Detje, Harold Carl

Harold Carl Detje (November 12, 1900 - November 11, 1967) was an American cartographer, graphic artist, and newspaperman. Born in Portland, Oregon, his father, John Henry Julius Detje, was a butcher. Detje attended public school until he completed eighth grade in June 1914, then he entered the workforce. He also attended the Portland Art School. His first job was at the local newspaper, The Oregon Exchange, where, by 1916, he had joined the art staff. His first jobs on the art staff included drawing designs and lettering for advertisements. Detje registered for the draft during World War I but was deemed unqualified for military service due to poor eyesight. He remained on the staff at The Oregon Exchange, and was listed as a 'commercial artist illustrator' in the 1920 Portland City Directory. The Oregon Exchange began running Detje's comic feature 'Maddening Moments' in 1922, and it continued for two years. Detje left Oregon for New York City in 1926, where his work appeared in several magazines. Detje continued as a freelance artist in New York City and published work in numerous magazines, including multi-page comic features. His freelance career came to an end when he joined the art staff of the Associated Press in 1938, where he specialized in drawing maps. In 1940, he left the Associated Press and joined the staff of PM, a new magazine/newspaper that 'revolutionized the use of photography and graphics'. The National Headliners Club awarded him a prize for excellence in mapmaking in 1943. He left PM in 1945 and joined the art staff of Magazine Digest. During the second half of the 1940s, he illustrated several books. He continued working as a staff artist for newspapers for the rest of his career. Detje married Selma Helen Berliner on July 13, 1931, in Brooklyn, New York.