Michael F. Abt, 55, the little Hungarian immigrant whose creative genius and artistic skills produced miles of colorful parades over a two decade span of Cotton Carnivals and Christmases, died at 11:40 last night at Methodist Hospital. He was Catholic.
The cause of death was given as high blood pressure. Mr. Abt suffered a light stroke the morning after the last Cotton Carnival parade in May. He had been a patient at the hospital since August 25.
A Memphian since 1919, Mr. Abt was the head of Tech High's Commercial Art Department for 29 years before retiring in 1950 to devote full time to his work with the Memphis Cotton Carnival Association.
In apparent good health at the last Cotton Carnival , Mr. Abt described the passing floats as the best he had ever designed.
Mr. Abt, during the early years of his life, was stricken with osteomyelitis, which indirectly led to his career as an artist. Born in the city of Ruma in southwest Hungary, Mr. Abt was bitten on the left leg by a German police dog and the bone disease osteomyelitis developed. Sixteen operations followed and he was required to use crutches when he came to the United States in 1910.
Mr. Abt took a year of training as a tailor and was serving as an apprentice in a small shop when he went to a Cleveland Hospital for another operation. While he was recovering he was seen sketching by a society woman who urged him to continue his work and provided him with drawing equipment, paints and brushes. She later financed him through four years at the Cleveland School of Art.
Mr. Abt's venture to Memphis was just as coincidental. He was sailing with a fellow artist down the Mississippi River to New Orleans when he decided to work a week in Memphis before continuing his trip. After three weeks here as a commercial artist he decided to stay.
Mr. Abt worked as a window decorator for a local department store for two years before joining the Tech High faculty. While there, he offered his services in art circles and during the 1920s supervised instruction in drawing, design and illustration at the School of Fine Arts sponsered by the Nineteenth Century Club.
When the Cotton Carnival was in its infancy in 1931, Mr. Abt took charge of the float design and sent the Carnival to national prominence.
The popularity of the Spirit of Christmas parade also became widespread when he added his touch to the construction of the floats. The annual Home Shows also benefited from the artistic services of Mr. Abt.
Mr. Abt who lived at 4899 Raleigh Road, operated the Art Display Company, where he did commercial work.
He leaves his wife, Mrs. Ethel Francis Abt; and two stepsons, William L. Callicott and Burton H. Callicott, both of Memphis.
Published in The Commercial Appeal on Thursday, September 4, 1952
More information at http://www.memphistechhigh.com/miscellaneous/mikeabt/mikeabt.html
Obit provided by Linda Wayman.
The cause of death was given as high blood pressure. Mr. Abt suffered a light stroke the morning after the last Cotton Carnival parade in May. He had been a patient at the hospital since August 25.
A Memphian since 1919, Mr. Abt was the head of Tech High's Commercial Art Department for 29 years before retiring in 1950 to devote full time to his work with the Memphis Cotton Carnival Association.
In apparent good health at the last Cotton Carnival , Mr. Abt described the passing floats as the best he had ever designed.
Mr. Abt, during the early years of his life, was stricken with osteomyelitis, which indirectly led to his career as an artist. Born in the city of Ruma in southwest Hungary, Mr. Abt was bitten on the left leg by a German police dog and the bone disease osteomyelitis developed. Sixteen operations followed and he was required to use crutches when he came to the United States in 1910.
Mr. Abt took a year of training as a tailor and was serving as an apprentice in a small shop when he went to a Cleveland Hospital for another operation. While he was recovering he was seen sketching by a society woman who urged him to continue his work and provided him with drawing equipment, paints and brushes. She later financed him through four years at the Cleveland School of Art.
Mr. Abt's venture to Memphis was just as coincidental. He was sailing with a fellow artist down the Mississippi River to New Orleans when he decided to work a week in Memphis before continuing his trip. After three weeks here as a commercial artist he decided to stay.
Mr. Abt worked as a window decorator for a local department store for two years before joining the Tech High faculty. While there, he offered his services in art circles and during the 1920s supervised instruction in drawing, design and illustration at the School of Fine Arts sponsered by the Nineteenth Century Club.
When the Cotton Carnival was in its infancy in 1931, Mr. Abt took charge of the float design and sent the Carnival to national prominence.
The popularity of the Spirit of Christmas parade also became widespread when he added his touch to the construction of the floats. The annual Home Shows also benefited from the artistic services of Mr. Abt.
Mr. Abt who lived at 4899 Raleigh Road, operated the Art Display Company, where he did commercial work.
He leaves his wife, Mrs. Ethel Francis Abt; and two stepsons, William L. Callicott and Burton H. Callicott, both of Memphis.
Published in The Commercial Appeal on Thursday, September 4, 1952
More information at http://www.memphistechhigh.com/miscellaneous/mikeabt/mikeabt.html
Obit provided by Linda Wayman.
