{"person":[{"sourceId":{"label":"Source ID","value":"492"},"lastName":{"label":"Last Name","value":"Darger"},"endDate":{"label":"Death Date","value":"1973"},"displayName":{"label":"Name","value":"Henry Darger"},"objects":{"label":"Objects","value":[{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Boy with glass of milk)","objectNumber":"2003.7.261","objectID":"4293"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Damna Fruit)","objectNumber":"2003.7.7","objectID":"6557"},{"objectTitle":"6 Episode 3 Place Not Mentioned. Escape during violent storm, still fighting though persed for long distance. ","objectNumber":"1995.23.1a","objectID":"2263"},{"objectTitle":"\"At Cedernine Jennie being wounded is caught between firing lines\"","objectNumber":"2001.24.1","objectID":"2975"},{"objectTitle":"AT SUNBEAM CREEK. are with little girl refugees again in peril from forest fires. but escape this also, but half naked and in burned rags / At Torrington. Are persued by a storm of fire but save themselves by jumping into a stream and swim across as seen in next picture / At Torrington. They reach the river just in the nick of time. Their red color is caused by glare of flames... ","objectNumber":"2004.1.2A","objectID":"3139"},{"objectTitle":"144 At Jennie Richee. Waiting for the blinding rain to stop. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2003.10.1A","objectID":"3141"},{"objectTitle":"172 At Jennie Richee. Storm continues. Lightning strikes shelter but no one is injured. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2004.1.1A","objectID":"3140"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled  (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2003.10.3A","objectID":"3143"},{"objectTitle":"56 At Jennie Richiee. Vivian girls caught in insane fury of crazy thunderstorm bring child slaves to shelter, though 8 are killed. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2003.10.2A","objectID":"3142"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Vivian Girl with Doll)","objectNumber":"2004.15.1","objectID":"3256"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (\"This Human Fiend...\")","objectNumber":"2003.7.63","objectID":"4197"},{"objectTitle":"I see Glandellians, if they come here I'll....We will slam them with our wings. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2004.1.3A","objectID":"3144"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (two girls ironing)","objectNumber":"2003.7.221","objectID":"4154"},{"objectTitle":"At Jullo Callio via Norma They are captured by the Glandelinians","objectNumber":"2001.16.3","objectID":"3089"},{"objectTitle":"Gigantic Roverine with Young All poisonous All islands of Universan seas and oceans. Also in Calverina Angelinia and Abbieannia.","objectNumber":"2001.16.4","objectID":"3088"},{"objectTitle":"Human headed Blengins of Calverine Island Catherine Isles. Males. Venomous. Only the angels of heaven can combact these creatures.","objectNumber":"2001.16.5","objectID":"3087"},{"objectTitle":"\"Girl in Mirror\"","objectNumber":"2003.7.206","objectID":"4137"},{"objectTitle":"175 At Jennie Richee. Everything is allright though storm continues. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2001.16.2A","objectID":"3090"},{"objectTitle":"\"Sister, have you forgotten what we stand for?\"","objectNumber":"2003.7.205a","objectID":"4134"},{"objectTitle":"18 At Norma Catherine. But wild thunderstorm with cyclone like wind saves them. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2002.22.2A","objectID":"3067"},{"objectTitle":"At Jullo Callio. And again escape and being persued by wild Glandelinian soldiery suddenly dash into a party of Christian soldiery and are rescued. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2002.22.1A","objectID":"3064"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Portraits of Glandelinian and High  Abbieannian Generals)","objectNumber":"2002.22.4","objectID":"3069"},{"objectTitle":"6 At Jennie Richee Have thrilling time while with bombshells bursting all around. Branch of Aronburg Run. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2002.22.3A","objectID":"3068"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (\"Straight Arrow\")","objectNumber":"2003.7.240","objectID":"4270"},{"objectTitle":"2 At Cederine She witnesses a frightful slaughter of officers. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2002.22.6A","objectID":"3071"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (\"To Err is human\"/\"Let your Beauty be Seen\")","objectNumber":"2003.7.239","objectID":"4269"},{"objectTitle":"COLONEL JACK F EVANS","objectNumber":"2002.22.5","objectID":"3070"},{"objectTitle":"General Bichnellian, General Tomas Federal, General Tamerline, General Meldonia Shoeman","objectNumber":"2000.25.4","objectID":"2928"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (\"These Little Children...\")","objectNumber":"2003.7.60","objectID":"4249"},{"objectTitle":"53 At Jennie Richee Assuming nuded appearance by compulsion race ahead of coming storm to warn their father. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2000.25.3A","objectID":"2927"},{"objectTitle":"URIKLIN LA FOTLIN SACRAMENTO DE LA VIVI, GLANDELINIA (Flag of Glandelinia)","objectNumber":"2000.25.5","objectID":"2929"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Blengins capturing Glandelinian Soldiers) (double-sided)","objectNumber":"1999.7.1A","objectID":"2600"},{"objectTitle":"At 5 Norma Catherine. but are retaken. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2003.8.1A","objectID":"2725"},{"objectTitle":"To escape forest fires they enter a volcanic Cavern. Are helped out of cave, trap by Blengiglomenean Createns. / PERSUED BY FOREST FIRES, PROVING THE BIGNESS OF THE CONFLARRATION IT IS 40 MILES AWAY AND ADVANCING FAST. / How when they were put in a rat infested cell, they by using the rats and even a few mice they caught they managed to escape after being persued and hounded. