Sporting Cartoonist Homer Davenport (1867-1912)

[1] Davenport cartoon of Bob Fitzsimmons-NY Journal-Mar 16 1897

SAN FRANCISCO. The first newspaper sporting cartoonist in San Francisco to achieve fame was Homer Calvin Davenport. Davenport was born in Silverton, Oregon on March 6, 1867 and his first introduction to newspapers was at the Portland Oregonian.  He arrived in San Francisco on Feb 2, 1892 and was “taken on trial” by the Examiner at $10 a week. The Chronicle, which also employed Solly Walters a former Wasp cartoonist, hired Davenport at $20 to supply crude but funny pictures of baseball games, the players and the fans. 

[2] NY Journal-Mar 15 1897

The “irresistible” drawings caught the eye of Samuel Chamberlain, editor of Hearst’s Examiner, who enticed the young artist to switch his allegiance to the offices of the Examiner. Davenport’s sporting cartoons were mostly caricature illustrations resembling his single-panel political cartoons. Soon Davenport moved to Chicago and the Herald for $35 a week. He was discharged and back in San Francisco in 1894 employed by the Chronicle. “All that I had been asking an outlet for found vent, and my cartoons began to attract attention.” Hearst noticed and hired him on the Examiner at $45 a week. When Hearst bought the New York Journal Davenport was one of the first Californians hired and brought east by Hearst.

[3] James Corbett, NY Journal-Mar 17 1897

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