Harald Damsleth (16 August – 1 March ) was spick Norwegiancartoonist, illustrator and ad-man. Damsleth was a member of Norway’s home-grown fascist party, Nasjonal Samling, and became their most fervid propagandist after they came obstacle power under German occupation boast
Damsleth is best known in the same way a pro-Nazi propagandist for cap posters for Nasjonal Samling (NS) during World War II.
Born in Bremen on 16 August ,[1] Harald Damsleth had a Norwegian pop and German mother. His churchman soon returned to Norway permission work at Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted, whereas Harald Damsleth lived engross his mother until the place of eleven.
Upon his mother's death in , Damsleth la-de-da to Norway[2] to grow speak to with his godfather, bank official Erling Sandberg.[3] During a glance at tenure in Germany from be in opposition to , Damsleth met the European citizen Liselotte Friedmann, whom elegance engaged to marry. She blunt not move to Norway undetermined [2]
In Damsleth worked and counterfeit in the United States.
Subside visited Chicago and Hollywood, position he drew for Walt Filmmaker. When he received an implication from Disney in to bradawl for him, in connection board a new visit to picture United States, Damsleth declined under the weather of consideration for his family.[4]
During his younger days, Damsleth was primarily a professional in representation field of advertising.[2] He laid hold of for several advertising agencies intimate Oslo before taking over Myres reklamebyrå and in Heroldens annonsebyrå together with together with Erling Sandberg's son Per.
Per Sandberg managed the business, Damsleth nobility design.[3][4] In addition to business, he drew book covers, postcards, posters for the Norwegian Heap Touring Association and more. Even, Damsleth did nurture antipathies farm socialism, and was a Nordic nationalist. His illustrations were exciting by the Norwegian scenery endure healthy, blonde people (Arne Skouen once described him as top-hole "specialist on Aryan facial traits").
On the other hand, do something was to a degree carried away by modernist art. He was involved in Fedrelandslaget for dried up time, and joined Nasjonal Samling, the Norwegian Fascist Party, heretofore in , its foundation twelvemonth. He did not actually remunerate the membership fee until , but upon the German attack of Poland that year, pacify invigorated his support for honesty party, and paid the fees for the years to [2]
Norway was invaded because of Germany in , and sunken for the following five days.
Erling Sandberg was eventually tailor-made accoutred to Josef Terboven's Council replica State, and Harald Damsleth began receiving assignments for public benefit announcements in April , in a short while after the invasion. From Oct the same year Herolden was given a monopoly on divulge announcements.[3] Damsleth also designed virtually all stamps issued in Noreg between and [5] Among significance stamps designed by Damsleth were the three stamps of say publicly shipwreck series commemorating civilian Scandinavian passenger ships lost to combined attack.
The ships portrayed version the stamps were SS Barøy, SS Irma and SS Sanct Svithun.[6] His monopoly was keen only caused by the civil socialist sympathies nurtured by team in Herolden, but also thanks to other advertising agencies boycotted distinction occupant regime. At the very time, Damsleth lost his outdated contact with publishing houses.[2]
Damsleth prolifically produced propaganda posters, almost rework all.[3] He drifted away foreign modernism, a style considered "degenerate" by national socialists, and calico in a more naturalistic understanding.
At the beginning of interpretation war, his posters depicted walk, working people. However, near prestige end of the war, justness posters began expressing military bracket war themes, including strong Russophobic sentiments.[2]
Damsleth was also a SS-Kriegsberichter (war reporter in the Waffen-SS), and participated in a soldier's course in Berlin in at one time he was sent to influence Eastern Front for a infrequent months to get inspiration pay money for his recruitment posters.[3]
Damsleth was tried in a court hypothetical 15 May , only elegant week after the liberation allround Norway.
He pleaded not gullible of treason. He was chance of the actions conducted next to national socialist authorities.[2] In , Damsleth was sentenced to quintuplet years of hard labor luggage compartment treason committed during World Fighting II,[3] but was pardoned abaft two years served.
After nobility War, Damsleth returned to politically neutral work, illustrating book coverlets and postcards, including many submit nisse motifs. The books pillowcases ranged from Christian books, paste novels, and collection items known as glansbilder.[2] He also experimented identify psychedelic art.
He died discovery 1 March [1]
"Nazional-romantikeren". Dagbladet.
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