Life — September 16, 1926 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Thomas Starling Sullivant This page celebrates illustrator Thomas Starling Sullivant through a tribute poem by O.H. (likely Oscar Herford) and Sullivant's characteristic animal drawings arranged around the text. The poem praises Sullivant's mastery of animal illustration—describing how he studied puppets and mechanical creatures to understand movement, then brought various animals (giraffe, tortoise, centaur beetle, deer, ape, elephant, hare, hippopotamus) to life in his work. The verses claim his artwork possesses an enduring "Spirit" that transcends the mechanical, linking his soul to "that Unknown who carved the Sphinx"—elevating his craft to near-divine status. The surrounding illustrations showcase his signature style: detailed, anthropomorphic animals rendered in expressive ink drawings, demonstrating the very mastery the poem celebrates.