A. Richard Mansir (1932–) Biography

Born 1932, in New York, NY; Education: Attended Cleveland Institute of Art, Ohio State University, and Western Reserve University; Cranbrook Academy of Art, graduate.

Career

Writer and art director. Ameron Corp., Pasadena, CA, advertising manager; freelance art director.

Writings

SELF-ILLUSTRATED

A Modeler's Guide to Hull Construction, Moonraker Publications (Dana Point, CA), 1980.

A Modeler's Guide to Rigging, Moonraker Publications (Dana Point, CA), 1981.

Planking Model Ships: A Step-by-Step Procedure for Beginning and Advanced Modelers, 1982.

A Modeler's Guide to Ancient and Medical Ships to 1650, Aero Publishers (Fallbrook, CA), 1982.

The Art of Ship Modeling, 1983, revised as How to Build Ship Models: A Beginner's Guide, Aero Publishers (Fallbrook, CA), 1988.

How to Model Small Boats: Moonraker Workbook, 1983.

(With Henry Bridenbeck) A Scratch Modeler's Log, Aero Publishers (Fallbrook, CA), 1984.

(Author of annotation) William Bligh, The Journal of Bounty's Launch, Kittiwake Publications (Los Angeles, CA), 1989.

Quest for the Northeast Passage, Kittiwake Publications (Los Angeles, CA), 1989.

Build a Wells Fargo Stagecoach, Charlesbridge (Water-town, MA), 1999.

Stagecoach: The Ride of a Century, Charlesbridge (Water-down, MA), 1999.

Work in Progress

Qoya, a Novel of Colonial Peru; Mary Ann and the Clipper Ship.

Sidelights

A. Richard Mansir told SATA: "The advertising industry provided me a living for some years, though my heart wasn't in it. I wanted to write and publish, which I finally began to do full time in 1989 with my "Moon-raker" books for ship modelers. Maritime history interest spread into history in general, which inspired illustrations of past events to accompany my books."