Frank Soltesz (1912-1986)
Some people are born with a natural talent that, when nurtured and developed through hard work and determination, not only provides them with a comfortable means of living but elevates them to a position of prominence and respect in their community and among their peers. Frank Soltesz was such a person; a small-town boy who loved to draw pictures and grew up to become one of the finest commercial illustrators of his time.
Frank Joseph Soltesz was born on June 14, 1912 in Derry, Pennsylvania, where his father, a Slovakian immigrant, had a saddle and harness-making shop. He was the sixth of eight children; five girls and three boys.
Soltesz' first big push into becoming a professional artist came around 1933 when he enrolled in the Art Institute of Pittsburgh. After two years at AIP, he got a job at the Pittsburgh Press and then later at advertising agency Rayart Studios.
In 1945, Soltesz got another big push. Jack Frye, President of TWA, saw Soltesz' work and offered him a job doing TWA's magazine ads. Soltesz' work appeared in all the major periodicals of the day: Life, Colliers, Saturday Evening Post, Esquire, Sports Illustrated, Forbes, Fortune, Time, Business Week, U.S. News and World Report.