The White Report

BIOGRAPHY
The von Brunn/Wenneker families migrated from Germany/Austria c. 1845, settling in St. Louis, Missouri.

James von Brunn’s father, Elmer, was superintendent of Scullin Steel Mill. During WWII he designed, and supervised a 40mm shell plant for the U.S. government in Houston, Texas. His wife Hope Wenneker von Brunn, educated at Hosmer Hall, was a homemaker and accomplished pianist. They had two children, James (JvB) and Alyce.

The family spent summer months at Piasa. Illinois, where JvB roamed the limestone bluffs overlooking the Mississippi River, hunted snakes and turtles in the willows along its banks, and collected Indian artifacts. His grandmother Wenneker (grossemutter) gave him an oil paint set for his 7th birthday. His inspiration to paint came from Scribner Illustrated Classics and painters such as Pyle, Schoonover, and Wyeth. But his painting, because of his love of athletics, was confined to days of inclement weather. During the hiatus between high school and college he hitchhiked through Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico.

JvB was educated in public schools. He matriculated at Washington University in 1938. He became president of SAE and played varsity football. The coach got him a Structural Bridge, Steel and Iron-Workers union card. During the summer months JvB worked as a punk hauling coal for forges perched high-up on steel-girders - buildings being constructed for the war effort. As experienced men were drafted into the Sea-Bees JvB quickly graduated to rivet-bucker and finally riveter. Either you conquered your fear and walked the beams or you quit. The other option was a long way down. At the University JvB was in the Liberal Arts program. He enrolled in art classes where he learned that Marxist/Liberal concepts dominated the program. Anatomy studies were discarded along with perspective, drawing and old master techniques. Western Culture was replaced by “expressionism.” We see the results today in expensive art produced by monkeys, elephants, Pollack and pianists who play with their elbows.

JvB changed directions, graduating with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Journalism. The following day he was inducted into the U.S. Naval Reserve. As an Ensign he was shipped overseas in 1943 to “destroy the German disease,” just as his family before him had been sent to “save the world for Democracy.” JvB became a PT-boat captain, serving in the Med and Pacific theaters. He was honorably discharged in March 1946 as a Lieutenant with 3-battle stars and a Commendation from Admiral Hewitt. While in the service JvB painted watercolors of the passing scene.

JvB moved to New York City in 1947. He studied figure painting at the Central Park School of Art, located on Madison Ave at 57th Street, Manhattan. To make ends meet he worked in a bank vault at night. He attempted to crack into the newspaper business but all doors were closed to conservatives. Instead, he found a job in big-league advertising on Madison Avenue where he started as paste-up boy at $35 per week. He attended evening classes at the Art Student’s League where he studied color and design under Howard Trafton. At that time the so-called “Holocaust” burst upon the scene. JvB was asked to change his German name by several companies during his 20-years New York career. Eric Sloane (Heinrichs) advised JvB to do as he had, “You’ll never make it in New York if you don’t.”

JvB exhibited his easel paintings at the Commodore Hotel, Hotel Biltmore, Abercrombie & Fitch, and the Eastside Gallery. He illustrated for Wm. Morrow Publishers, and for two art studios. As an agency art-director JvB was asked to create story-boards for television. This took him to the set where he learned film techniques. Eventually he became an advertising executive film- producer-director and eventually producer director for two prominent film/tape production companies.

In 1951 JvB and Patricia Beverley-Giddings were married. Her father, creative director and novelist, was a Sandhurst graduate and an RFC pursuit-pilot, WWI. He survived being shot down by von Richtofen’s Flying Circus. During WWII he was a member of British Intelligence. Bev owned a manor house on Maryland’s Eastern Shore where the family gathered for holidays and for the shooting season. Tidewater country presented a wealth of subject matter ranging from watermen and their rigs to sporting scenes, and scapes. This was grist for JVB’s paint brush. In 1951 Patricia gave birth to a baby boy, Jim “Bim” von Brunn. Pat was unable to have any more children. Bim attended the Church of Heavenly Rest, and Trinity, in NYC; the Country School, in Easton; St. Andrews prep-school, and University of Miami, Florida.

While in New York, Gen. Pedro del Valle, Gen. Mac Arthur’s commander of Artillery in Korea, presented JvB with John O. Beatty’s famous, “Iron Curtain Over America.” This book had a tremendous affect upon JvB’s life and career. Von Brunn became an historical-revisionist, committed to the belief that the true histories of WWI and WWII had been hidden from the American People.

JvB moved to Easton, MD where he established an advertising agency. He was elected president of the Academy of the Arts. His friend Lee Lawrie, renowned sculptor, was co-founder of the Academy. Meanwhile JvB’s political posture placed a burden on his marriage. Patricia and JvB parted company. The divorce was a tragedy for all concerned.

