Early Years
Davenport was born in 1864 in the Waldo Hills, several miles south of Silverton, Oregon. His parents were Timothy W. and Florinda Davenport. His father was one of the founders of the Republican Party in Oregon and served as an Oregon state representative, senator, and Indian agent, and ran unsuccessfully for U.S. Congress in 1874. His mother died of smallpox when he was only three years old, but had encouraged his talent for drawing. She was a subscriber to Harpers Weekly, an illustrated news magazine, and particularly admired the political cartoons of the German immigrant, Thomas Nast, who made his name in part by exposing the corruption of New York City government by way of biting satire. Before she died, Florinda had made it clear that her dream was to have her son become a great cartoonist and that his talent for art was to be encouraged. While he was perceived as idle and aimless by his neighbors during his teen years, and had no formal art training, Davenport ended up becoming one of the highest paid political cartoonists in the world at the time.
Read more about this topic: Homer Davenport
Famous quotes containing the words early years, early and/or years:
“Parents ... are sometimes a bit of a disappointment to their children. They don’t fulfil the promise of their early years.”
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“But he answered his father, Listen! For all these years I have been working like a slave for you, and I have never disobeyed your command; yet you have never given me even a young goat so that I might celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours came back, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fatted calf for him!’”
—Bible: New Testament, Luke 15:29,30.