My grandfather passed away today.

[kens bronco]

Sorry to hear about your Grandfather.

 

[half cab]

What an outstanding Grandpa! God speed.

 

[No Hay]

Sorry for your loss. Celebrating his life here with pics is a great idea.

 

[sk1nw4lk3r]

Warning; Photo dump!!!

This is just a few of the ones we have scanned in already. Some of these may be vehicles or companies you know or have heard of. Wheel City had a few cars he painted. They were a large organization here in the 60s/70s.

Here goes;

 

[tasker]

Soooooo freakin cool! Thanks for sharing these!!

 

[ford man]

Nice pic, a man with a steady hand!

 

[77Bronco636]

WOW!!!!
SUPER COOL
THANKS for sharing!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[eaglenest66]

All I can say is "WOW"! Really dig the photos of him in action. Thanks for sharing his amazing talent!

 

[rydog1130]

Your grand pops seemed like a cool dude! Thoughts your way!

 

[sanndmann3]

Awesome pics! A real snapshot in time. Very talented man who had an interesting life. Condolences for your loss but nice to see you are celebrating his life.

 

[fordfan]

Wow! Sorry about Grandpa, but what a talent!! Thanks so much for sharing the photos! I am a letterhead and striper myself, but the computer age of printing and cutting has been a detriment to developing the talent that Hatton had. Instead of doing a car or two and a sign or two a day by hand with quills, swords, one shot, and turpentine, now it's done on a keyboard and the look of the beautiful pictures that you just shared is a lost art buried in the past. I can't say that I have seen or heard of any young person anywhere that even remotely knows how to do this by hand. I still see a few old dudes that go to the letterhead conventions that have the skill....

Thanks so much for sharing those inspirational memorials!

 

[half cab]

Wow...simply amazing

 

[Bukin 67]

Wow, rare old school talent you don't see anymore, or rarely at best. I'm sorry for your loss, but glad he went so peacefully. Thanks for sharing some of his work. Somehow it brings back to the days I miss.

Sent from my SM-T813 using Tapatalk

 

[LUBr LuvR]

How lucky you are to have a Grandpa that cool! Is that you in the custom-flamed pedal car? Treasure all the time you shared and the memories. I bet he was proud of your appreciation for classic trucks and vehicles. Thank you for sharing these photos of his amazing talent, and sincerest condolences on your loss.

 

[bronkenn]

Sorry to hear about your Grandfather. Looks like he was blessed with a full life. Those pictures sure bring us back to earlier times. I lived in Michigan for the first 50 years of my life and I remember some of those businesses on the side of the cars he painted/striped. I spent a lot of money at Ramchargers and Gratiot Auto Supply. Thanks for sharing, Ken

 

[No Hay]

Excellent tribute to your Grandfather!

What good and simpler times.

 

[sk1nw4lk3r]

How lucky you are to have a Grandpa that cool! Is that you in the custom-flamed pedal car? Treasure all the time you shared and the memories. I bet he was proud of your appreciation for classic trucks and vehicles. Thank you for sharing these photos of his amazing talent, and sincerest condolences on your loss.

Not me, my uncle.

I do have a mailbox at my house that he flamed, and a bunch of his old signage on the wall in my barn.

He taught me to stripe a little. I can do it, but not nearly as well. I'm a southpaw, so it was tough to convert that skill from him to me, because we do things backwards.

I'll post more photos when we get time to get them scanned in. He had photos of just about every vehicle he did. Just gotta find the albums now.

I'm only 31. I didn't get to live in the timeframe he did, but I did get to grow up in the culture.

Unfortunately, that culture is dying. I am the Sales Manager at a Ford Dealer. We have a stripe guy that comes through the lot and puts pinstripes on cars... tape stickers. I can watch them pinstripe 10 cars in an hour. I remember my grandfather spending an entire day to do a single car.

Better days.

 

[FRANKO289]

wow ...what a rare truck that is .... now w. that paintwork that thing would go for nuts money at Barrett Jackson !!

very cool !!!

thanks for posting all the photos !!

 

[MeanMrMustardMarkIV]

Hello.. I recently purchased my vintage 1972 Continental Mark IV, and upon researching the signatures on the hood, I discovered that the signature belongs to your grandfather. Your grandfather‘s work is on nearly every body panel of my car, the hood, trunk, fenders and wheel wells. I’m sorry for your loss, but very happy my car was touched by such an artist and is part of a larger history. I’ve several posts about it on my insta / meanmustardmarkiv

 

[markatherton]

Sadly, we are losing our craftsmen, one at a time....