LOUIS RAEMAEKERS

‘ARMED WITH PEN AND PENCIL’

How a Dutch cartoonist became world famous during the First World War

Ariane de Ranitz

followed by the article ‘The Kaiser in Exile: Wilhelm II in Doorn’ Liesbeth Ruitenberg

Louis Raemaekers Foundation

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Preface and Acknowledgments 9 4 The war: anti-neutrality 75 Introduction 13 (1914–1915) Sources 16 The first weeks of the war 75 Rumours 75 1 Youth in Roermond 23 Belgian refugees 77 (1869–1886) War reporting 79 The Raemaekers family 23 Raemaekers’ response to the German invasion 82 Conflict between liberals and clericals 24 The attitude of the Dutch press 86 Roermond newspapers 26 Raemaekers and De Telegraaf 88 Joseph Raemaekers enters the fray 28 Violation of neutrality 88 De Volksvriend closes down 30 The attitude of De Telegraaf 90 Louis learns to draw 31 First album and exhibitions 93 Cultural life dominated by the firm of Cuypers 33 More publications 98 Neutrality in danger 100 2 Training and work as drawing teacher 35 A price on Raemaekers’ head? 103 (1887–1905) Schröder goes to jail 107 Drawing training in Nijmegen, Roermond More frequent cartoons; subjects and fame 108 and Amsterdam 35 First appointment as a drawing teacher 37 5 Raemaekers becomes famous abroad 115 Departure for 38 (1915–1916) Appointment in Wageningen 38 Distribution outside the 115 Work as illustrator and portrait painter 44 International fame 121 Marriage and children 47 London 121 Children’s books 50 Exhibition at the Fine Art Society 122 Reproductions and albums 128 3 First political cartoons 53 Honoured in Paris 128 (1906–1914) Exhibition in Paris 132 Algemeen Handelsblad newspaper 53 Based in London 135 Raemaekers draws for the Handelsblad 53 Critical response in the Netherlands 138 Portraits of politicians 55 Success in London 139 Political satire… 55 …and illustrations 57 6 Role in Allied propaganda 147 First exhibition of political prints 58 (1916–1917) Move to De Telegraaf 58 British war propaganda 147 Complete freedom 61 Wellington House 147 Move to Haarlem 62 The Bryce Report 149 Other political cartoonists 65 Distribution of Raemaekers’ work 150 More exhibitions: Arti and Sint Lucas 66 Use of images by Wellington House 154 Solo exhibitions 67 Wellington House and Raemaekers Cartoons 155 Was the Bryce Report a source for Raemaekers? 158 Tours of the front 159 Cigarette cards and propaganda films 167 Distribution of Raemaekers’ work worldwide 168 The Netherlands 174

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0.Voorwerk 1-21 Engels.indd 6 17-09-14 15:57 7 Propaganda tour of the United States – CONTENTS OF TABLE and the end of the war 177 propaganda 257 (1917–1918) The most famous cartoonist of the First World War 257 The United States as the target for British propaganda Brief analysis of Raemaekers’ wartime cartoons 259 177 The message: subject, image and emotional charge 259 Raemaekers’ fame in the United States 180 Subject 259 Raemaekers’ prints as propaganda in the United States · Image 262 181 · Text: titles and captions 267 The United States declares war on 185 Emotional charge 267 New initiative from London 186 The right man to convince the world 272 Raemaekers visits the United States 186 Contract with the Hearst press 190 Liesbeth Ruitenberg Publicity: ‘the war as it is’ 191 ‘The Kaiser in Exile: Wilhelm II in Doorn’ 275 Exhibitions and publications 194 Kaiser Wilhelm II 275 Tour of the United States 195 The First World War 276 The mission achieves its aim 196 Escape to the Netherlands 277 New contract with the Hearst syndicate 197 Amerongen 278 Imitators in America 198 Purchase of Huis Doorn 279 Back in England 200 Everyday life at Huis Doorn 279 Back to the front 203 Auguste Victoria and Hermine 282 Research and hobbies 283 8 Between the wars (1918–1939) 209 Special occasions 285 Armistice 208 German occupation and Wilhelm’s death 285 Work for De Telegraaf 211 Huis Doorn since 1941 287 Raemaekers travels freely again 212 Huis Doorn: from place of exile to place of Brussels 215 remembrance 288 Drawings for Le Soir and De Telegraaf 217 : the UK and France 218 Appendices Correspondence 224 Credits for illustrations 289 The Netherlands 224 Index 290 Polemics 229 Authors 294 Position of De Telegraaf in the 1930s 233 Raemaekers warns against Germany 235 Appendices on www.louisraemaekers.com Declining power in Raemaekers’ work 237 Footnotes De Telegraaf and National Socialism 240 Bibliography Exhibition in Maastricht 241 General Works Albums and brochures with political cartoons 9 The Second World War – and Raemaekers’ of Louis Raemaekers last years 245 Books with covers and illustrations by Louis Raemaekers (1939–1956) Sources and archives consulted Escape to the United States 245 List of exhibitions Return to Brussels 249 A list of honorary memberships and decorations Honorary citizen of Roermond 250

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0.Voorwerk 1-21 Engels.indd 8 17-09-14 15:58 A cartoon about the Dutch Parliamentary elections in 1913 (13 July 1912).

