painting by Jack Crump
In our May issue, I wrote about a popular barbecue joint on Summer called the Pig Pen. Perhaps you remember it?
I mentioned that Jack Crump, a talented artist who just happened to be the brother of Pig Pen owner Allen Crump, had contributed artwork that adorned the restaurant’s interior. Among the items were hand-made coffee mugs, a nice oil painting of — what else? — pigs in a pen, and even some little ceramic figurines of pigs that decorated the counter. But in my usual slap-dash manner, I neglected to show you photos of these objects, so I’m doing that now.
The painting (above) speaks for itself. Just look at those pigs, happily waiting for the moment when they can be slaughtered, cooked, and consumed. Still, I’m glad the Crump family kept it after the Pig Pen was demolished in the early 1960s, as well as some of the little ceramic pigs (below).
And by the way, when you get a chance to read that story, you’ll see that I included a photo of one of Allen Crump’s other ventures, a Western-themed store on National called the Trading Post. That was run by Allen’s son, Johnny, and I included a photo of the store and said Johnny was the tall “cowboy” standing beside the entrance. Oops, I was wrong. Actually, Johnny is the other fellow in the picture. I guess everybody who worked, or shopped, there wore cowboy hats.
This will all make sense after you read the story. It’s not online yet (be patient!) so if you just can’t wait, then I hope you’ll rush out and buy a copy of our May issue. And for those of you who already subscribe, then I say THANK YOU.
