I am sure that readers of the early Peanuts strips will recognize this very round-headed Charlie Brown. But this art was never in the comic strip. It is a story of generosity repaid years later. This piece has just come to the Museum from a lovely gentleman who has had it since 1964. The drawing is a bit faded, but still intact after 49 years.

As a 10 year old boy, he wrote to Sparky asking for a drawing of Charlie Brown that he could put on the wall of his clubhouse. He enclosed a folded 12 x 18″ sheet of paper. I suppose he had the usual optimism of youth and of someone who was entrepreneurial enough to write to a celebrity. It was not long before he received an envelope with this drawing. No note, no letter, just the drawing.

The boy was delighted with the drawing, and after being on the wall for a number of years, the drawing was carefully folded away to be opened now and then to be shown to someone and then replaced – for nearly 50 years.

Then our generous (new) friend decided it should be “home” at the Museum. I hope you can imagine how excited I was to see the drawing, hear his story, and realize that he wanted to leave the drawing with us (very excited!).

I love the message this simple story sends: generosity begets generosity. Now this charming drawing Sparky sent a hopeful 10 year old boy will help tell this story to Museum visitors.

–Jean Schulz