Artistry obviously ran through the veins of Frederic Dorr Steele (1873–1944). His grandmother Julia Ripley Dorr made her name as a novelist and poet. Her sentimental poetry was well-received, and she became friends with some of the country’s most prolific poets, including Oliver Wendell Holmes and Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson actually published her poem in his 1874 anthology “Parnassus.”
Zulma Dorr Steele, the daughter of Julia and mother of Frederic, though not a professional, was a fine artist in her own right. When Scribner’s Magazine published Julia’s poetry, Zulma created illustrations for them. It was the art of illustration that Frederic would eventually pursue.
A Career Begins
In 1889, he moved to New York City, the hub of magazines and newspapers, to gain experience. He accepted a job as an architectural draftsman. During this three-year span, he also studied at the Art Students League and the National Academy.He joined Harper’s Magazine for two years, working under art editor Edward Penfield. During this period, Steele, making only $15 per week, sold some of his work to other magazines, and in 1895 had his illustrations placed in a book. He joined The Illustrated American from 1896 to 1897, where his illustrations were prominently displayed on several covers of the magazine.
The Freelancer
As a freelance artist, it was imperative to make connections, and he quickly became familiar with the editors of some of the nation’s biggest magazines, like McClure’s, Scribner’s, and The Century. He also created illustrations for Harper’s in 1899 and 1900, but did not illustrate for the publication after that until the 1920s.
Steele’s name and talent opened the door to illustrate for some of the greatest writers of the age, including Mark Twain, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Joseph Conrad, and Rudyard Kipling. He also illustrated for writers who loomed large in their day, though aren’t as well known today, like Finley Dunne (there’s a famous Chicago pub named after Dunne), Gouverneur Morris IV (the great-grandson of the Founding Father), and Richard Harding Davis. In 1901, Davis, having viewed Steele’s work, requested he illustrate for his new novel “In the Fog,” which was first serialized in Collier’s magazine. When the story was published in book form, Steele’s magazine illustrations were used. The artist illustrated several other works of Davis’s, including two short stories and two novels, “Vera, the Medium” and “The Scarlet Car.”
Illustrating Sherlock Holmes
It was the following year of 1903, however, that would most prominently establish Steele’s legacy as an artist. Having offered Sir Arthur Conan Doyle an extravagant sum of money, Collier’s was planning to publish 13 new stories entitled “The Return of Sherlock Holmes.” Due to his work with “In the Fog,” Steele had cemented his place for the role as the main illustrator for the new stories. For these 13 works, Steele illustrated 10 color magazine covers and nearly 50 interior illustrations.
Steele’s work gave Americans a pictorial idea of what Sherlock Holmes looked like. In fact, his work was largely responsible for how readers have long viewed the most famous fictional “consulting detective,” with his deerstalker cap and curved pipe.
The artist admitted that he obtained his artistic inspiration from another artist: William Gillette. Gillette, an actor, had become the personification of Holmes, having performed the role of the detective on stage over 1,300 times. Gillette was also in several films, of which one, released in 1916, has miraculously survived.
Interestingly, Steele and Gillette did not meet until 1905 in the dressing room of the Empire Theatre in New York City, well after the illustrator began illustrating Holmes. Steele had used the many photos available of Gillette to guide his artwork. Gillette’s work had influenced Steele’s work, but for a long time, it was thought that Steele, his work having circulated throughout the country, had been Gillette’s inspiration.
Steele used models for his illustrations, which often pictured more than just the detective, but also Dr. John Watson, victims, criminals, and members of Scotland Yard. One particular model was a former Irish actor, Frank B. Wilson, who had been a member and stage manager for London’s Sir Henry Irving’s company. Wilson was not only an ideal model due to his acting background, but he also provided a treasure trove of costumes and props.
Steele’s Impact
In 1904, five of Steele’s Sherlock Holmes illustrations were displayed at the Universal Exposition in St. Louis, for which he was awarded a bronze medal. Upon viewing Steele’s work, Christian Brinton, a renowned art critic and curator, stated, “Few of the younger men have attracted wider attention than Mr. Steele. The boldness of his method and the originality of his effects have made him deservedly popular within the scant half dozen years he may be said to have been before the general public.”Financial Struggles, Dwindling Opportunities
In 1905, Steele, though not an actor, became a member of the private club for actors called The Players. It was an association that would benefit him in the short term, but more importantly, in the long term. He often wrote and illustrated the club’s bulletin and programs for its theatrical productions. He also wrote essays for The Players’ publication. His intimate connection with the theater and some of New York City’s renowned actors and actresses provided an opportunity to illustrate for the New York World Tribune’s theater section. This situation proved vital during the Great Depression, as his opportunities for illustrating began to dry up.
In the midst of the early years of the Great Depression, Gillette began his farewell tour as Sherlock Holmes. Steele was hired to illustrate the advertising leaflets, tickets, posters, and souvenir programs. The artist even wrote an article for the program.
Despite his financial struggles, which also placed a strain on his marriage, he remained celebrated within the art community. In 1937, he was given the distinct honor of being the first living artist to have his artwork placed on exhibit by the Cabinet of American Illustration. The exhibit displayed 100 illustrations at the Library of Congress (LOC). Steele donated approximately 175 pieces to the LOC.
The Final Project
That same year, George Macy, the publisher of Limited Editions Club (LEC), sent Steele a proposition to create 60 illustrations for an LEC compilation of the Holmes stories. It provided a boost of energy for the weary artist. He began work on the project, though it would not be until 1943 that he was given the green light for the illustrations, and it was not until 1944 the LEC was given permission to publish the multivolume set.With his health declining, Steele died in 1944 while working to complete the large project. He did complete 58 illustrations. The eight-volume LEC set was published between 1950 and 1952.
The same year as his death, Steele created a rather famous illustration of Sherlock Holmes for the dust jacket of Ellery Queen’s 1944 “The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes,” which included the works of Mark Twain, O. Henry, and Agatha Christie. It was published a few months before he died.
Overall, Steele drew more than 165 illustrations for the Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
Steele sadly died nearly penniless, and his ashes were interred without a headstone at the family plot at the Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, New York. It was not until 2020, when a group of appreciative fans founded the Frederic Dorr Steele Memorial to raise funds for a headstone. The money was raised, the headstone was placed, and funds continue to be raised to maintain the plot, as well as to promote Steele’s work.
