Harold von Schmidt

Harold von Schmidt (1893-1982) was an American illustrator known for his historical scenes. Born in Alameda, California to a the son of th clipper ship captain, Von Schmidt was orphaned at the age of five. He was raised by my grandfather, who had been a Forty-Niner, and by an aunt who recognigzie his artistic talent. By age eighteen, Von Schmidt had enrolled at the California College of Arts and Crafts, and by age 20 he had published his first cover illustration in Sunset magazine. He studied at the San Francisco Art Institute from 1915 to 1918 during which time he also worked at the Foster and Kleiser commercial art company and did several paintings for the US Navy. In 1924, Von Schmidt moved to New York to study with Harvey Dunn at the Grand Central Art School. From this time on, his illustration career blossomed, and his work frequently appeared in Saturday Evening Post, Cosmopolitan, Colliers, American, and other magazines. Although most of his work was illustration, Von Schmidt did execute non-commercial work on commission, including Gold Rush-themed murals for the California Governor’s Office, and Civil War paintings for the US Military Academy at West Point. During the Second World War, Von Schmidt worked as an artist correspondent for King Features Syndicate. In 1948, he was selected as a founding faculty member at the Famous Artists School in Westport, Connecticut.