George Altendorf was born in 1904 in Loughlinstown, south Dublin, to a German father and an Irish mother. The family moved to Carlisle, England, after George was born, but returned to Dublin after the First World War. He attended the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art, and later worked as a stained glass artist at the Harry Clarke Studios. When the Irish Press was launched in 1929 he was appointed its assistant art editor, later becoming art editor. In 1934 he exhibited with the Associated Irish Artists.
He contributed illustrations to The Capuchin Annual and the Father Mathew Record, and a history book produced for Nigerian primary schools by the Holy Ghost Fathers, and illustrated covers for a series of booklets published by Veritas Co Ltd. He also provided illustrations for the Irish story paper Our Boys, and illustrated children's books by Patricia Lynch. He was the artist of the 1953 Christian Brothers' Irish language comic Éire, Sean is Nua. He died in Dublin on 19 August 1966.
Books illustrated[]
- Terence O'Hanlon, The Highwayman in Irish History, M. H. Gill & Son, 1932
- Patricia Lynch, The Turf-Cutter's Donkey Goes Visiting, J. M. Dent & Son, 1935
- Cathal Mac Aonghusa, Pádraic Ó Concheanainn, Sorcha Ó Guairim, Ceathrar Comrádaí, 1938
- Patricia Lynch and Maighréad Nic Mhaicín, Eibhlín agus Séamus, 1943
References[]
- Theo Snoddy, Dictionary of Irish Artists: 20th Century, Merlin Publishing, 2002
- Michael Flanagan, "True sons of Erin: Catholic/nationalist ideology and the politics of adventure in Our Boys 1914-32" (2006). Doctoral. Paper 9.
- 1911 Census of England and Wales