Louis M. Glackens

Louis Glackens, William's talented older brother whose prolific career as an illustrator and pioneering cartoon animator has been overlooked until now.

Until now, the life and work of artist Louis M. Glackens (1866-1933) have been relegated to an aside within the narrative of his younger brother, artist William J. Glackens. While both brothers "drew in the cradle" it seems that Louis Glackens had the misfortune of being "born too soon." Unlike his brother, Louis Glackens chose to give his interpretation of reality through fairytale, in which the absurdity of life was captured through economy of line and an abundance of wit. For over 20 years, Louis Glackens worked as an illustrator for the satirical weekly Puck, the first widely circulated humor magazine in the United States. The artist was prolific in creating his satirical scenes, steeped in wit, combining his 'childlike' fantasies with a heavy dose of jaded cynicism. Following his tenure at Puck, Glackens became one of the first cartoon animators within the burgeoning film industry of the 1910s, creating characters for production houses such as Bray, Pathe and Sullivan Studios. His fantastical depictions of mermaids, anthropomorphic beasts and pie-faced grown-ups carved a path for what would become the wonderful world of Walt Disney. Regrettably, Louis Glackens was out of step with the fashion of his time and bore the curse of the avant-garde. As such, his vast contribution to the history of cartoons has remained largely unexplored. This monograph seizes the opportunity to reevaluate Louis Glackens' cultural contributions through the gift of hindsight and wealth of illustrations generously gifted to the Museum by The Sansom Foundation, Inc.