John Olaf Todahl
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on the sloop Leiv Eriksson off the coast of Greenland
John Olaf Todahl | |
|---|---|
 Illustration by Todahl for Red Cross Magazine, August 1918. | |
| Born | September 1, 1884 Crookston, Minnesota [1] |
| Disappeared | between August 14, 1924 and November 4, 1924 on the sloop Leiv Eriksson off the coast of Greenland |
| Status | never found |
| Occupations | Illustrator,[1] artist, newspaper cartoonist |
| Employers | Newspapers:
Magazines:
|
| Notable work | Covers of Red Cross magazine, May 1918 and August 1918 |
| Spouse | Marjorie (Atwood) Todahl[2] |
| Children | Virginia Todahl[2] |
| Parent(s) | Ole Albert Todahl[1] Mary Todahl (mother)[2][3] |
| Signature | |
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John Olaf Todahl (1884–1924) was an American illustrator and cartoonist. He worked principally as a newspaper editorial cartoonist.[3][4]
John Olaf Todahl traveled throughout his career, living on both coasts of the United States. He illustrated for newspapers in Seattle, New York and Connecticut. While in Seattle, he joined the Seattle Cartoonists' Club, an association of Seattle newspaper cartoonists, getting together outside of their newspapers for a creative and business venture. They produced The Cartoon; A Reference Book of Seattle's Successful Men (1911), a vanity cartoon book with caricatures, cartoons and photos of Seattle's wealthy and prominent citizens.[5]
He moved to the East Coast of the United States between 1911 and 1913, settling in Connecticut with his wife, Margery Todahl Blokhine, and daughter, Virginia (born 1919).[2] He also spent time in New York.
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. It featured the 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,[6][7] and the New York Tribune.
