Harald Damsleth

• Born 1906-08-16 · Died 1971-03-01

Harald Damsleth was a Norwegian cartoonist, illustrator and advertising man. In 1933 Damsleth worked and studied in the United States, visiting Chicago and then Hollywood, where he drew for Walt Disney. He became primarily a professional in the field of advertising, working for several advertising agencies in Oslo before taking over Myres reklamebyrå and then in 1939, Heroldens annonsebyrå with a partner. In addition to advertising, he drew book covers, postcards, and posters. He joined Nasjonal Samling, the Norwegian Fascist Party, in 1933, its founding year. Damsleth began receiving assignments for public service announcements in April 1940 and in October the same year his company was given a monopoly on state announcements. Damsleth also designed nearly all stamps issued in Norway between 1940 and 1945. He is best known as a pro-Nazi propagandist for his posters for Nasjonal Samling during World War II, producing almost 200 propaganda posters. After the war, he was tried in a court and pleaded not guilty of treason but was sentenced to five years of hard labor for treason committed during World War II. He was pardoned after two years served and returned to politically neutral work illustrating book covers and postcards.