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Will Grefé
(28 September 1875 – 9 April 1957)

By Mary Elizabeth Grefe Fox

Good Housekeeping (1911) Grefé - 001

In the Beginning: Poultry
Will Grefé was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and resided there until he was 17. He lived on a farm and his talent was evident at an early age. He began by drawing chickens on the fences and illustrating his school composition books on every page.

At 15, he went to work for an engraving company. The owners soon recognized his talent and had him make all cuts and illustrations for catalogues, fliers, etc. When he was 17, he went to New York to study at the Art Student’s League. After completing his studies there, he felt the need for further instruction and he went to France where he studied several months, but later moved on to Germany (Munich) where he finally found the teachers he had been seeking. He studied at the academy in Munich and also from a private instructor.

While he was in Europe, his family moved from Des Moines to Buffalo, NY. He joined them there when he came back from Europe.

All those early chicken drawings pay off handsomely for this pretty girl cover of
Woman's World (May 1916) Grefé - 002

Rings, Roses, and Romance for "Marry Me" (1908) Grefé - 003

Grefé made some sample drawings, photographed them and sent them to the editor of the Saturday Evening Post. (Mr. Lorimer) Mr. Lorimer answered him immediately, telling him that if he would get a studio in NY, they would give him all the work he could do. So with $75.00, he headed for NY and set up a studio and started working for the Saturday Evening Post. Also, Life, Puck, Scribner’s, Judge. Later came McClures, Ladies Home Journal, Cosmopolitan, Hearst, Woman’s World, Redbook, etc. Usually he made three drawings a week for the Post. He also did covers for Saturday Evening Post, Woman’s World, Good Housekeeping, etc.

Cover for The Saturday Evening Post; he also did story art inside (1902) Grefé - 004

Grefé was a frequent Post story artist, this one for "The Boom at Payne" inside (1916) Grefé - 005