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2000.25.1A","objectID":"2765"},{"objectTitle":"3 At Jennie Richee are persued down stream. Puzzle, try and find them, but they're in picture (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2000.25.2A","objectID":"2779"},{"objectTitle":"195 Are unsuccessfully attacked by Glandelinian soldiers unseen in picture, narrowly escape capture by hiding among Balboa bushes. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2001.16.1A","objectID":"2006"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Girl with kitten)","objectNumber":"2003.7.241","objectID":"4271"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Infant lower right/ family upper left)","objectNumber":"2003.7.243","objectID":"4273"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (\"Part of the Fun\")","objectNumber":"2003.7.242","objectID":"4272"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (\"Your Tuberculosis Association Helps to Keep all Homes Safe from Tuberculosis\")","objectNumber":"2003.7.245","objectID":"4275"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Girl with two birds and a squirrel)","objectNumber":"2003.7.244","objectID":"4274"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (\"No puppies for sale\")","objectNumber":"2003.7.247","objectID":"4277"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Little baby on left, two kids on right)","objectNumber":"2003.7.246","objectID":"4276"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Young girls lower left, lower right/ camera upper left)","objectNumber":"2003.7.250","objectID":"4280"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Portrait of girl by C. Max)","objectNumber":"2003.7.253","objectID":"4283"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Girl resting in chair)","objectNumber":"2003.7.254","objectID":"4286"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Two girls and a dog sitting in garden)","objectNumber":"2003.7.6","objectID":"4298"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (\"Judy wants her flower...\")","objectNumber":"2003.7.255","objectID":"4287"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Girl Ironing)","objectNumber":"2003.7.12","objectID":"4300"},{"objectTitle":"Picture One. This scene here shows the murderous massacre still going on before the winged blengins arrived from the sky. They came so quick how however that those fastened to the trees, or board, and those on the run escaped the murderist rascals or were rescued, and flown to permanent safty and security. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"1999.7.1B","objectID":"4611"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Religious collage with Madonna and Child)","objectNumber":"2003.7.35","objectID":"4299"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (double-sided)","objectNumber":"1995.23.1b","objectID":"4610"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Notice!)","objectNumber":"2003.7.62","objectID":"4303"},{"objectTitle":"Looking West Down Aronburg Run River (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2000.25.1B","objectID":"4613"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (\"In Times Like These\" with Vietnamese girl and Joe Namath)","objectNumber":"2003.7.259","objectID":"4291"},{"objectTitle":"After M Whurther Run Glandelinians attack and blow up train carrying children to refuge. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2003.8.1B","objectID":"4612"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Boy with glass of milk)","objectNumber":"2003.7.260","objectID":"4292"},{"objectTitle":"73 At Jennie Richee Escape by their help. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2004.1.2B","objectID":"4615"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (\"Boy who smiles\" and Madonna)","objectNumber":"2003.7.263","objectID":"4295"},{"objectTitle":"At Jennie Turner Children tied to trees in path of forest fires. In spite of exceeding extreme peril, Vivian girls rescued them I Vivian Girl Jennie observes with spy glass great massacre of children and brings the attention of her sisters to it. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2000.25.2B","objectID":"4614"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Brunette girl on upper left corner)","objectNumber":"2003.7.258","objectID":"4290"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2004.1.1B","objectID":"4617"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (\"Extension\")","objectNumber":"2003.7.265","objectID":"4297"},{"objectTitle":"At Phelantonburg. They raid a guardhouse / At Calmanrina Escape Through City Tunnel./ Last at Phelantonberg. They Witness a Massacre of Children. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2000.25.3B","objectID":"4616"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Double portrait of older man)","objectNumber":"2003.7.264","objectID":"4296"},{"objectTitle":"At battle of Drosabellamaximillian. Seeing Glandelinians retreating Vivian girls grasp Christian banners, and lead charge against foe (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2002.22.1B","objectID":"4619"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Glamorous woman upper left corner)","objectNumber":"2003.7.257","objectID":"4289"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2004.1.3B","objectID":"4618"},{"objectTitle":"I At Cains Fair. Violets sisters at her command, Escapes, but she remains a prisoner, and she even in the face of guns, obstinately refuses to tell where they went. 2 At Cains Fair, Her Sisters comes to he rescue and all the officers except cannon are captured Note the strange phenomena. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2002.22.3B","objectID":"4621"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled (Boy with fish bowl)","objectNumber":"2003.7.256","objectID":"4288"},{"objectTitle":"At Cedernine. Jennie is bruttally treated. no I At Cains Fair They return to the tavern surprise the same foe generals. Taking them prisoners, but,/ 18 At Norma Catherine, But wild thunderstorm with cyclone like wind saves them. