John Langley Howard

John Langley Howard was born in Upper Montclair, N.J. on Feb. 5, 1902; his father, John Galen Howard, served as campus architect of the University of California. While attending Cal in the early 1920s, he abandoned plans for a career as an engineer and turned toward art. He enrolled in the California Guild of Arts and Crafts in Oakland and then transferred to the Arts Students' League in New York City, followed by a six- month stint in Paris. In 1924, Howard began his art career, and married his first wife, Adeline Day. The Depression caused Howard to become politically active, join the John Reed Club in Monterey, and begin inserting politics and social concerns into his work, including the effects of industry on the surrounding landscape. He was one of the leaders of the Coit Tower artists, and is shown in Bernard Zakheim's "Library" crumpling a newspaper as he reaches to take "Das Kapital" from the shelf. Howard divorced Day in 1949 and wedded sculptor Blanche Phillips in 1951. He painted in many different styles for the rest of his long career, largely nature, and was an illustrator for Scientific American. He attended the rededication of Pioneer Park in 1997, the only surviving artist from the original project. He died in his sleep at his Potrero Hill home on November 15, 1999, aged 97. 

Works at Coit Tower:

California Industrial Scenes