Biography David Low (cartoonist)




1 biography

1.1 life
1.2 career
1.3 move england
1.4 world war ii
1.5 remainder of career
1.6 personal life





biography
early life

ye madde designer, 1935


the son of chemist david brown low , jane caroline flanagan, david low born in dunedin on 7 april 1891, , attended primary school there. family later moved christchurch, low briefly attended christchurch boys high school. following death of eldest brother, low taken out of school, parents believed had been weakened on studying. low s first cartoon published in 1902, when 11 years old, three-picture strip in british comic big budget.


early career

low began career professional cartoonist canterbury times in 1910. in 1911 moved sydney, australia join bulletin. during employment @ bulletin, low became known 1916 cartoon satirising billy hughes, prime minister of australia, entitled imperial conference. after success, low published many cartoons depicting hughes forceful , eccentric personality. hughes not impressed , apparently called low bastard face. collection of low s cartoons of hughes entitled billy book, published in 1918, brought low notice of henry cadbury, part-owner of london star. in 1919 cadbury offered low job star, low promptly accepted.


move england

in england, low worked @ london star 1919 1927. london star sympathised own moderately left-wing views. in 1927, accepted invitation max aitken join conservative evening standard on strict understanding there no editorial interference output. low produced numerous cartoons austrian civil war, italian invasion of ethiopia, 1936 summer olympics, spanish civil war, , other events of interwar period. worked horace thorogood produce illustrated whimsical articles on london scene, under byline low & terry .


in 1937, nazi propaganda minister joseph goebbels told british foreign secretary lord halifax british political cartoons, particularly of low s, damaging anglo-german relations. in 1937 low had produced occasional strip hit , muss (hitler , mussolini), after germany made official complaints substituted composite dictator, muzzler . after war, low said have found name in black book, list of nazis planned arrest in aftermath of invasion of great britain.


world war ii

rendezvous, 20 september 1939.


his works featured in many british history textbooks. 1 of low s famous cartoons, rendezvous, first published in evening standard on 20 september 1939. satirises cynicism lay @ heart of molotov–ribbentrop pact, depicting hitler , soviet dictator joseph stalin bowing politely before each other after joint invasion of poland, nevertheless greeting each other respectively scum of earth , bloody assassin of workers . on 1 september, germans invaded poland west and, on 17 september, soviets invaded east.


the harmony boys of 2 may 1940 depicts hitler, stalin, italian dictator benito mussolini, , spanish dictator francisco franco harmonizing , getting along quite well. when cartoon published, german invasion of soviet union still more year in future.


his satirical works met criticism in british public eye. british press called him war monger, , many citizens felt disdain depictions of appeasement.


remainder of career

low remained in united kingdom rest of career. left evening standard in 1950. same year, moved daily herald , stayed there until 1953. finally, low moved manchester guardian , there 1953.


low received knighthood in 1962 birthday honours , died @ home in london on 19 september 1963. obituary in guardian described him dominant cartoonist of western world .


a blue plaque commemorates low @ 33 melbury court, kensington.


personal life

low married madeline grieve kenning of auckland on 7 june 1920 in st. paul s church, covent garden; lived many years in golders green, north london. couple had 2 daughters: in 1939, time described low s breakfast political meeting, cartoonist, wife, , 2 young daughters threshing out news. low died on 19 september 1963. wife , daughters survived him.








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