In ‘Atrocities’, Raemaekers compared the crimes of the Allies (a mosquito) with those of the Germans (a rhino). ‘The lecturer: “From a comparison of the two subjects, gentlemen, you will perceive that there is very little Obituary of Louis Raemaekers difference between Germany and from The Times, 27 July 1956. the Allies”’ (13 May 1915).

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0.Voorwerk 1-21 Engels.indd 12 17-09-14 15:58 was Louis Raemaekers. The agony of the War drew from his pencil more savage expressions of hate than I have ever seen elsewhere in black and white.’ Winston Churchill, 19311 Introduction

Louis Raemaekers in the southern Dutch town of In the summer of 1956, The Times Roermond, where his father was a published the obituary of a small, prominent member of the liberal camp impassioned Dutchman, from the in the conflict between liberalism and provincial town of Roermond, who had clerical Catholicism. Chapter 2 follows enjoyed a worldwide reputation during the young Raemaekers to Nijmegen, the First World War: Amsterdam and Brussels, where he ‘Louis Raemaekers, the biting trained, and where he needed to choose anti-German cartoonist of the 1914- between the life of a creative artist and 18 War, died on July 26, 1956 at a more certain living as a cartoonist. Scheveningen, near , at This chapter goes on to consider the age of 87. It has been said of Raemaekers’ work as a drawing teacher Raemaekers that he was the one in Tilburg and back in Roermond, private individual who exercised a followed by his move to Wageningen. real and great influence on the course There he was appointed head of the of the 1914-18 War. There were a trade school and drawing teacher at the dozen or so people – emperors, kings, State School of Agriculture. In Chapter statesmen, and commanders-in-chief – 3, Raemaekers’ life takes a decisive turn who obviously, and notoriously, when he accepts the invitation to draw ‘The promise’. ‘ “We shall never sheathe shaped policies and guided events. political cartoons for leading Dutch the sword until recovers all, and more than all that she has Outside that circle of the great, Louis newspapers, first for the Algemeen Raemaekers stands conspicuous as the Handelsblad and from 1909 for De 1914’ (21 July 1915). one man who, without any assistance Telegraaf. Chapters 4 to 7 form the core of title or office, indubitably swayed of the book, dealing with Raemaekers’ the destinies of peoples.’2 life and work during the First World United States during the Second World Who was this man who at the height War, the period when he challenged War and his latter years before his of his career, both in the Netherlands the neutrality of his own country and death in The Hague in 1956. The final and far beyond, was one of the best- then became a leading figure on the chapter provides a brief analysis of the known personalities of his time, Allied side, well-known throughout significance of his work during and for whose work appeared in thousands the world. Chapter 8 deals with the the First World War. of newspapers, whose cartoons were interwar years, when Raemaekers and Louis Raemaekers achieved his exhibited in the farthest corners of his wife lived in Brussels and when he greatest successes outside his native the world, who was received by heads came to realise that he no longer played country. His leaving the Netherlands of state and government, and who any significant role in discussions with for London at the end of 1915 was a corresponded with prominent writers world leaders. The same chapter goes godsend for all concerned. Henceforth, and artists? on to consider the rise of Nazism, a the Dutch government could distance The intention of this book is to period when Raemaekers continued to itself from the cartoonist and his explore the life of Louis Raemaekers produce work for De Telegraaf but used work in its diplomatic relations, and why he came to play such an active his position to counter the national- thus stabilising its position vis-à-vis role in Allied propaganda during the socialist sympathies of its editors with Germany, while Raemaekers himself First World War. his anti-Hitler cartoons. Chapter 9 could cease his hopeless campaign Chapter 1 deals with his youth covers the period that he spent in to get the Netherlands to abandon

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In America, Raemaekers would ‘Better a living dog than a dead lion’, A cartoon by Raemaekers from produce cartoons for the Hearst a print that made Raemaekers highly De Telegraaf: ‘Pounding away at the Press. Tens of millions of copies were controversial in the Netherlands. Somme front’ (22 September 1916). printed each month.

