Emil Weiss
Encyclopedia
Emil Weiss Illustrator, one of the last “press artists” (that old journalistic specialty superseded by photography, which is undoubtedly faster and perhaps more literally accurate, but seldom as penetrating.)
, then part of Austria-Hungary
, now in the Czech Republic
and trained as an architect in Vienna
. In Prague
of the 1920s, he ran a triple studio: 1. As cartoonist
having fun in the newspapers. 2. As commercial artist doing advertising. His very Art-déco posters are on display at the Prague Museum of Applied Arts, where reproductions are on sale as posters and even as miniatures on matchbox covers. 3. As architect
. His style was very Art-déco
, severely geometrical, with rounded corners, un-decorated, handcrafted of finest materials. All went fine until the Depression and then Hitler destroyed that whole world.
In 1938 he sought refuge in Britain
, but was denied a working permit until the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia, whereupon his status changed from visitor to refugee. His personal version of English and his European drawing style made it difficult to find work so at 43 he started from zero. He did whatever he could during those difficult years: wartime propaganda posters… illustrations for Czech publications… portrait sketches for the Daily Telegraph… then he met Rose Fyleman
, author of children's books and poetry, who was doing a serial for the children's page of the Christian Science Monitor in Boston
. He illustrated the weekly segments for her and that led him to Saville Davis, then the Monitor’s London correspondent, who appointed him their London visual reporter. There he covered international events such as the 1946 conference in Lancaster House where the United Nations
was born. In 1948 he emigrated to the US and became the Monitor’s artist-reporter covering national events and politicians both on assignment as well as freelance until his death in 1965.
One of his favorite haunts was the UN in New York, where he was often mistaken for a delegate, with his gracious old-world manner, bow tie, and homburg hat. Thus diplomatically camouflaged, he blended into the background, where he would scribble surreptitious notes on any scrap of paper he found in his pocket. Incredibly quickly he caught and pinned down the personal characteristics of his distinguished subjects by their stance and body language. He then scooted back to his studio where he deftly traced the scribbles using his unique dry-brush technique of ink on vellum paper… identified the scene in his somewhat inventive spelling… tossed it in an envelope and rushed to catch the Monitor’s Boston pouch. The drawings bear the working notes of an artist-reporter under deadline. It was not a highly lucrative profession, but he loved its immediacy, its glamor, and the fun of revealing people.
His portrait gallery of some thousand drawings of international personalities is a historic microcosm of the mid-20th Century. Some drawings are straight reportage, some slyly satirical, all expose his victims’ singularity. Aside from his portraits, the Monitor published pages’-worth of his article-illustrations as well as sketches from his travels—many from Austria—for which The President of Austria
awarded him their Golden Badge of Honor in 1964.
Illustrator of some 40 children's books (originals now in the Kerlan Collection
of the University of Minnesota Library) he illustrated Harper & Row’s young readers’ edition of JFK’s Profiles in Courage; [Emily Cheney Neville|Emily Neville’s] 1964 [Newbery Medal|Newbery medal winner] It’s like this, cat
, Harper & Row, 1963. He was author of My Studio Sketchboook, Marsland, London 1948; with Karla Weiss the children's cookbook Let’s have a party, Bruce, London, 1946; as well as Slavische Märchen, Schweizer Druck und Verlagshaus, Zürich, 1952.
A gentle, funny, trusting, hopelessly impractical humanist, he was also childishly superstitious: believed that if you pronounced the name of a medicine with a Latin accent, its effective strength increased. For lower back pain he advised a sheet of red flannel folded in half and draped over a string that wrapped around the waist. Any other color than red was useless. Tucking it inside the pants would shield the wearer from “looking like a a truck with a red flag waving behind.” Fortunately his wife, Karla, graduate of the Prague Music Academy
, was more practical. She enabled him to do what he simply had to do: to draw. He was never without a pencil in his hand unless he was holding his brush, in which case the pencil was held in his mouth.
He is buried in Mt.Pleasant Cemetery, Hawthorne, New York.
Biography
He was born in MoraviaMoravia
Moravia is a historical region in Central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, and one of the former Czech lands, together with Bohemia and Silesia. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region...
