Harold R. Heaton
Harold Robertson Heaton (born January 19, 1861) was a newspaper artist whose work focused on cartoons. His prodigious body of work contributed to the development of political cartoons. He also illustrated books and produced sketches and paintings. He left newspaper work in 1899 to begin acting on the stage, and later wrote plays as well. He returned to cartooning for six years beginning in 1908, but continued acting while doing so. He appeared in many Broadway productions through 1932. A brief retrospective on his employment with the Chicago Tribune, from October 1942, mentioned his obituary had been printed "a few years ago". Early years Born in Salem, Illinois, he was the son of Charles Heaton, a civil engineer from England, and Amy Robertson from Missouri. Although born in Illinois, he spent much of his childhood in New York., before moving to St. Louis. As a boy and young man he went by "Harry Heaton". He attended the St. Louis School of Fine Arts then worked on the Missouri Republican in St. Louis. In 1887 he was the first artist hired by the Chicago Daily Tribune, where he later headed the illustration department. Newspaper artist Chicago Tribune The first drawings Heaton