From Flatbush to Ambush: Donald Teague’s Illustration Career

Donald Teague (1897-1991) is mostly remembered locally for his fine art.  However, Teague was also one of the top American illustrators during the second half of the Golden Era of Illustration.  And, he created many of his best illustrations after his move to Carmel in 1949.

This presentation will provide a comprehensive overview of Teague’s illustration career.  We’ll start with his humble beginnings in New York City in 1921, and follow his development through to the 1940s and 1950s, at which point Teague was a senior story illustrator for both The Saturday Evening Post and Collier’s, working in his mature, signature style.  Although image-driven, the presentation will weave in Teague’s personal and family history, as well as important friendships, including his friendship with Carmel Valley cowboy artist Jack (JN) Swanson.
Teague became known as a western illustrator later in his career.  Teague was quite versatile, however, and the majority of his illustrations were not westerns.  This presentation will provide a balanced review of his illustration work – the majority of the images shared will not be westerns.

Donald Teague was one of a small number of American artists to be elected into both the National Academy of Design and the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame.  When he died, the Los Angeles Times called him the Dean of American Watercolorists.  You do not want to miss this presentation!

Presenter: Scott Gale MD is without a doubt the world expert on Donald Teague.  Teague was Gale’s grandfather, with a twist: Gale was adopted out of the Teague family at birth, and became reunited with his birth mother Linda shortly after Don’s death.  Teague’s career became Gale’s main “mental sanity project” during the COVID lockdown.  Among other things, Gale has tracked down every illustration Teague did, approximately 525 stories.  Gale scanned every illustration, then cleaned each up in Photoshop.  Presentation attendees will relish the visually stunning feast Gale has in store for them.