Frederick Stewart Manning

*My Hawaiian Rose, 1918
*Golden Sands of Waikiki, 1921
*Bamboo Bay, 1922
*By The Sapphire Sea, 1922
*Hawaiian Night in Dixieland, 1922
*In the Isle of Wicki Wacki Woo, 1923
*Hula Hula Dream Girl, 1924
*Hawaiian Kisses, 1925
*Song of the Islands, 1929
*Luana, 1930
*Reflections of You, 1931

1923 Colorado Springs Gazette article
telling of a $200,000 Manning inheritance
Clipping  courtesy of  the Colorado Springs Gazette

Frederick S. Manning was born in 1875, the son of british born Thomas E. Manning, a cobbler and freemason. His middle name, Stewart, was taken from his mother Jane's maiden name. Frederick was born in Port Huron, Michigan, but he spent much of his childhood in St. Paul, Minnesota, and Tacoma, Washington, before the family relocated to Colorado Springs in 1888 for reasons of his mother's health; Jane M. Manning would pass away in 1892.

In the 1890s Manning worked as a cartoonist on the local newspaper, the Gazette, as well as taught penmanship at a small business school, Guinn Commercial College. He fell in love with a Canadian sweetheart named Hattie Tremell, and they were married on October 4, 1893. They had a son named Lyle the following year, and the fledgling family relocated to Denver in 1899 where Fred found work producing advertising and magazine art.

Sometime after the turn of the century the Manning's moved to Chicago where Fred was successful in gaining commercial assignments, one of which was illustrating a book of poetry entitled Sweethearts Always, by Janet Madison. He also produced cartoons for the Chicago Evening Post and the Chicago Tribune, and began his career in the sheet music trade. Another son was born in 1905, Thomas R. Manning.

In 1911 the family moved again, this time to New York City where Frederick's career really took off, creating illustrations for such companies as Coca Cola, Palmolive Soap, and the Union Pacific Railroad. His sheet music design work also increased, and his covers became well known for the beautiful ladies portrayed on them. Manning became a member of the Society of Independent Artists, and participated in their first exhibition, held in April of 1917.

In the fall of 1923 Frederick inherited $200,000 from the will of a great-grandfather. They bought a house in Dongan Hills, Staten Island, and Frederick commuted by ferry to his New York studio to work on his designs. In 1929 Manning was commissioned to paint a portrait of Charles Lindbergh, Jr. (which now hangs in the Minnesota Historical Society). Later in life, he phased out the sheet music design, choosing to concentrate on portrait and landscape work, including commissions to paint for the Matawan Public Library, and the Matawan First Methodist Church. He continued to paint until his death at the age of 85 on February 26, 1960 in Matawan, New Jersey. Hattie followed on December 25, 1968.