On his 48th birthday JvB, at a local bistro, celebrated his acquisition of the City of Cambridge Economic Development account. JvB had a few beers with friends at the Cambridge bar where they watched a TV broadcast of a Yankee baseball game. A newscaster suddenly interrupted to announce Lyndon Johnson’s nomination of Abe Fortas to Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. JvB made an unfavorable comment about Fortas, which drew a crude response from a prominent Jewish business man. A few minutes later JvB saw this guy in the mirror sneaking up. When he swung JvB ducked, turned around and knocked the guy to the floor. Shortly, thereafter JvB was arrested. One thing led to another and a fight broke out with the police.

At the trial the brilliant Gen. Pedro del Vallee, testified in JvB’s behalf. This infuriate the jury and the Judge, who’s chief accomplishment was a lucrative speed-trap operation on Route 50. JvB was convicted of resisting arrest, drunken driving, etc., all highly exaggerated, and sentenced to two-years in jail. He lost his driver’s license. The business man who started the fight never appeared in court and disappeared into the woodwork. Shortly thereafter Abe Fortas was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to 5-years in a country-club prison. He served 1.5 years and, like Boesky and Miliken, kept most of the loot.

Von Brunn - when he wasn’t with the road-gang maintaining the judge’s home and grounds with State-owned material - completed the design and copy for a 4-color brochure produced for Frank Perdue, the chicken king. JvB also painted the harbor as seen through the barred window of his cell. Fortuitously von Brunn developed a serious staph infection in the nape of his neck. Doctors persuaded the Judge to release him. Upon recovery von Brunn migrated to Florida where he became a real-estate broker and stock-broker. While there JvB painted Florida scapes, cloud formations, and a few portraits. He exhibited at Las Olas Galleries.

With money earned in Florida Real Estate, JvB took his new bride, Pat Taylor, twenty years his junior, a night-club singer, and her young daughter to California. In 1975, JvB purchased 10-acres of pasture east of Redding near Mt. Lassen, with a view of Mt. Shasta, and the Sacramento River valley.

JvB and his friend Florence Robnett, 83, former Dean of Women at Northwestern University and native Cornhusker, cooperated to build a home which JvB designed, containing the amenities plus an art studio, music room, large library and office space. Florence and JVB published a paper-back, “Zionist Rape of the Holy Land” (formerly titled “Conquest Through Immigration”) written by George Robnett, deceased, with the Forward by Millar Burrows, Dean Emeritus, Yale Divinity School, and illustrated by von Brunn. JvB received several threatening telephone calls warning him not to distribute the book. Meanwhile Pat gave birth to a baby boy, they called Erik.

While giving the baby his bottle at 2 AM, JvB looked through the window into the pasture. The moon-mist was bathed in a red glow. He rushed outside to find the roof was ablaze. The house, which they had lived in for only 4-months, burned to the ground. The mournful chord of the grand piano crashing into the basement and the shriek of the quarter horse are sounds not easily forgotten. A neighbor told von Brunn that he had gone outside to quiet his boar-hounds He heard what sounded like the pop of a flare-gun, then car doors slamming and a car squealing down the black-top. But no evidence was ever discovered to prove arson. Florence died soon thereafter of shock.

Fearing for his family’s safety, JvB returned to Maryland where he devised a scheme to expose his enemies. He planned and conducted a legal, non-violent, citizens arrest of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, in Washington, D.C. He accused them of treason. The FED, a private corporation, conceived by the Rothschilds, had financed the construction of manufacturing plants in the USSR that produced war materials used against U.S. forces fighting in Korea and Viet Nam. Money is the source of all power. JvB was convicted for attempted kidnapping, robbery, burglary, carrying a weapon (not loaded), etc, in a kangaroo court. JvB served 6.5-years of an 11-year sentence. While in federal prison JvB designed brochures, etc., and painted three large murals (18 x 35) and many portraits.

In 1989 JvB was released from prison with $50. and shoes 2-sizes too big. His sister Alyce, dependable and staunch as a rock, provided him a place to reside in her duplex. His wife remarried. His two sons live out-of-state but telephone frequently and visit from time to time. Pusillanimous Eastonians, hiding behind political correctness refuse to display JvB’s paintings, nor will they engage in business with him. However, von Brunn continues to exhibit under assumed names away from the Shore.

In small towns across America the blind and cowardly scramble, push and shove getting and spending while their homes are burning and their complexions grow progressively darker.

Von Brunn paints and plots.

**This biography from the Archives of AskART:
 
The following is from the artist (Submitted 2002):

James W. von Brunn (JvB)

Born: 7-11-20 in St. Louis, Missouri

Studio: Easton, MD
Subjects: Scapes, Portraits, Illustrations, Graphics

Style: Realist

Methods: Oil, mixed media.

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