Will H. Chandlee

Will H. Chandlee was a painter and illustrator who worked in Washington, D.C., from 1904 until 1917. He was born in Washington D.C. in January, 1865, and married Nettie Louise Dunn; they had two children, Courtland and Helen Corinne. He died in 1955. (Source: Will H. Chandlee's grandson)

Mr. Chandlee was the Washington Star newspaper's first artist, and in 1887 drew the first illustrated news story to appear in The Star; he was at the same time employed as an artist by the Smithsonian Institution. During his time at The Star, he wrote "Art Notes," assisted the drama critic, and wrote special articles. A 1/1/1950 article that ran in The Sunday Star (pg A-3) puts forth a look at Mr. Chandlee's days working as a news artist in the time before news photography: "Mr. Chandlee spent most of his time running around Washington, drawing on-the-spot sketches of the big news stories of the day. His most vivid recollection is of the collapse of the old Ford Theater on June 9, 1893, when hundreds of persons were killed or injured. Mr. Chandlee, who was on the spot before the fire apparatus, covered the story in a series of 24 sketches." His career at The Star ended over a contentious cartoon depicting The Star's owner as a newsboy "mixing it up" with another boy resembling the owner of The Washington Post. (Source: The Sunday Star: Washington D.C., January 1, 1950, A-3)

In addition to writing, illustrating and cartooning, Mr. Chandlee developed the first correspondence art school. His best known work, however, is arguably his satirical 1936 New Deal book “Mother Goose in Washington: A Story of Old King Dole and His Humpty Dumpty Court,” which he wrote and illustrated. (Source: Will H. Chandlee's grandson)

Mr. Chandlee is a descendant of the "Six Quaker Clockmakers," a family of precision clock- and compass-makers. The Chandlees came from Ireland to Philadelphia in 1702, where Benjamin Chandlee became an apprentice to Abel Cottey, the first of the Six Quaker Clockmakers. (Sources: Will H. Chandlee's grandson and info on clockmaker Goldsmith Chandlee (Will H's great-uncle) at http://surveyhistory.org/goldsmith_chandlee1.htm)

Known in his family as Ana, privately he was an inventor and illusionist. As of 12/2006, he is survived by five great-grandchildren, who live in Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, North Carolina and Hawaii, and four great-great-grandchildren. (Source: Chandlee's grandson and great-great-granddaughter)

Career

Chandlee was published in Pearson's Magazine in:

• December 1904: The American House of Lords by David S. Barry
• January 1906: The Power of the Press by David S. Barry
• Taught at the Washington School of Art 1923-26
• Author and Illustrator of 1936 book “Mother Goose in Washington: A Story of Old King Dole and His Humpty Dumpty Court."