album The Great War: a Neutral’s revive the public’s acquaintance with Indictment (1916): ‘Raemaekers’ Louis Raemaekers the man, his role in testimony is a testimony of an eye- wartime propaganda, and his political Announcement of Raemaekers’ visit witness. He saw the pitiable stream of cartoons. Over the course of time, to the United States in July 1917 refugees which poured from desolated we have lost sight of the importance Belgium across the Dutch frontier; and of this world-famous cartoonist. In its neutral stance. He may also have he heard the tale of the abominations the first few months of the war, the realised for himself that his aim of which they had suffered from their passion expressed in Raemaekers’ persuading his country to take up arms own lips. … His message to the world, cartoons worked in his favour, but later and thus avoid the fate of Belgium was therefore, when he began to speak, had his obstinacy came to be appreciated not very realistic. all the authority not only of a Neutral much less. In the long run, his message Arriving in Britain, Raemaekers who was unbiassed, but of a Neutral became less clear and was even quickly took on a new challenge, who knew.’4 misinterpreted. In his own country, namely to ensure the mass distribution people objected to his supposedly of his work both in that country This book anti-Dutch attitude, a criticism that and elsewhere in support of Allied Although the First World War occupies continued to pursue him for the rest of propaganda. This was the beginning an important place in the life of Louis his life; in other countries, it was above of a new phase in his life, one which Raemaekers, this book is not intended all his interference in political matters brought him world renown. According as an historical treatise on that conflict. after the war that aroused irritation and to the historians Horne and Kramer Rather, it focuses on the war as seen led to him being forgotten. (2001), ‘Raemaekers became the single through the eyes of Raemaekers The most important aspect of most influential figure in projecting the himself, the way he viewed the German Raemaekers’ career is undoubtedly Allied vision of the German enemy to invasion of Belgium, how he and his role in Allied war propaganda. home audiences and to the rest of the De Telegraaf ignored the request to Although ‘objectivity’ was often very world’.3 respect Dutch neutrality, how he was much absent during the First World Among the Allies and in neutral welcomed with open arms in London War, the word ‘propaganda’ had not countries, it was not so much and Paris, how his work was quickly yet taken on the highly negative Raemaekers’ anti-neutral stance that distributed to all corners of the world, connotations that it has nowadays. brought him praise; it was specifically and how – at the request of the British All the various parties made use his own neutral status that gave him Prime Minister – he crossed to the of propaganda to sway public credibility. This was most effectively United States to contribute there to the opinion in favour of their cause. expressed by a good friend, the Allied cause. Daily newspapers were the most journalist Perry Robinson, in the The main purpose of this book is suitable vehicle for this, with visual

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0.Voorwerk 1-21 Engels.indd 14 17-09-14 15:58 methods he used to get his message INTRODUCTION across, and to what extent do they explain his success? Although Raemaekers produced a number of particularly powerful cartoons, and his own term ‘ephemera’ [eendagsvliegen, literally mayflies] does not always apply, one can safely say that his great reputation was due not so much to the artistic value of his drawings but to the way he conveyed his message. As H.R. Westwood rightly pointed out in 1931, ‘He would never have attained to international fame if he had not turned from painting to political caricature’.6 But Westwood’s comment does not do full justice Two very different cartoons by Raemaekers: to Raemaekers’ work. The present the symbolic alliance between Kaiser Wilhelm and Death publication reproduces a large number and a gruesome depiction of the effects of poison gas (1917 and 1915). of his cartoons. Some of these are primarily intended to illustrate the narrative, but in between the chapters material playing an important role. wrote to him early in the war saying: selections are shown from his best A political cartoon acts as an eye- ‘We have no doubt you have greatly drawings, and these include what catcher within the monotonous layout influenced public opinion in the cause are – by any measure – masterpieces. of a newspaper; the combination for which we are all fighting.’5 Although Dutch cartoonists such as of image and text reinforces the But did Louis Raemaekers really Albert Hahn and Johan Braakensiek impression that its message leaves on influence public opinion? Just who were less famous than Raemaekers the reader, and even people who are was this man who has been called the during the First World War – certainly only semi-literate can appreciate its most important political cartoonist of internationally – their works have meaning. the First World War? What led him stood the test of time better. Unlike Raemaekers’ cartoons brought the to condemn the German invasion of Louis Raemaekers, they are considered European war into American living Belgium so strongly and to choose to be among the leading lights in the rooms, after he had already won over the side of the Allies immediately history of political cartooning in the the somewhat hesitant British public after the outbreak of hostilities? How Netherlands. It is high time that Louis to the Allied cause. A member of did his work come to be distributed Raemaekers took his rightful place staff at the British War Office already internationally? What were the alongside them.

Raemaekers (centre, with black tie) surrounded by French cartoonists. Seated on the left is Théophile Steinlen (February 1916).

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