Fred Eng - Illustration History

Biography

Fred R. Eng (1917-1995) was a Chinese American illustrator, photographer, and tennis enthusiast. He had a successful career as a commercial artist, and during World War II, served as Statistical Officer in the Army Mapping Department.

Born Ng Quong You in Namchieu, China, Eng moved to the United States in 1920 when he was three years old. With his mother and sister, Eng joined his father who had become a U.S. citizen and was working as a dressmaker in San Francisco. After graduating from Union High School in 1935, Eng was awarded a scholarship to The College of Arts and Crafts, San Francisco. He graduated in 1941 and moved to New York City to seek work in advertising. He was there when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.[1]

Eng enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Corps which selected him for Officer Candidate School. After basic training in Florida, he was sent to New York University to study map making and statistics. It was there that he met Ruth Hunter, a voice student at the Julliard School of Music. They were married in New York City in 1943. In 1944 Eng attended Harvard University Graduate Statistical School. He was sent overseas to Morocco where he became Statistical Officer in the Army Mapping Department.[2]

Returning to New York City after the war, Eng sought work as a commercial artist. His illustrations appeared in many mainstream magazines including The Saturday Evening Post, McCall’s, House Beautiful, and Reader’s Digest, among others. He also moved to Tivoli, New York, where he and his wife raised their five children. In the 1960s Eng tried his hand at photography and had success in this field as well, publishing his work in magazines such as Good Housekeeping, Esquire, and Seventeen.

After retiring from commercial illustration and photography, Eng spent winters in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he enjoyed playing tennis. He was 77 years old when died of a heart attack on February 16, 1995.[3]

Footnotes:

[1] Saunders, David. “Fred R. Eng 1917-1995.” The Field Guide To Wild American Pulp Artists” website. Accessed on October 19, 2022. Dated 2013. https://www.pulpartists.com/EngR.html

[2] Ibid.

[3] Ibid.

This artist’s biography was written by Phyllis Geraghty, a writer with professional experience in the public relations, education, health, and non-profit sectors.

Illustrations by Fred Eng

Additional Resources

Bibliography

Saunders, David. “Fred R. Eng 1916-1977.” The Field Guide To Wild American Pulp Artists” website. Dated 2013.