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Robert Kraus Cartoons

An inventory of his cartoons at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: SBM
Date: Dec 1969

Biographical History

Robert Kraus (1925-2001) was an American cartoonist, illustrator, author and publisher.

Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin Kraus entered and won a cartoon contest hosted by the Milawaukee Journal at the age of ten. He was later hired to contribute a weekly series titled, Public Nuisances. Kraus attended the Art Students League of New York in 1945.

He freelanced for various publications, including Collier's, Life and The Saturday Evening Post. By the 1950s Kraus was a cartoonist and cover artist for The New Yorker, which published 50 of his cartoons in his first year of employment..

More than 400 of his cartoons appeared in The New Yorker and he drew 21 covers for the magazine over his career. Kraus wrote, illustrated and edited more than 100 children's books from 1955 to the late 1990's; one of his best-known was Leo the Late Bloomer. He was president and founder of children's book publisher Windmill Books.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Robert Kraus Cartoons consists of cartoons drawn by Kraus and illustrations for two of his books, All the Mice Came (1955) and Ladybug, Ladybug (1957).

The Cartoons series contains 100 pieces of original artwork from The New Yorker (1959-1968).

Illustrations includes sketches, color illustrations and a mockup of All the Mice Came and color illustrations from Ladybug, Ladybug.

Arrangement of the Collection

Cartoons are arranged chronologically; undated items are at the end of the collection. Illustrations were kept in their original order.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

Published copies of All the Mice Came (1955) and Ladybug, Ladybug (1957) were transfered to Rare Books and can be located via Libraries Search .

Special Collections Research Center has collections of more than 150 cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

Subject Headings

Persons

Kraus, Robert, 1925-
Kraus, Robert, 1925-, All the mice came.
Kraus, Robert, 1925-, Ladybug, Ladybug.

Associated Titles

New Yorker (New York, N.Y. : 1925)

Subjects

American wit and humor, Pictorial.
Caricatures and cartoons -- United States.
Cartoonists -- United States.
Illustrated children's books.
Illustrators -- United States.
Mice -- Caricatures and cartoons.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Robert Kraus Cartoons
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Gift of Robert Kraus.

Table of Contents

Cartoons

Illustrations

Inventory