*Post written by James Wethington, library assistant of the University Archives and Special Collections.
Some individuals are gifted with the ability of drawing and art. We see this from these drawing by Karl Kae Knecht. Produced in 1909, Knecht draw a picture of what he and his wife, Jannie, did throughout 1908. He is synonymous for bringing Mesker Park Zoo, Evansville and Indiana’s first zoo, in 1928. After a successful fundraiser in 1929, Kay the Elephant was purchased (Evansville Museum, 2017).
Knecht was born in 1883 in Iroquois, South Dakota Territory. He came to Evansville in 1906 to work at the Evansville Courier after completing his degree at the Art Institute of Chicago. Knecht served as a cartoonist and the first photographer at the Evansville Courier. Knecht remained with the Evansville Courier until 1960, after working there for fifty-four years. Knecht passed away July 28, 1972 (Evansville Museum, 2017).
These beautiful, one-of-a-kind sketches can be viewed at the University Archives and Special Collections; however, if you are interested in viewing some of Knecht’s cartoon, the Evansville Vanderburgh Public Library digitalized many of his original cartoons.
Evansville Museum (2017, April). The far-reaching impact of Karl Kae Knecht. Retrieved from https://evansvillemuseum.org/events/pen-paper-remembering-karl-kae-knecht/