Hordes of expressive little folks doing stuff in postwar booze ads

A delightful post on Phil Are Go! looks at the postwar Calvert Reserve ads, boozy portraits of suburban life populated by a surprising number of expressive little people doing surprising things.

Calvert wanted to be the official drink of the relaxed, fun-loving suburbs, so they commissioned this illustration of idealized suburban Americana as their image of recommended sophistication. Who'd they commission? I can't tell. Somebody whose initials seem to be "CB". The Research and Googling team came up empty-browsered after a rigorous three-page search for the identity of this artist. Reader assistance is appreciated.
Even though the figures in the illustration are really small, there's a lot of personality and expressiveness to be found. You just have to skillfully arrange the character's silhouette. The first thing I notice is the sense of urgency in all the little people who need to get to the party. How did the artist do that? Well, Wwhen people are hurrying comically, they bend at the waist in a kind of rushed hunch. It makes it obvious that they really need to get where they're going. This Calvert-fueled party is THE place to be!

Calvert Reserve - Country for old men

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MORE: ad • booze • History • Old school

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KaiBeezy

could CB be none other than
Chesley Bonestell?
.
early in his career
he was an architect and architectural illustrator
the style is not that far off
and he made his breakthrough into space paintings
right at the end of wwii
will investigate further
- oldtaku
  
  I’ve never seen his name associated with advertising, but these Calvert Reserve ads used to run as the back cover of some of the SciFi mags like Thrilling Wonder Stories. Searching brings up THRILLING WONDER STORIES AUGUST 1949 VOL. XXXIV NO. 3 for example.
KaiBeezy

bingo maybe
found a painting signed “CB”
http://www.cthreepo.com/bonestell_wp/cb17.jpg
any graphologists in the house?
Guest

looks like a gold-selling Sims expansion pack to me.
turtlecrk

That’s an interesting house! It appears to have a ballroom, a two-car garage, maybe a kitchen, and not much else…
- http://www.youtube.com/user/Freethinkersanon Christopher
  
  Everything else is in the elaborate bomb shelter under the house.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  It’s a club. They’re all men. And all those men are rushing to escape their wives and drink themselves into oblivion.
KaiBeezy

cory, you’ve got to have a look at
mr. smith goes to venus
.
cocktails on the space terrace
fancy hats on a spaceliner
visit venopolis
in the year 2500
high res scans
http://www.cthreepo.com/writing/bonestell-2.shtml
.
apparently bonestell did the artwork for
mr. smith goes to *washington*
might have to watch that one again
Elliot

My great grandfather was an illustrator for many magazines. His initials were “BC” for Bradshaw Crandell. He did work for Lord Calvert (same brand as Calvert) ”Over the years [the Calvert Label] sold as Lord Calvert, Calvert Special, Calvert Reserve, Calvert Extra, and a 100% Canadian version called Lord Calvert Canadian.” At the bottom of this page,
http://www.americanartarchives.com/crandell,bradshaw.htm, you can see the add. Hope this helps.
- digi_owl
  
  There is one risque cowgirl in there, me approves.
Diogenes

That’s Thomas “CB” Kinkade, painting with light again. (He was into amateur radio when very, very young).
pjcamp

Calvert: the homoerotic whiskey.