Arnold Ferdinand Arnold

Arnold Ferdinand Arnold (February 6, 1921 - January 20, 2012) was an author, game designer and cyberneticist, known more for the fame of his relatives and wives in later life.[1] His first and only legal wife, Eve Arnold, was known for photography. His second partner, who he never married, was writer Gail E. Haley. Arnold's two brothers-in-law were Theodor Gaster and Peter Drucker.

Education

Arnold, born Arnold F. Schmitz, was born into one of Germany's oldest Jewish families. After fleeing Nazi Germany ony the day Hitler came to power, Arnold was educated in the UK at Bedales School. He later attended St. Martin's School of Art before moving to the United States.

Career

Arnold followed his eldest sister to the United States where he gained work as a writer and cartoonist. He was drafted into the U.S. military in 1941, and after training in South Carolina, was sent to France as a member of the 101st Division. Badly wounded after his jeep ran over a German landmine, he returned to New York where he settled down to married life with Eve.

By the 1950s, Arnold was well established in the New York literary world. He taught at the New School, had a one-man show at MOMA,[2] and published his first book with acquaintance, Ian Ballantine. The success of the book, How To Play With Your Child, which sold over 100,000 initial copies, established Arnold as an author, and allowed the family to buy a house in Long Island Sound.[3]

Arnold was also a successful and well known advertising and commercial designer, and created the famous Parker Brothers swirl logo, first used in 1964.[4] He created and designed many innovative educational and teaching games for leading game designers through the 1960s. He also designed classical record covers for EPIC Records during the 1950s.[5]

It was during this time that he also began to help his wife, Eve, establish herself as a photographer. They had one son. In 1961, they sold their house in Long Island, and Eve moved with their son to England. By 1965, however, Arnold had not followed the family. Instead he met Gail E. Haley, then married to Joseph Haley and fell in love with her. She divorced her husband, but Eve refused to divorce Arnold.

Arnold and Gail had two children. Arnold had by this time established himself as a national columnist with the Chicago Tribune with a weekly column on childrearing called "Parents and Their Children."[6]

In 1973, Arnold, Gail and their two children moved to England. Arnold was increasingly distraught over the direction of U.S. politics and publicly spoke out and wrote against Richard Nixon, which resulted in his being placed on Nixon's "enemies list."

During the 1980s and '90s, Arnold published several books, but never again had a financially successful career. He moved back to Petersfield in 1998, where his health rapidly declined. He died in 2012, from complications of sepsis and pneumonia.

Significance In German Jewish history

His grandfather, Julius Lahnstein, founded Kaufhaus Lahnstein in Mainz. The store was destroyed during WWII and never built back. His uncle, Carl Lahnstein was also the founding sponsor of FSV Mainz 05.

His daughter, Marguerite Arnold, was the plaintiff of the German Supreme Court case 2BVR 2628/18, reforming German constitutional and immigration law allowing Jewish descendents to reclaim their German citizenship more easily.

References

1. http://www.encyclopedia.com/arts/culture-magazines/arnold-arnold-f
2. https://www.moma.org/momaorg/shared/pdfs/docs/press_archives/1772/releases/MOMA_1953_0102_85.pdf?2010
3. https://www.abebooks.co.uk/PLAY-CHILD-Arnold-Ballantine-Books-New/8153429937/bd
4. Baer, Barbara; Capitman, Barbara Baer (1976-01-01). American Trademark Designs: A Survey with 732 Marks, Logos, and Corporate-identity Symbols. Courier Corporation. ISBN 9780486232591.
5. "BEDALES ASSOCIATION and OLD BEDALIAN NEWSLETTER 2013" (PDF). 2013.
6. http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1961/12/26/page/38/article/parents-should-help-children-with-toys