Best known for his Gloucester, Massachusetts fishing scenes, war convoys, and marine battle scenes, Anton Fischer was born in Munich, Germany and came to New York City in 1903. Among his illustrated books were "Moby Dick", "Twenty-Thousand Leagues Under the Sea", and "Treasure Island." He was known for his technical accuracy, as well as the portrayal of men's emotions in a variety of subjects. Fischer often used photographs to verify his illustrations.

Orphaned at an early age, he ran away at fifteen years of age when forced to study for the priesthood. He became a printer's devil, but soon went to sea for eight years, except for a fourteen-month period in 1905-06 when he worked as a model and general handyman for artist Arthur Burde...