Silent film and stage actress Theda Bara, who was born in Cincinnati; illustration by Manuel Rosenberg, n.d., (from the Manuel Rosenberg Papers, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library).

The Mary R. Schiff Library & Archives was recently delighted to receive a donation of three beautifully illustrated volumes documenting the life and career of illustrator and cartoonist Manuel Rosenberg (1897–1967). 

Author Anita Rosenberg and archivist Geoff Edwards show off the three volumes of “Uncle Manuel & Me” (image courtesy of Anita Rosenberg).

The books were generously donated by their author, Manuel’s great-niece, filmmaker, author, and artist Anita Rosenberg. Drawing extensively on the collection of Manuel Rosenberg papers held by Columbia University’s Rare Book & Manuscript Library, supplemented by Anita’s own research over a 10-year period, Uncle Manuel & Me illuminates the life and work of a prolific artist whose illustrations captured the personalities and events of the early twentieth century.

Manuel Rosenberg at work, 1917 (image courtesy of Anita Rosenberg).

Manuel Rosenberg, or "Rosie" as friends and colleagues called him, was born to immigrant parents in New Orleans in 1897. His father, Benjamin, was from Minsk, while his mother, Celia, was from Kyiv. While he was still a baby, the family moved to Cincinnati, settling in the Over-The-Rhine neighborhood. Manuel’s artistic talent was clear from an early age and having taken classes at the Art Academy of Cincinnati in 1911 and 1912, he moved to New York to continue his studies.

The Cincinnati skyline, showing the Carew Tower under construction; illustration by Manuel Rosenberg for The Cincinnati Post (Jul 4, 1930).

Having published his first professional cartoon when he was just 15 years old, Rosenberg went on to become chief artist for the Scripps-Howard newspaper chain, and an artist and correspondent for The Cincinnati Post.

Guests at an event celebrating the reopening of the Cincinnati Art Museum following an ambitious building campaign; illustration by Manuel Rosenberg for The Cincinnati Post (Jan 11, 1930).

In this capacity, he travelled all over the world and interviewed and sketched many of the most significant figures of his era, including actors, musicians, athletes, writers, politicians, and even notorious criminals. Among his subjects was bootlegger George Remus, whom Rosenberg sketched during his 1927 murder trial. Some of those he drew remain well-known today, such as Harry Houdini or Charles Lindbergh. Others, such as Cincinnati-born silent film star Theda Bara, have largely faded from public memory. 

Former president William Howard Taft was serving as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court when sketched by Rosenberg circa 1924 (from the Manuel Rosenberg Papers, Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Columbia University Library).

Anita’s books help bring these forgotten personalities back into view while also preserving Rosenberg’s own legacy as an illustrator and journalist.

The Art Academy of Cincinnati and neighboring art museum; illustration by Manuel Rosenberg for The Cincinnati Post (Mar 25, 1929).

If you want to learn more, Uncle Manuel & Me is available to view at the Mary R. Schiff Library & Archives. Anita also has an accompanying website at: www.manuelrosenberg.com