphia, PA. August 19, 1944. Cover of the menu is “Bridging a new Guinea River”, painted by James Sessions for Willys-Overland Motors, Builders of the Mighty “Jeep”. VG+ condition. A little corner or edge wear, corner crease at upper right, a few small check marks inside. I use a poor/fair/good/very good/excellent/mint grading system and grade very conservatively (see my feedback). This does NOT necessarily correspond to the generic Ebay grading system that we are forced to use. Shipping is $2.50 in the U.S.”

1944-menu-benjamin-franklin-hotel-pa1 1944-menu-benjamin-franklin-hotel-pa2

 

 

 
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1966 Las Brisas Menu with DJ-3A Gala Image **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Features • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Was on eBay

“VINTAGE MENU LAS BRISAS HOTEL 1966 ACAPULCO MEXICO

This 1966 vintage menu is from one of ACAPULCO’S more famous hotels, famed for their “ROOM SERVICE BY JEEP”. It measures 9 1/2″ wide by 14″ long, closed. Excellent condition with just minor soiling on the rear cover.”

las-brisas-hotel-menu-gala-surrey

 
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1946 Benjamin Franklin Hotel Menu (CJ-2A), TX **SOLD**

• CATEGORIES: Advertising & Brochures, Artists/Drawings, Features • TAGS: This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

UPDATE: Was on eBay.

This is a 1946 Menu from the Benjamin Franklin Hotel that has jeeps on it. Here’s another one.

“A Dinner Menu from the Coral Cafe in the Benjamin Franklin Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania from January 6, 1946 . The cover of the menu features one of series of paintings of the JEEP. This is BORN IN WAR by James Sessions for the Willys Overland Motors, the builders of the Jeep. The menu is in fine condition, has been folded. Measures about 9″ x 12″ when closed.”

1946-menu-born-in-war

 
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Dinner Time at the Rusty Jeep Hickory Pit

• CATEGORIES: Features, Monuments/Statues • TAGS: , This site contains affiliate links for which I may be compensated.

If you are like me, you love to eat slow, pit cooked meat (pork, beef, bison, chicken, and just about anything else).  Actually, I’m partial to Kalua Pork, named not for the beverage, but rather for the method of cooking:  Kalua Pork translates as “to cook in an underground oven”.  Now, I don’t have an underground over, but I have a heavy crock pot.  All you need is about 5lbs of pork butt or a picnic cut, a table spoon of liquid smoke and a table spoon and a half of salt.  Drop it into your pot (don’t add water).  Turn it on high.  Wait 5 or 6 hours.  Throw in about 1/4 cabbage sliced.  Cook another half hour, and it will be done:  I guarantte you will have some fantastic Kalua Pork.  Easy and nutritious.

But, if you don’t feel like cooking your own pork and you are near Port Aransas, Tx, then drop by the Rusty Jeep Hickory Pit.  And, of course, there’s even a rusty jeep in the parking lot (which no doubt ran until it was parked? lol).  Josh’s sister sent him some pics, seen below, and I found a few additional pics on the net (thanks Josh).

The sign below is attached to the front grille of the jeep.