Henry Clarence Pitz

Spectators Overflow, Collier's Magazine Illustration

1955

Henry Clarence Pitz was an outstanding performer in several fields, including illustrating for magazines and books, teaching and lecturing, writing on art subjects, painting and exhibiting. His talents appeared early; while still in high school in Philadelphia, he won a scholarship to study at the Philadelphia Museum and School of Industrial Art, and then went on to Spring Garden College. Among his teachers were Walter Everett and Maurice Bower. Although Pitz experimented with, and worked in, almost every medium, he had a special affinity for line drawing and book illustration. He illustrated more than 160 books, as well as for a whole range of magazines from The Saturday Evening Post to St. Nicholas. Among his many popular art books were: Pen, Brush and Ink, The Practice of Illustration, Drawing Trees, Ink Drawing Techniques, and Illustrating Children’s Books. Pitz exhibited nationally and internationally, winning numerous awards. His work is represented in many public collections, including the Library of Congress in Washington, D. C., and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Pitz served as director of the illustration course at the Philadelphia Museum College of Art and was a visiting lecturer and instructor to many schools in the area. He was also a contributing editor of American Artist magazine.