Herman Sachs facts for kids

Herman Sachs (1883–1940) was a talented artist and art teacher. He worked in both Germany and the United States during the early 1900s. Sachs is well-known for his beautiful ceiling painting of California poppies at Union Station in Los Angeles. This design also appears in the station's floor tiles and walls, bringing the whole building's look together. For a long time, this amazing artwork was hidden by dirt, but it was found again during the station's restoration.

Herman Sachs's Life Story

Herman Sachs was born in Romania to a Jewish family. He started learning art from his father when he was a child. When he was 17, he moved to the U.S. and settled in Chicago. He left Europe because of unfair treatment towards Jewish people at the time.

Later, Sachs went back to Europe to study art in Germany. In the 1910s, he lived in Munich. There, he even started his own art school called the Munich School of Expressionists.

When Sachs returned to the United States in 1920, he showed his art at the Art Institute of Chicago. He also started the Chicago Industrial Art School. After that, he became the first director of the Dayton Museum of Fine Arts, which is now called the Dayton Art Institute.

Around 1925, Sachs moved to Los Angeles. He was hired to design the inside of the new Gas Company building. As an artist who painted murals and decorated buildings, Sachs designed the interiors of many famous places in Los Angeles. These include the Bullocks Wilshire building (now part of Southwestern Law School), Union Station, Los Angeles City Hall, and the Title Insurance and Trust Company Building. Besides being an artist, Sachs was also a teacher. He directed the Creative Art Students League of Los Angeles.

Sachs was an active member of the Jewish artist community in Los Angeles. Many artists, writers, and filmmakers had moved there from Europe. They had left their homes because of difficult times and persecution in Europe. Sachs's friend, the architect Rudolph Schindler, designed Sachs's house in Los Angeles, called the Manola Court Apartments.

Famous Artworks by Herman Sachs

Herman Sachs created many important works. Here are some of his most notable projects:

• Los Angeles City Hall (1926–28): Sachs helped choose the colors for this important building in Los Angeles, California.
• Title Insurance and Trust Company Building (1928): He designed parts of the interior of this building.
• "The Spirit of Transportation" (1929): This is a mural he painted in the entrance area of the Bullocks Wilshire building in Los Angeles.
• Union Station (1934–39): Sachs was a color consultant for the station. He also created the famous ceiling paintings of California wildflowers. He used the same flower designs on the painted floor tiles and walls.