MAYEROVITCH Harry Pen names “Henri” & “Mayo”.
Born 16 April 1910 in Montréal,
He graduated from McGill University in 1929 and became an architect and graphic artist in the 1930’s and 1940’s.
He studied the work of Honoré Daumier the great French caricaturist and print maker of the 19th century and was influenced by William Gropper the American cartoonist and painter and David Low the British based New Zealand born cartoonist.
Although an architect by profession a concern about the threat a fascism, caused him in 1936 to start submitting cartoons under the pseudonym “Henri” to various left leaning publications like Clarte, in Montréal a Communist Party of Canada publication & New Frontier a socialist-communist co-operative effort.
He expanded to contribute editorial cartoons to the Herald [Montréal], Le Jour, a Montréal liberal weekly, Authorité and other city publications.
Harry loved painting . After World War 2 broke out he did a canvas called “The War at Home” which criticized civilian apathy toward the war effort. John Grierson head of the National Film Board impressed by the picture hired Harry as Art Director of the Wartime Information Board, a position he held during 1942 to 1944. There he designed award winning posters, although he had never done any, previous to holding this position. In addition he drew occasional cartoons for the Standard [Montréal].
After the war, he returned to architecture. An exhibit of his prize winning posters was displayed at Expo 1967.
He died 16 April 2004. in Montréal.
WORK:
ILLUSTRATOR:
BOOK GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:
Content drawing:
Drawn & Quarterly v. 3. May 2000: “The Other One”: 128-129. These drawings were taken from his book The Other One (1937)
Drawn & Quarterly v. 5, August 2003: “You Gotta Go. :100-103.
POSTER:
Drawn & Quarterly v. 4, July 2001: “Harry Mayerovitch: War Posters For The National Film Board of Canada”: 81-96
SOURCE:
Article book:
Drawn & Quarterly v. 3. May 2000: 128.
Drawn& Quarterly v. 4: July 2001: “Harry Mayerovitch: War Posters For The National Film Board of Canada.” Writ., Chris Oliveros: 80-96. Based on an interview with Harry Mayerovitch.
The Hecklers. Writ. & Ed.., Peter Desbarates & Terry Mosher. McClelland & Stewart Ltd., 1979: “Mayo”: 244.
Article essay unpublished:
“Drawing The Line: Radical Cartoonists of the Thirties.” Writ., David Rosen. This was a sample chapter for a proposed book on cartoonists who worked partially or completely for alternative publications.
GALLERY
“Drawing The Line”: 10 Original publication unknown. French President Edouard Daladier and British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain are criticized for appeasing Hitler and Mussolini.