Date of Birth: 08/30/1893
Place of Birth: Hot Springs, South Dakota
Date of Death: 01/30/1997
Place of Death: Carversville, Pennsylvania

Disciplines: Painter, Illustrator, Photographer

An accomplished painter and illustrator, Charles Hargens was renowned for his scenes of the Old West.

Born in 1893 and growing up in the Black Hills of South Dakota, Hargens worked from first -hand knowledge of western life.

Prairie Guns

His oil paintings were painstaking in every detail, realistically capturing the era.

"I want to depict that human element and what happens to these people," he said.

Many of his paintings were commissioned for book covers and illustrations. He illustrated almost all of the Zane Grey westerns for Lippincott, worked for MacMillan and Doubleday, among others.

In 1947, Hargens was recruited to act as scoutmaster to Troop 64, a scout troop in Carversville, in which he participated until 1980.

In 1981, Hargens received the Community Service Award for Excellence in Art from the Central Bucks Chamber of Commerce.

In 1982, Hargens received an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts degree from Dakota Wesleyan University, Mitchell, South Dakota.

In 1993, the James A. Michener Art Museum honored Hargens with a special exhibition of his work to celebrate his 100th birthday. Hargens lived to be 103 years of age.

Forbidden Valley