Sweigert, Cloyd

Cloyd Sweigert (1897-1973) was born on his father’s farm in what is now San Jose, and he never left the Bay Area. Sweigert’s family helped settle California long before the railroad was built. His father was quite well off, owning a number of properties in San Francisco, but suffered losses due to the 1906 earthquake. Cloyd Sweigert attended the University of California-Davis for one year before transferring to UC-Berkeley. Sweigert received a degree in agriculture, with the expectation of continuing the operation of the family farm, but he fostered his love of art by taking an art class while in school and augmented his notes with sketches and drawings. Sweigert graduated in 1918 and enlisted in the Army. He was preparing to go overseas when the war ended, though Sweigert had trained as a radio specialist. After attempts at farming and accounting, Sweigert landed a job with the San Francisco Examiner, and then with the San Francisco News, as a political cartoonist. Sweigert moved to the San Francisco Chronicle in 1932, where he remained until he retired in 1952. Sweigert won the Freedom Foundation Medal in 1951 and 1952, and the Christopher Medal in 1953, for the best cartoon of the year. Following his retirement, Sweigert occupied himself doing paintings (mostly landscapes) and portraits mostly in oils. He enjoyed entertaining his friends with magic tricks and slight-of-hand and was very popular at parties. Sweigert was a long-time member of the Bohemian Club of San Francisco, donating his talents by publishing daily cartoons of happenings during the Club’s annual encampment. He was very proud to have been on Hitler’s blacklist for the work he did during WWII. The Library of Congress has a fine collection of his originals.

Thanks to Cloyd (Shed) Sweigert, Cloyd’s son, for much of the biographical information above.

The cartoons in this gallery are all circa 1932, likely from Sweigert's time at the San Francisco Chronicle. His early style is quite bouncy and animated, and looks to be influenced by the work of the great cartoonist, illustrator, and designer, Fred Cooper. These originals are huge, measuring 23"x29"!