Kurt Wiese (1887–1974)

Kurt Wiese (April 22, 1887 – May 27, 1974) was a German-born book illustrator. Wiese wrote and illustrated 20 children's books and illustrated another 300 for other authors. Wiese was born in Minden, Germany. He lived and traveled in China for six years, selling merchandise as a young man. At the outbreak of World War I, he was captured by the Japanese, and turned over to the British. He spent five years as a prisoner, most of them in Australia, where his fascination with the animal life inspired him to start sketching again. After his release at the end of the war, Wiese returned to Germany but the economy was so bad that he moved to Brazil. It was there that he began his illustration career, and in 1927 moved to the United States. His first critical success was with the illustrations for Felix Salten's Bambi in 1929. In 1930 he married Gertrude Hansen, with whom he lived on a farm in Kingwood Township, New Jersey.