Mr Charles E Cooper

Charles E. Cooper Studio.

The Charles E. Cooper Studio was a global empire of artistic creativity.

The story of this global empire starts with the Civil War. The publishing industry made the Civil War a showpiece of modern warfare for the whole world. Magazines like Harper’s and Leslie's hired illustrators to go into the field and use drawings to help tell the story of the War to the American public, and also the whole world. The popularity of these magazines exploded to end up decades later as publishing empires.

These illustrators used drawings to entertain the Public like photographs could not, not even with today's technology. When it came to entertaining the Public with stories and images, illustrations, the Civil War catapulted the publishing industry in the U.S. into the lead that would only increase after the war. After the War the publishing industry used illustrators to entertain the public with drama, mystery, intrigue of the Indian Wars, Wild West, Gold Rushes, Cattle Drives... Railroads... to continue to entertain much of the world like the magazines of no other nation could.

By the early 1900s the publishing industry in the U.S. had made the professional illustrator belong to the most lucrative profession in History. Established illustrators were more famous, popular and wealthy than any Movie Star or Rock Star is today. Illustrators like Thomas Nast (1840-1902) were so influential that they could do what no police system could: bring corrupt politicians like Boss Tweed to justice. Some Illustrators became so popular and influential that they could determine the outcome of elections. Never in the history of the world have a group of professionals had such popularity, power and political clout.

Just like doctors were forced to specialize with the advances in Medicine so too illustrators were forced to specialize as the publishing industry turned into empires, like with the name “William Randolph Hearst” (1863 – 1951). In the same way specialized doctors joined clinics to provide their services so too illustrators started to join studios, Illustration Agencies, as an efficient and effective means to provide their services to the publishing industry. And what Harvard and Yale and Princeton combined is to academics  the Charles E. Cooper Studio was to illustration/art.

While the publishing industry in the U.S. was still far ahead of the rest of the world entertaining the public with stories and illustrations the Charles E. Cooper Studio was to the illustration/art business globally what William Randolph Hearst was to the publishing industry nationally.  What the New York Yankees were to the national sport of baseball, at the height of their dynasty, the Charles E. Cooper Studio was to art and illustration globally.

Charles E. Cooper worked like a magnet to attract the best artists in the world and business followed.  He was a superb businessman who took care of his artists needs and they rewarded him by making his agency the greatest empire of artistic creativity the world will see.

His artists were the best because they catered to the Public's tastes, needs and wants. To Charles E. Cooper the public determined creativity and his artists gave the public what they wanted.

-- geza palotas