Williams County History (April 2, 1968): Harry Wickey, acclaimed artist and Stryker native, died. Harry Wickey was born in Stryker on October 14, 1892. After graduating from Stryker High School, Wickey attended art schools in Detroit and Chicago. Wickey was living in New York City when he was drafted into the Army during World War I. Returning to New York after the war, Wickey’s illustrations began appearing in national publications such as the Saturday Evening Post and Redbook. Wickey became renowned for his etchings and sculpture, with his work included in the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Library of Congress and the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Wickey’s early life, education, influences and rise to fame are chronicled in his 1941 autobiography “Thus Far, The Growth of An American Artist.” Copies of this publication are available at the Williams County Public Library’s Bryan and Stryker branches. Harry Wickey died in Cornwall, N.Y., on April 2, 1968. This vintage image of Harry Wickey is from the Kevin Maynard collection.
