Background
He was born in Grand Tower, Illinois, and grew up in Saint Louis, where he graduated from the Saint Louis School of Fine Arts.
He was born in Grand Tower, Illinois, and grew up in Saint Louis, where he graduated from the Saint Louis School of Fine Arts.
Studied drawing and painting Saint Louis School of Fine Arts.
Morgan was labeled “well-educated” by newspaper colleagues. He was fluent in Latin and an aficionado for the theater. Morgan provided pictures for Baum"s American Fairy Tales (1901), and illustrated The Woggle-Bug Book (1905).
By one account, it was Morgan who introduced L. Frank Baum to Paul Tietjens, the composer for “The Wizard of Oz” and other stage projects.
Both West.W. Denslow and Ike Morgan were influenced by Japanese woodcuts on French prints. Morgan developed his own pen-and-ink style and took pride with his color work in the “Woggle-Bug Book”, Boylan"s “Kids of Many Colors” and in “Steps to Nowhere".
His bold illustrations and colors used in various shapes and sizes emphasized his drawings in a dramatic way, rather than limiting their natural scope, so widely incorporated by other illustrators. Morgan was commissioned often for his paintings, theatrical posters and magazine covers.
Ike was married to Mistress
Pauline H. Swain Morgan. According to Denslow’s biography it was Denslow who had hosted Morgan"s wedding reception while his former roommate Paul Tietjans performed some of the music
Married June 28, Pauline Swain.
