People
Ralph Rambo
Ralph
Rambo seated at his desk, c. 1935.Ralph Rambo served as principle graphic artist and Art Director for Muirson Label Company for almost fifty years. His style and temperament pervaded all of the artwork created by Muirson for its customers throughout the nation. Rambo did not think of himself as a born artist, but the quality of his work, and that of the artists under his direction, speaks for itself.
Rambo was born in San José in 1894 and grew up on a prune orchard near present-day Cupertino. He graduated from Santa Clara High school in 1912; a few years later he married Katherine Coker, with whom he raised two sons. In 1916, Rambo’s career with Muirson began when he was hired to work in the foundry for a wage of $7 for a 48-hour workweek. His stint in the production side of the business lasted about one year, until George Muirson heard that he had “faint traces of art ability” and re-assigned him to work with E.W. Barnes, the hand engraver.
From Barnes, Rambo learned the difficult and now-lost art of hand-stippling. Rambo taught himself new engraving methods as they appeared and established himself as the one-man Art Department for Muirson Label Company. As the company grew, the Art Department expanded to a staff of eight, but Rambo remained the creative voice behind Muirson’s distinctive style. He held the title of Art Director until his retirement in 1966.
Upon his retirement, Rambo took up a second career as the Santa Clara Valley’s honorary “nostalgician”, creating artistic works that chronicled the anecdotal and remembered history of the Valley of Heart’s Delight. He died in 1990, having watched the Valley transform from an agricultural haven to a high-tech mecca.