, then part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, now in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and trained as an architect in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
. In Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
of the 1920s, he ran a triple studio: 1. As cartoonist
Cartoonist
A cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
having fun in the newspapers. 2. As commercial artist doing advertising. His very Art-déco posters are on display at the Prague Museum of Applied Arts, where reproductions are on sale as posters and even as miniatures on matchbox covers. 3. As architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
. His style was very Art-déco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
, severely geometrical, with rounded corners, un-decorated, handcrafted of finest materials. All went fine until the Depression and then Hitler destroyed that whole world.
In 1938 he sought refuge in Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, but was denied a working permit until the Nazis invaded Czechoslovakia, whereupon his status changed from visitor to refugee. His personal version of English and his European drawing style made it difficult to find work so at 43 he started from zero. He did whatever he could during those difficult years: wartime propaganda posters… illustrations for Czech publications… portrait sketches for the Daily Telegraph… then he met Rose Fyleman
Rose Fyleman
Rose Amy Fyleman was an English writer and poet, noted for her works on the fairy folk, for children. Her poem There are fairies at the bottom of our garden was set to music by English composer Liza Lehmann...
, author of children's books and poetry, who was doing a serial for the children's page of the Christian Science Monitor in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
. He illustrated the weekly segments for her and that led him to Saville Davis, then the Monitor’s London correspondent, who appointed him their London visual reporter. There he covered international events such as the 1946 conference in Lancaster House where the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
was born. In 1948 he emigrated to the US and became the Monitor’s artist-reporter covering national events and politicians both on assignment as well as freelance until his death in 1965.
One of his favorite haunts was the UN in New York, where he was often mistaken for a delegate, with his gracious old-world manner, bow tie, and homburg hat. Thus diplomatically camouflaged, he blended into the background, where he would scribble surreptitious notes on any scrap of paper he found in his pocket. Incredibly quickly he caught and pinned down the personal characteristics of his distinguished subjects by their stance and body language. He then scooted back to his studio where he deftly traced the scribbles using his unique dry-brush technique of ink on vellum paper… identified the scene in his somewhat inventive spelling… tossed it in an envelope and rushed to catch the Monitor’s Boston pouch. The drawings bear the working notes of an artist-reporter under deadline. It was not a highly lucrative profession, but he loved its immediacy, its glamor, and the fun of revealing people.
His portrait gallery of some thousand drawings of international personalities is a historic microcosm of the mid-20th Century. Some drawings are straight reportage, some slyly satirical, all expose his victims’ singularity. Aside from his portraits, the Monitor published pages’-worth of his article-illustrations as well as sketches from his travels—many from Austria—for which The President of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
awarded him their Golden Badge of Honor in 1964.
Illustrator of some 40 children's books (originals now in the Kerlan Collection
Kerlan Award
The Kerlan Award is a literary award given by the University of Minnesota's Kerlan Collection, a special library focusing on children's literature. Many awards focus on the finished product, but the Kerlan Award is given based on the creative process...
of the University of Minnesota Library) he illustrated Harper & Row’s young readers’ edition of JFK’s Profiles in Courage; [Emily Cheney Neville|Emily Neville’s] 1964 [Newbery Medal|Newbery medal winner] It’s like this, cat
It's Like This, Cat
It's Like This, Cat is a novel written by Emily Cheney Neville that won the Newbery Medal for excellence in American children's literature in 1964.-Plot summary:...
, Harper & Row, 1963. He was author of My Studio Sketchboook, Marsland, London 1948; with Karla Weiss the children's cookbook Let’s have a party, Bruce, London, 1946; as well as Slavische Märchen, Schweizer Druck und Verlagshaus, Zürich, 1952.
A gentle, funny, trusting, hopelessly impractical humanist, he was also childishly superstitious: believed that if you pronounced the name of a medicine with a Latin accent, its effective strength increased. For lower back pain he advised a sheet of red flannel folded in half and draped over a string that wrapped around the waist. Any other color than red was useless. Tucking it inside the pants would shield the wearer from “looking like a a truck with a red flag waving behind.” Fortunately his wife, Karla, graduate of the Prague Music Academy
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague is a university level school of music, dance, drama, film, TV and multi-media studies.- Faculties :*Film and TV School - FAMU*Music Faculty - HAMU*Theatre Faculty - DAMU-Notable alumni:...
, was more practical. She enabled him to do what he simply had to do: to draw. He was never without a pencil in his hand unless he was holding his brush, in which case the pencil was held in his mouth.
He is buried in Mt.Pleasant Cemetery, Hawthorne, New York.