William Henry Dethlef Koerner
Wilhelm Heinrich Detlev "Big Bill" Körner (November 1878 – August 11, 1938), also known as Wilhelm Heinrich Dethlef Koerner, William HD Koerner, WHDK, or W.H.D. Koerner, was a noted illustrator of the American West whose works became known to new audiences when his painting, nicknamed A Charge to Keep, was used as the cover image for the ghostwritten biography by the same name by George W. Bush. This painting, which hung in the Oval Office during the Bush presidency was of special interest to journalists due to the interpretation given by Bush of the painting's meaning in light of the meaning and title attached to the painting by the artist.
William Henry Dethlef Koerner was born in Lunden, Schleswog-Holstein, Germany on November 19, 1878 to Anna Margaretha Wilhelms and Hans Henning Wilhelm Koerner. William along with his younger sister Auguste were the only two out of twelve children to survive infancy. In 1880, the Koerner family emigrated from Germany to the U.S., eventually settling in the rural midwestern town of Clinton, Iowa, where a rather large German community had already settled. As a child, Koerner showed an early interest and talent in art. He even got a job painting cows on milk wagons earning a five-dollar stipend per wagon.
In 1898, at the age of twenty, the young artist sold watercolors and oil paintings to earn enough money to eventually move to Chicago. Once settled there, Koerner began working as an illustrator for the Chicago Tribune, and earned a salary of five dollars per week. By 1902, he had already earned the title of Assistant Art Editor and was making forty-five dollars per week. Despite a flourishing career and growing reputation as a rapid hand sketch artist, Koerner was still very interested in furthering his education and training. While in Chicago, he attended classes at both the Chicago Art Institute and The Francis Smith Art Academy of Chicago. It was at this time that he met his future bride, Lillian Lusk, who was also an art student at the Art Academy. In 1903, the two married, and moved to Lillian’s hometown of Battle Creek, Michigan, where Koerner held a brief job at Pilgrim Magazine. By 1905, the young couple had saved enough money to move to New York, where Koerner attended the Art Students League until 1907.
Koerner's resume was expanded even further when he moved to Wilmington, Delaware to study under the "Father of American Illustration," Howard Pyle. Under Pyle's tutelage, Koerner developed an early style characterized by boldness and precision, as well as a heroic and adventurous spirit. He studied under Pyle until 1911, at which point Koerner had established himself as a very talented and capable illustrator. He held many jobs illustrating articles and covers of many popular magazines, including The Saturday Evening Post, McCall's, Redbook, Harper's, Good Housekeeping, Collier's, Pictorial Review and the Ladies Home Journal. Koerner would eventually, however, refuse to illustrate any "pink tea stories," and from 1929 until the end of his career, would work exclusively for The Saturday Evening Post, a publication he had worked on and off for since 1909.
These years were not only successful for his career but for Koerner's family life as well. William’s and Lillian's first child, a daughter named Ruth Ann was born in 1913, and followed two years later by a younger brother, Bill Jr. The Koerner's also moved to Interlake, New Jersey in 1919, where they had not only a home, but a studio which housed a majority of Koerner's works as well as his collection of western artifacts. The Koerners would remain in Interlake until Bill's death.
Koerner's interest at this time was primarily focused on the Wild West. Over the next few years, Koerner would make trips to Yellowstone, the Big Horn Mountains in Wyoming and to California via the Santa Fe Railway. These travels not only furthered his interest but also enlivened his works. Koerner's most productive years as an artist incidentally coincided with the "Golden Age of Western Illustration." This American infatuation was only deepened by the onset of the Great Depression, as the population yearned for a less complicated life that was full of adventure, freedom and the ability to roam the “Old Frontier.”
WHD Koerner passed away in 1938, at the age of 59 from a cerebral hemorrhage. At the time of his death, the artist had received commissions for over 500 paintings and completed drawings for more than 200 western-themed stories. His studio, which still remains intact, can be viewed at the Buffalo Bill Historical Center's Whitney Museum of Western Art in Cody, Wyoming.