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2002.22.2B","objectID":"4620"},{"objectTitle":"145 At Jennie Richee. Hard pressed and harassed by the storm (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2003.10.1B","objectID":"4623"},{"objectTitle":"3 Place not mentioned / Esposide 3 2 Escape with great number of kids still fighting (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2002.22.6B","objectID":"4622"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled  (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2003.10.3B","objectID":"4625"},{"objectTitle":"At Jennie Richee 57. They seize a Glandelinian officer who is in swimming during height of storm (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2003.10.2B","objectID":"4624"},{"objectTitle":"176 part two. Jennie Richee waiting for the rain to stop as they cannot see Manleys headquaters through the rain shroud. (double-sided)","objectNumber":"2001.16.2B","objectID":"4627"},{"objectTitle":"Untitled","objectNumber":"2001.16.1B","objectID":"4626"}]},"geographyDied":{"label":"Died","value":"Chicago"},"biography":{"label":"Biography","value":"In a manuscript of more than fifteen thousand pages, Henry Darger created a fantastic world in which children endured wars and disasters amidst magical creatures and flowery landscapes. He accompanied the densely typed pages with around three hundred large-scale, double-sided, panoramic watercolor and collage pieces, assembled in scrapbooks. Many figures were traced, enlarged, or lifted entirely from magazines, comic strips, and other popular media, although Darger often transformed them with imaginative details such as butterfly wings and horns. This monumental work\u2014titled <em>The Story of the Vivian Girls, in what is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion<\/em>\u2014was just part of the thousands of pages of text and art he produced and would make him one of the best-known artists of the twentieth century. Yet the work\u2019s fame would come only posthumously, following its discovery by his landlords in 1972.Most people knew Darger as a hospital janitor in Chicago, where he was born in 1892 and spent much of his life. The trials faced by the Vivian Girls as they waged battles to rescue fellow children who had been enslaved by the violent adult villains he named the Glandelinians may have offered an outlet for his memories of a disrupted and vulnerable childhood. When he was four, his mother died, and by the time he was eight, he was in an orphanage; he later was sent to the Lincoln Asylum for Feeble-Minded Children, where abuse and neglect were rampant. He finally escaped when he was seventeen.Although he spent his lifetime working in isolation, emergence from obscurity came quickly after he died in 1973, with the first exhibition of his work held in 1977 at the Hyde Park Art Center. The Intuit Art Museum in Chicago later acquired the contents of his one-room apartment, and the American Folk Art Museum now has the largest repository of his work. Although his sprawling narratives that use myth and metaphor to express a highly personal world have influenced countless artists and are now prized by collectors and institutions around the world, his remains rest humbly in the \u201cpoor plot\u201d of a cemetery in the Chicago suburbs, his headstone reading both \u201cArtist\u201d and \u201cProtector Of Children.\u201dAllison C. Meier, 2025Text written as part of \u201cRethinking Biography,\u201d an initiative supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)."},"geographyActive":{"label":"Active","value":"Chicago"},"geographyBorn":{"label":"Born","value":"Chicago"},"beginDate":{"label":"Birth Date","value":"1892"},"firstName":{"label":"First Name","value":"Henry"},"textEntries":{"label":"Text Entries","value":"The museum is home to the single largest public repository of works by Henry Darger (1892\u20131973), one of the most significant self-taught artists of the 20th century.Darger created nearly 300 watercolor and collage paintings, bound into three huge volumes, to illustrate his epic materpiece, The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What Is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glandeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Caused by the Child Slave Rebellion, a tale about a world torn apart by war. Darger began to work on In the Realms of the Unreal (as it is commonly called) when he was about 19 years old. When it was completed, after decades of work, the typewritten manuscript was 15,145 pages long and comprised 13 volumes. In the Realms of the Unreal is the tale of seven little girls\u2014the Vivian Girls\u2014who set out to rescue abducted children who have been enslaved by the adult Glandelinians. The heroes in this tale are always the children, the villains typically adults. The story of war and peace, of good versus evil, loosely parallels many of the events of the American Civil War. Darger was a Civil War enthusiast, and he chronicled the flags, maps, and officers in separate journals. In his version of the conflict, the enslaved people are white children who usually appear unclothed\u2014Darger poignantly captured the powerlessness of any enslaved peoples by depicting them as young, innocent, and naked. The nakedness of the children also exposes their mixed gender, which is a compelling aspect of the artist's imagery, open to many interpretations. Throughout the tale, one confronts much death and destruction, and, as is often the case in the world of fiction, good usually triumphs over evil\u2014but not without challenges along the way. In the Realms of the Unreal, however, has two endings: in one, concuding a series of harrowing trials and complex adventures, the heroic Vivian Girls emerge triumphant, while in the other, they are defeated by the evil Glandelinians. The fantastic watercolors accompanying the narrative, which are executed in lyrical seductive hues and measure up to 12 feet in width, are among the works by Darger that are most celebrated today. "},"primaryMedia":{"value":"https://collection.folkartmuseum.org/internal/media/dispatcher/4865/full"},"names":{"label":"Names","value":"Henry Darger"},"displayDate":{"label":"Date","value":"(1892\u20131973)"},"altNums":{"label":"Alternative Numbers","value":"12"},"id":{"label":"Id","value":"150882"}}]}