Herman Umbstaetter
Herman Umbstaetter | |
|---|---|
| Born | Herman Daniel Umbstaetter[1] February 26, 1851 Parma, Ohio, U.S. |
| Died | November 25, 1913 (aged 62) Lovell, Maine, U.S. |
| Occupation | Businessman |
| Known for | Founding The Black Cat |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 1 |
Herman Daniel Umbstaetter (February 26, 1851 – November 25, 1913) was an American businessman and founder of the magazine The Black Cat.[2]
Early life[edit]
Umbstaetter was born on February 26, 1851, in Parma, Ohio the son of Charles Umbstaetter and Helen Hege. He later moved to Cleveland.[2]
Career[edit]
Umbstaetter had become wealthy in the advertising and publishing business in Baltimore by the late 1880s.[1][3][4] In 1886, he attempted to start a magazine in Boston, proposing to price it at ten cents, but was unable to get funding.[3] He worked in the United Kingdom for a while, but lost his fortune and returned to the US, spending some time in California before settling in Boston in 1891. He again attempted to find capital to start a magazine and was again rebuffed. He finally launched The Black Cat in 1895, having saved enough money to start it on his own account.[3][4]
He began to have health problems in 1912, and that year he sold The Black Cat to Samuel Cassino, the publisher of Little Folks.[5][6]
Personal life[edit]
He married artist Nelly Littlehale in Boston in 1893. They had a daughter called Amo.[7]
Death[edit]
On November 25, 1913, Umbstaetter and Howard Palmer went on a hunting expedition on the shore of Kezar Lake in the Maine woods. Umbstaetter stumbled as he tried to cross a stone wall and fell, resulting in his rifle accidentally discharging and a bullet passing through the left side of his body. He was taken to a cottage and a surgeon and trained nurse were obtained. He died at two o'clock in the afternoon from his wounds.[7]
References[edit]
- ^ a b Mott (1957), pp. 428–431.
- ^ a b Bessom, Harold E. (October 1920). "The Story of The Black Cat". The Black Cat. Vol. 25, no. 12. pp. 84–85. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
- ^ a b c Bessom (1920), pp. 84–85.
- ^ a b Anonymous (1898), pp. 99–103.
- ^ Mott (1957), pp. 428–431.
- ^ Anonymous (May 1912), pp. 79–80.
- ^ a b "Founder of Black Cat Dead: Herman D. Umbstaetter Fatally Wounded While Gunning in Maine". Boston Evening Transcript. Vol. 84, no. 279. November 26, 1913. p. 22. Retrieved November 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.