Draper Hill (b. 1935)

Born: 1935 July 1 in Boston, Massachusetts, United States

Died: 2009 May 13 in Grosse Pointe?, Michigan, United States

Biography: Additional bibliography information can be found at:
Association of American Cartoonists (http://news.editorialcartoonists.com/aaec/2009/06/draper-hill-dead-at-73.html),
Prabook (https://prabook.com/web/draper.hill/28889),
Mike Lynch Cartoons (http://mikelynchcartoons.blogspot.com/2009/06/remembering-draper-hill-1935-2009.html).

Draper Hill was an editorial cartoonist and cartoon historian. Hill was born in Boston, but raised in Wellesley Hills, Massachusetts. He attended Harvard University, graduating in 1957. When at Harvard, Draper spent some years on the staff of the Harvard Lampoon. On the Fulbright grant, Hill studied art at University College London's Slade School of Fine Art, from 1960 to 1963.

He began his professional career as a reporter and cartoonist for the Patriot Ledger (Quincy, Massachusetts), from 1957 to 1960. Draper then became the editorial cartoonist for the Worcester Telegram (Worcester, Massachusetts), from 1964 to 1971. Hill continued as an editorial cartoonist for the Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tennessee), from 1971 to 1976.

In 1976, he became the editorial cartoonist for the Detroit News (Detroit, Michigan), a position which he continued with until forced into retirement by the management of the Detroit News in 1999. From 2003 to 2004, Draper was a contributing cartoonist to the Oakland Press (Pontiac, Michigan).

Hill's first printed work, was the "The Crane Library Quincy, Massachusetts", which he wrote and illustrated (Crane Library, 1962 series). In 1965, Draper wrote the book, "Mr. Gillray, the Caricaturist" (The Phiadon Press), a biography of British caricaturist and printmaker, James Gillray. Hill also wrote "Fashionable Contrasts: 100 Caricatures by James Gillray" (The Phiadon Press), in 1966. He contributed text to the Leslie Illingworth exhibition catalog "Illingworth on Target" (Boston Public Library, 1970 series).

With Memphis State Professor of English Literature James Roper as writer, Draper contributed the artwork in 1974 for the historical limericks book, "The Decline and Fall of the Gibbon, Through Darkest History with Pun and Chimera" (The Inadvertent Press). A cartoon selection of Hill's work was reprinted from The Commercial Appeal in "Cartoon and Caricature: The Editorial Art of Draper Hill" as a part of a 1975 exhibition at and published by the Brooks Memorial Art Gallery in Memphis. In 1976, he wrote another book on Gilray, "The Satirical Etchings of James Gillray" (Dover Publications).

Draper contributed to the book "I Feel I Should Warn You: Historic Preservation Cartoons" (Preservation Press, National Trust for Historic Preservation of Cartoons, 1977 series). Hill, in 1978, contributed an essay on Cartoons & Caricatures for the "Encyclopedia of Collectibles" (Time-Life Books). That year, he also had his editorial cartoons illustrate the Detroit News publication, "1978 Inaugural Renaissance Detroit Luncheon" which was made for the 1978 mayoral inauguration of Detroit Mayor Coleman A. Young.

Draper contributed to the tri-annual The College of William and Mary May 1982 book, "Eighteenth Century Life Volume VII, N.S., 3". Hill received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1983 to write a biography of political cartoonist Thomas Nast, which he ended up as a contributor to the John Adler book "Doomed by Cartoon: How Cartoonist Thomas Nast and the New York Times Brought Down Boss Tweed and His Ring of Thieves" (Morgan James Publishing, 2008 series).

In 1985, a collection of his cartoons was released as "Political Asylum: Editorial Cartoons by Draper Hill" (Art Gallery of Windsor). He also illustrated the humor book written by Detroit weather forecaster and humorist, Sonny Eliot, "Sonny Sez!: Legends, Yarns, and Downright Truths" (Wayne State University Press, 2007 series). Hill's work appeared in several years of the Best Editorial Cartoons of the Year annual anthologies.

Draper Hill had one-person art shows at the Brooks Memorial Art Gallery of Memphis (Tennessee), from April 3, 1975 to May 29, 1975; the Art Gallery of Windsor (Ontario), from December 1, 1985 to January 5, 1986; the Detroit History Museum, during 1996; and the Detroit Artists Market, in 2005.

Hill also had memberships in other social groups, societies, and organizations including: the Egyptians in Memphis, from 1972 to 1976; Club Odd Volumes in Boston, from 1965 to 2000; the Swann Foundation for Caricature and Cartoon advisory board, New York City, from 1980 to 1993 and 1998 to 2009; and a member of the Prismatic Club, a social club in Detroit.

Draper Hill died in 2009 in Michigan.

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