Boardman Robinson, noted for his cartoons, paintings, and murals, was born in 1876 in Somerset, Nova Scotia, Canada. His childhood years were spent in Wales, but he later moved to the United States to attend the Massachusetts Art School. Robinson then studied in Paris where he was influenced by the political cartoonist Honore Daumier. He returned to New York City and became famous as a cartoonist and illustrator for various newspapers and magazines, including Harpers, the Tribune, The New York Times, and the New York Morning Telegraph.

Robinson's black crayon with ink washes was his distinctive style, and he established the grease crayon as a potent implement for drawing editorial cartoons. App...