Michael F. Abt, 55, the little Hungarian immigrant whose creative genius and artistic skills produced miles of colorful parades over a two decade span of Cotton Carnivals and Christmases, died at 11:40 last night at Methodist Hospital. He was Catholic.
The cause of death was given as high blood pressure. Mr. Abt suffered a light stroke the morning after the last Cotton Carnival parade in May. He had been a patient at the hospital since August 25.
A Memphian since 1919, Mr. Abt was the head of Tech High's Commercial Art Department for 29 years before retiring in 1950 to devote full time to his work with the Memphis Cotton Carnival Association.
In apparent good health at the last Cotton Carnival , Mr. Abt described the passing floats as the best he had ever designed.
Mr. Abt, during the early years of his life, was stricken with osteomyelitis, which indirectly led to his career as an artist. Born in the city of Ruma in southwest Hungary, Mr. Abt was bitten on the left leg by a German police dog and the bone disease osteomyelitis developed. Sixteen operations followed and he was required to use crutches when he came to the United States in 1910.
Mr. Abt took a year of training as a tailor and was serving as an apprentice in a small shop when he went to a Cleveland Hospital for another operation. While he was recovering he was seen sketching by a society woman who urged him to continue his work and provided him with drawing equipment, paints and brushes. She later financed him through four years at the Cleveland School of Art.
Mr. Abt's venture to Memphis was just as coincidental. He was sailing with a fellow artist down the Mississippi River to New Orleans when he decided to work a week in Memphis before continuing his trip. After three weeks here as a commercial artist he decided to stay.
Mr. Abt worked as a window decorator for a local department store for two years before joining the Tech High faculty. While there, he offered his services in art circles and during the 1920s supervised instruction in drawing, design and illustration at the School of Fine Arts sponsered by the Nineteenth Century Club.
When the Cotton Carnival was in its infancy in 1931, Mr. Abt took charge of the float design and sent the Carnival to national prominence.
The popularity of the Spirit of Christmas parade also became widespread when he added his touch to the construction of the floats. The annual Home Shows also benefited from the artistic services of Mr. Abt.
Mr. Abt who lived at 4899 Raleigh Road, operated the Art Display Company, where he did commercial work.
He leaves his wife, Mrs. Ethel Francis Abt; and two stepsons, William L. Callicott and Burton H. Callicott, both of Memphis.
Published in The Commercial Appeal on Thursday, September 4, 1952
More information at http://www.memphistechhigh.com/miscellaneous/mikeabt/mikeabt.html
Obit provided by Linda Wayman.
The cause of death was given as high blood pressure. Mr. Abt suffered a light stroke the morning after the last Cotton Carnival parade in May. He had been a patient at the hospital since August 25.
A Memphian since 1919, Mr. Abt was the head of Tech High's Commercial Art Department for 29 years before retiring in 1950 to devote full time to his work with the Memphis Cotton Carnival Association.
In apparent good health at the last Cotton Carnival , Mr. Abt described the passing floats as the best he had ever designed.
Mr. Abt, during the early years of his life, was stricken with osteomyelitis, which indirectly led to his career as an artist. Born in the city of Ruma in southwest Hungary, Mr. Abt was bitten on the left leg by a German police dog and the bone disease osteomyelitis developed. Sixteen operations followed and he was required to use crutches when he came to the United States in 1910.
Mr. Abt took a year of training as a tailor and was serving as an apprentice in a small shop when he went to a Cleveland Hospital for another operation. While he was recovering he was seen sketching by a society woman who urged him to continue his work and provided him with drawing equipment, paints and brushes. She later financed him through four years at the Cleveland School of Art.
Mr. Abt's venture to Memphis was just as coincidental. He was sailing with a fellow artist down the Mississippi River to New Orleans when he decided to work a week in Memphis before continuing his trip. After three weeks here as a commercial artist he decided to stay.
Mr. Abt worked as a window decorator for a local department store for two years before joining the Tech High faculty. While there, he offered his services in art circles and during the 1920s supervised instruction in drawing, design and illustration at the School of Fine Arts sponsered by the Nineteenth Century Club.
When the Cotton Carnival was in its infancy in 1931, Mr. Abt took charge of the float design and sent the Carnival to national prominence.
The popularity of the Spirit of Christmas parade also became widespread when he added his touch to the construction of the floats. The annual Home Shows also benefited from the artistic services of Mr. Abt.
Mr. Abt who lived at 4899 Raleigh Road, operated the Art Display Company, where he did commercial work.
He leaves his wife, Mrs. Ethel Francis Abt; and two stepsons, William L. Callicott and Burton H. Callicott, both of Memphis.
Published in The Commercial Appeal on Thursday, September 4, 1952
More information at http://www.memphistechhigh.com/miscellaneous/mikeabt/mikeabt.html
Obit provided by Linda Wayman.
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