John Olaf Todahl

John Olaf Todahl

Illustration by John Olaf Todahl for Red Cross Magazine, August 1918. Other issue with his artwork was May 1918.
Born September 1, 1884
Crookston, Minnesota [1]
Disappeared between August 14, 1924 and November 4, 1924
on the sloop Lief Ericson off the coast of Greenland
Status never found
Residence Milford, Connecticut[1][2]
Nationality USA
Occupation Illustrator,[1] artist, newspaper cartoonist
Employer

Newspapers:

  • New York Tribune
  • Bridgeport Standard

Magazines:

  • Red Cross Magazine
Notable work Covers of Red Cross magazine, May 1918 and August 1918
Spouse(s) Marjorie (Atwood) Todahl[2]
Children Virginia Todahl[2]
Parent(s)

Ole Albert Todahl[1]

Mary Todahl (mother)[2][3]
Signature

John Olaf Todahl (1884–1924) was a newspaper cartoonist who lived on both coasts of the United States and who died at sea, lost off Greenland.[3][4] Todahl traveled throughout his career, illustrating for newspapers Seattle, New York and Connecticut.

While in Seattle, he joined the Seattle Cartoonists' Club in their creation of the 1911 book The Cartoon; A Reference Book of Seattle's Successful Men. The club was an association of Seattle̓s newspaper cartoonists, getting together outside of their newspapers for a creative and business venture. They produced a vanity cartoon book with caricatures, cartoons and photos of Seattle's wealthy.

He moved to the East Coast of the United States between 1911 and 1913, settling in Connecticut with his wife, Marjorie, and daughter, Virginia.[2] He also spent time in New York.

A painting in the New York Tribune to illustrate a marine battle during World War I by artist John Olaf Todahl, published February 6, 1919. Originally in color, but in black and white here due to its preservation.

After he moved to the east coast, he began to have success branching out into other areas of illustration. The work that he is remembered for today is a painting he did for the Red Cross during World War I in May 1918, a picture of a medic caring for a wounded soldier, signaling for help. He did a second cover for the Red Cross in August 1918, a soldier carrying a wounded military service dog. His other works were of marine themes, of military ships at sea, struggling with the elements and fighting. Though he moved into magazines, he continued to make a living from news illustrations, including the Bridgeport Standard in the Connecticut town where he lived,[5][6] and the New York Tribune.

Final artistic venture

Trip to Nordic country

He struck a friendship with William Washburn Nutting, an author for whom he illustrated the book Cinderellas of the Fleet [7] and the two traveled together to Norway in 1924.[1] Todahl's father was Norwegian,[1] and it gave him a chance to visit his father's country and paint the "marine scenes along the rugged coast of Norway".[3]

Voyage home from Norway

In Norway, Nutting bought a boat, and the two (along with author Hildebrand) decided to sail the boat from Bergen, Norway back to the North American Continent, along the path that the Vikings took. The recreation of the Viking trail to America was reported in the newspapers to be "the first voyage over that tossing, ice-choked northern path in a boat so small since the Vikings sailed their dragon ships to Vinland".[8] That account ignored the Viking ship reenactment that sailed from Norway to the United States in 1893.

This final artistic voyage, on a ship named for Leif Ericson, ended in a combination of seaborne ice and a winter hurricane sometime between August and November 1924.[3][4]

Caricature of John Olaf Todahl, done by one of the members of the Seattle Cartoonists' Club for the club's 1911 book about famous Seattleites. The men chose to illustrate themselves as pirates.
John Olaf Todahl's most commonly reproduced work today, the cover of Red Cross Magazine, issue May 1918.

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Ancestry.com. Application for Passport. May 15, 1924
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 Ancestry.com. 1920 United States Federal Census; Census Place: Milford, New Haven, Connecticut; Roll: T625_190; Page: 32A; Enumeration District: 493; Image: 780; Lines 2-7
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Seattle Daily Times, 1924-11-04. Page 14. Seeks lost Norsemen: American cruiser sails for North Atlantic, Seattle Man one of three aboard sailing sloop missing off Greenland.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Seattle Daily Times. 1924-11-19. Page 19, Column 7, top. Missing sloop hits hurricane.
  5. ↑ 1913 City Directory Bridgeport, Connecticut.
  6. ↑ 1914 City Directory Bridgeport, Connecticut.
  7. ↑ William Washburn Nutting. Cinderellas of the Fleet. Pub by The Standard Motor Construction Company, Trenton, New Jersey. Title page.
  8. ↑ Winston-Salem Journal, 1924-11-23, page 31, top of page, first two columns. Spouse of Lost Explorer Slow to Give Up Hope For Safety.