After the Revolution of 1848 ended in Vienna, Johann Keppler moved to America. A baker by trade, it was his political beliefs and actions during the failed revolution that forced his immigration away from his home country and wife and four children. Among those children was Joseph Keppler (1838–1894), who eventually followed his father to the United States and become one of the nation’s most influential and popular political cartoonists.
Creative Endeavors
Keppler attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna as well as the Elementary Drawing and Modeling School, where he learned to art skills. His first illustrations were published in the relatively well-known Austrian humor magazine Kikeriki. He attempted to earn a living as a painter, but without his father, the family’s finances were meager. He was forced to pursue more profitable avenues.He joined a theatrical troupe, where he painted set designs for its shows and contributed to the group as a comedian every so often. While he toured Germany and Italy with the troupe, he found side jobs restoring old paintings. In 1864, he married Minna Rubens. Now with a family, he decided it was time to seek better opportunities outside of Europe. The Kepplers moved to America in 1867.
