Charles Lewis Bartholomew (February 10, 1869 – February 15, 1949) was an American

editorial cartoonist An editorial cartoonist, also known as a political cartoonist, is an artist who draws editorial cartoons that contain some level of political or social commentary. Their cartoons are used to convey and question an aspect of daily news or current ...

, more commonly known as "Bart". He is most well known for his daily cartoons published by the ''

Minneapolis Journal ''The Minnesota Star Tribune'', formerly the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023, it is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the seventh-largest in the United States by circula ...

''.

Early life and career

Bartholomew was born February 10, 1869, in

Chariton, Iowa Chariton ( ) is a city in, and the county seat of, Lucas County, Iowa, United States. The population was 4,193 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. Chariton is the primary distribution center for and the former corporate headquarters ...

to Col. Orion A. and Mary Smith Bartholomew. He attended the

Iowa State College Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State be ...

, graduating with a bachelor's in science, and meeting his future wife, Ella Louise Henderson. He began working as a reporter for the ''Minneapolis Journal'' before becoming one of the first daily editorial cartoonists in the world in the late 1890s. From 1899 to 1915, he produced an editorial cartoon almost every day, usually published on the front page. His cartoons were reproduced in newspapers around the world, as well as the American and European ''

Review of Reviews The ''Review of Reviews'' was a noted family of monthly journals founded in 1890–1893 by British reform journalist William Thomas Stead (1849–1912). Established across three continents in London (1891), New York (1892) and Melbourne (1893), ...

''. The subject of his cartoons ran the gamut from the

Spanish–American War The Spanish–American War (April 21 – August 13, 1898) was fought between Restoration (Spain), Spain and the United States in 1898. It began with the sinking of the USS Maine (1889), USS ''Maine'' in Havana Harbor in Cuba, and resulted in the ...

to local Minnesota politics and weather. During his time at the ''Journal'', he also drew a number of Saturday cartoon strips, and worked as a children's book illustrator. BART cartoon 1908

Later career and death

After retiring from the ''Minneapolis Journal'', Bartholomew became the dean of the Federal School of Illustrating and Cartooning, where he give large lecture-style

chalk talks A chalk talk is an illustrated performance in which the speaker draws pictures to emphasize lecture points and create a memorable and entertaining experience for listeners. Chalk talks differ from other types of illustrated talks in their use of ...

for students and everyday citizens. The Federal School of Illustrating and Cartooning is now better known as

Art Instruction Schools Art Instruction Schools, better known to many as Art Instruction, Inc., was a home study correspondence course providing training in cartooning and illustration. The company was located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. History The school was found ...

, famous for its Draw Me! advertisements on matchbooks and in magazines. In addition to his lectures, Bartholomew organized Bart Supplies art supply store, wrote and edited a dozen textbooks on illustrating and cartooning, and authored six illustrated children's books. He died on February 15, 1949, in Minneapolis.Minnesota Historical Society, Minnesota Death Certificates Index. CERTID# 1949-MN-019151

Bibliography

* ''Cartoons of the Spanish–American War'' by Bart. Minneapolis, Minn.: The Journal printing company 1899. *''Chalk Talk and Crayon Presentation; a Handbook of Practice and Performance in Pictorial Expression of Ideas''. Chicago : Frederick J. Drake and Co., 1922. * ''Expansion, Being Bart's Best Cartoons for 1899: Taken from the Minneapolis Journal''. 1900. * ''Illustrating and Cartooning''. 1923. With Joseph Almars. * ''Modern Illustrating: Including Cartooning''. 1927. With Joseph Almars. *''Prairie Gold''. Chicago : The Reilly & Britton Co.,1917. *''A World of Trouble.'' Minneapolis, Minn. : Journal Print. Co., 1901

References

External links

*
Billy Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum Art Database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bartholomew, Charles L. 1869 births 1949 deaths American editorial cartoonists American comics artists People from Chariton, Iowa American children's book illustrators Iowa State University alumni