Harald Damsleth

Damsleth was a member of Norway’s home-grown fascist party, Nasjonal Samling, and became their most ardent propagandist after they came to power under German occupation in 1942.

His father soon returned to Norway to work at Fredrikstad Mekaniske Verksted, whereas Harald Damsleth lived with his mother until the age of eleven.

When he received an offer from Disney in 1939 to work for him, in connection with a new visit to the United States, Damsleth declined out of consideration for his family.

His illustrations were inspired by the Norwegian scenery and healthy, blonde people (Arne Skouen once described him as a "specialist on Aryan facial traits").

Erling Sandberg was eventually appointed to Josef Terboven's Council of State, and Harald Damsleth began receiving assignments for public service announcements in April 1940, shortly after the invasion.

[6] His monopoly was not only caused by the national socialist sympathies nurtured by employees in Herolden, but also because other advertising agencies boycotted the occupant regime.

[2] Damsleth was also a SS-Kriegsberichter (war reporter in the Waffen-SS), and participated in a soldier's course in Berlin in 1942 before he was sent to the Eastern Front for a few months to get inspiration for his recruitment posters.

After the War, Damsleth returned to politically neutral work, illustrating book covers and postcards, including many with nisse motifs.