Rambo, Francis Ralph
Francis Ralph Rambo (May 16, 1894 - May 19, 1990) was a graphic artist, cartoonist, and historian based in San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley in California. A native of the region, Rambo was born when the area still retained a touch of the frontier spirit, and he grew up on his family's prune orchard. Rambo worked for fifty years at the Muirson Label Company from the 1910s to 1960s, spending most of that time as the firm's principal graphic artist and Art Director. He remained very active in retirement, drawing satirical cartoons rooted in local history for local newspapers. He also published over a dozen books on local history, often with his own illustrations, ranging from studiously researched academic works to light-hearted books for a popular audience. He began by writing up personal memories of his childhood that he had compiled for his grandchildren to tell them about life in San Jose c. 1900. From there, he conducted additional research on the region's history, resulting in his impressive oeuvre.
Heady History of San Jose and Silicon Valley.
This is a lively 1962 F. Ralph Rambo pictorial historical view of the Santa Clara Valley, including San Jose, the southern portion of the San Francisco Peninsula, and much of today's Silicon Valley. Recounting numerous incidents and characters from local history, the view is characteristic of Rambo's style, and is accentuated by the maker's signature at the bottom-right. (more details)