History of the Airbrush
A brief overview of the 25 year search

1996 Article in AA+A "The Origins of the Airbrush"
This article, now a collector's item, was written in 1996 for Airbrush "Art and Action" magazine. It describes the story in detail and is well illustrated with period advertisements and pictures of an actual Walkup Airbrush.

A chance reading of an article in January 1982 triggered off a series of events that were to eventually lead Andy to the truth behind the airbrush's past.

"Graphics World" featured a historical article describing the collection and artifacts held by the company who claimed to be the "Inventors and Pioneers of Spray Painting". Andy was convinced that something was not as it should be and started to investigate.

By the end of the 80's Andy had become a respected artist and was invited to join Esselte Letraset as an airbrush consultant. A company with whom Letraset were negotiating at the time were Devilbiss Aerograph, and it was they who claimed the invention. Later Aerograph were to employ Andy themselves and he was given full access to their archives, a rather dusty room full of cabinets!

There followed numerous trips to the US and various meetings at International Airbrush conventions which culminated in an article for Airbrush Art and Action magazine. This was followed by an exhibition of antique airbrushes and artifacts at the 1997 "International Airbrush Forum".

Now Andy has been able to restore to full working order an 1885 Walkup Airbrush so that he re-live history as it relates to airbrushing.

Supervised by the Universities of Wales and New York, his work was the subject of a succesful PhD thesis. This is now archived, amongst other places, in the Franklin Institute Library in Philadelphia.

Andy Penaluna with Harold Walkup at the grave of Liberty Walkup
  • A moment to pause and think - at the grave of Liberty Walkup accompanied by his nephew Harold.

Andy holds the 1887 medal
Andy holds the actual medal awarded to Liberty Walkup by the Franklin Institute in 1887.
There is a long list of people to whom Andy is deeply grateful to for their help and assistance over the years. He would like to especially recognize the contributions of the following people who are listed chronologically in terms of assistance;

Robert Kerr - General Manager, Devilbiss Aerograph
Colin Roberts- Sales Manager, DeVillbiss Aerograph
Johnny Allen - former Aerograph employee in 1920s
Caleb Peterson - family owner of Thayer and Chandler
Dawn Copland - former President of Canadian Airbrush Association
Micky Harris - former President of American Airbrush Association
Eddy Wouters - Editor in Chief, Airbrush Art and Action Magazine
Seng-gye Tombs Curtiss - Author and Airbrush Historian
Morgan Tombs Curtiss - Airbrush researcher
Raymond Collins - Illinois State Library
Alexander Lucas - Newberry Library, Chicago
Julie Thomas - Chicago Historical Society
John Molyneaux- Rockford Public Library
Harold Walkup - nephew of Liberty Walkup, Airbrush Mfg. Co.
William Urban - Former Editor, Airbrush Digest magazine
Tom Monkom - former Managing Director, Devilbiss Aerograph
Robert Paschal - Artalk Magazine
Arthur Hinnrichs - Berlin Airbrush Association
Prof. Harold Spencer - Emeritus Professor of Art, University of Connecticut
Prof. Margaret Holben Ellis - Conservation Dept., New York University

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Airbrush History site © Andy Penaluna 2001

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