Kurt Werth

Kurt Werth (September 21, 1896- August 25, 1983) was a German born illustrator of children’s books.

Werth was born September 21, 1896 in Leipzig, Germany. He studied at the State Academy for the Graphic Arts in Leipzig beginning in 1913. He studied there for two years before being drafted into the German army. After his two years of service he returned to the Academy. His professor was influenced by Cezanne, although the public wasn't yet aware of the new trend of cubism in art. At the Academy, Werth studied the new graphic techniques and tried them out as illustrations of literary works. After graduating, Werth began to illustrate books, the first being Shakespeare's Troilus and Cressida which was well-received. [ [http://www.lib.usm.edu/~degrum/html/research/findaids/werth.htm USM de Grummond Collection - KURT WERTH PAPERS ] ]

Werth moved to Munich, Germany after graduating, to draw satirical cartoons for various Munich magazines. In 1928, he and his wife Margaret, a Jewish German, moved to Berlin, Germany so that she could become part of the City Theater. In Berlin, Werth continued to draw satirical cartoons for Berlin magazines.

With Hitler's increasing power, the magazines folded, and Margaret Werth, who was Jewish, was not allowed to work. In the 1939 the Werths immigrated to the United States where Werth found employment illustrating a Sunday column in the New York Times magazine. [http://nwda-db.wsulibs.wsu.edu/findaid/ark:/80444/xv63283 Guide to the Kurt Werth Papers 1896-1983 ] ]

Werth began drawing political cartoons for a wide number of U.S. magazines with a political bent once the U.S. became involved in World War II. After the war Werth began to illustrate children’s books. One of his first attempts was Rosalys Hall's "The Merry Miller." This attempt lead to many other offers for illustrating work.

Werth became a United States citizen in 1947. [http://special.lib.umn.edu/findaid/xml/CLRC-1716.xml]

Werth states, "As a German I was certainly influenced by the tradition of exact and thorough training in drawing. This goes back to Durer and even farther." He attempts to illustrate children's books in a "modern style." "Books have to be illustrated in our times. They should show the style of our times. Not all of them do it."

Kurt Werth died in New York City on August 25, 1983.

Awards

*Lewis Carroll Shelf Award in 1969 for McBroom Tells the Truth by Sid Fleischman
*Golden Kite Award in 1973 for McBroom the Rainmaker by Sid Fleischman,
*New Jersey Institute of Technology Award in 1971 for That Jefferson Boy.

Illustrated books

* The year without a Santa Claus. by Phyllis McGinley. 1957
* Molly and the giant, by Kurt Werth; Mabel Watts. 1973
* McBroom's zoo, by Sid Fleischman; Kurt Werth. 1972
* McBroom tells the truth, by Sid Fleischman; Kurt Werth. 1966
* Noodles, nitwits, and numskulls by Maria Leach; Kurt Werth. 1961
* Tony's birds. by Millicent Selsam; Kurt Werth. 1961
* A tiger called Thomas. by Charlotte Zolotow. 1963
* McBroom's Ear, by Sid Fleischman; Kurt Werth. 1969
* One dark night. by Edna Mitchell Preston; Kurt Werth. 1969
* McBroom and the big wind, by Sid Fleischman; Kurt Werth. 1967
* The thing at the foot of the bed, and other scary tales. by Maria Leach. 1959
* Dick Whittington and his cat. by Eva Moore; Kurt Werth. 1974
* The thing at the foot of the bed and other scary tales by Maria Leach; Kurt Werth. 1959
* The three beggar kings. by Rosalys Haskell Hall; Kurt Werth. 1974
* The legends of Paul Bunyan. by Roberta Strauss Feuerlicht. 1966
* Herbert's stilts, by Hazel Hutchins Wilson; Kurt Werth. 1972
* The story of San Francisco; by Charlotte E Cobden Jackson. 1955
* The newcomers; ten tales of American immigrants by Joseph Raskin; Edith Raskin; Kurt Werth. 1974
* How a piglet crashed the Christmas party, by Boris Vladimirovich Zakhoder; Kurt Werth. 1971
* Samuel Clemens. by Charles Michael Daugherty; Kurt Werth. 1970
* The monkey, the lion, and the snake, by Kurt Werth. 1967
* The luck book. by Maria Leach. 1964
* King Thrushbeard. by Kurt Werth. 1968
* That Lincoln boy. by Earl Schenck Miers; Kurt Werth. 1968
* McBroom the rainmaker, by Sid Fleischman. 1973
* Lazy Jack. by Kurt Werth. 1970
* One Mitten Lewis. by Helen Kay, pseud. 1955
* The valiant tailor, by Kurt Werth. 1965
* Once the Mullah; Persian folk tales retold by Alice Geer Kelsey. by Alice Geer Kelsey. 1954
* Hear ye of Boston. by Polly Curren; Kurt Werth. 1964

References