Luther D. Bradley facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Luther D. Bradley
Born	(1853 -09-29)September 29, 1853 New Haven, Connecticut
Died	January 9, 1917(1917-01-09) (aged 63) Wilmette, Illinois
Nationality	American
Alma mater	Yale
Employer	Chicago Daily News (1899–1917) Inter Ocean (1894–1898) Melbourne Punch (1888–1893)
Known for	Editorial cartooning
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Luther Daniels Bradley (born September 29, 1853 – died January 9, 1917) was an American artist. He was famous for his drawings and political cartoons. He worked for the Chicago Daily News newspaper.

Bradley was born in New Haven, Connecticut. He finished college at Yale in 1875. After working for his father, he traveled the world. He lived in Melbourne, Australia, for more than ten years. There, he drew for magazines like Melbourne Punch.

He came back to Chicago in 1893. He worked for other newspapers before joining the Daily News in 1899. He stayed there for the rest of his life. Bradley was well-known for being against war. He did not want the U.S. to join World War I.

Early Life and Education

Luther Bradley was born in New Haven, Connecticut. In 1857, his family moved to Chicago. Later, they moved to Evanston, a nearby town. Bradley went to public school there.

He studied at Northwestern University from 1870 to 1873. Then, he went to Yale College from 1873 to 1875. While at Yale, he was part of the crew team. After college, he worked in his father's real estate business in Chicago.

Career as a Cartoonist

In 1882, Bradley began a trip around the world. After visiting London, he arrived in Melbourne, Australia. He found a job drawing for a funny magazine called Australian Tit-Bits. This magazine later became Melbourne Life. Bradley worked as its editor and cartoonist.

In 1888, he became the main cartoonist for Melbourne Punch. He took over after another artist, Tom Carrington, retired. Bradley worked at Punch until 1893. He drew many cartoons about the Australian labor movement. He made Carrington's "King Working Man" character very popular. This character was a giant with a crown. It stood for organized workers. People in London thought his cartoons showed Australian opinions fairly.

Luther D. Bradley, a famous American cartoonist.

Return to Chicago

Bradley came back to Chicago in 1893 because his father was sick. He worked for the Chicago Daily Journal in 1894. Then, he worked for the Inter Ocean from 1894 to 1898. In 1899, he published two children's books. These were Our Indians and Wonderful Willie!.

In 1899, he joined the Chicago Daily News. He became the art director there. His cartoons often appeared on the front page of the newspaper.

Anti-War Cartoons

Bradley's work became very well known during World War I. He was famous among cartoonists for speaking out against America joining the war. By 1916, he was the only cartoonist at a major newspaper who was against U.S. military involvement.

A historian named Richard Marschall said Bradley was not the only anti-war cartoonist. But he was "perhaps the most eloquent in illustrating his arguments." This means Bradley was very good at showing his ideas through his drawings.

Later Life and Legacy

Bradley married Agnes Floyd Smith in Evanston on October 31, 1901. They had four children: Francis, John Freeman, Sarah Elizabeth, and Margaret. He was a member of the Episcopal Church. In politics, he was an Independent Republican.

He died at his home in Wilmette, Illinois, on January 9, 1917. Two days later, a cartoon honoring him appeared in the Chicago Daily Tribune. It was drawn by John T. McCutcheon.

A collection of his work was published in March 1917. It was called Cartoons by Bradley. It also included tributes from his friends at the Daily News. Three months after Bradley died, America entered World War I.

In the years that followed, Bradley's life and cartoons were talked about in many books. In 1980, Richard Marschall wrote that Bradley's cartoons "deserve to be reintroduced to America." A drawing by Bradley was even on the cover of Karen Russell's famous 2011 novel Swamplandia!.

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