Born
in Constantinople in 1904, Tateos Manookian grew up fascinated
with the military ships he often sketched from age 7 on. He
studied at the school of St. Gregory the Illustrator in Constantinople
until his life was disrupted by the terror unleased by Turks
on Armenians in 1915. He left in 1919 to study art in the United
States, and attended the Rhode Island School of Design on a
state scholarship.
He
joined the U. S. Marines in 1923 and became a clerk to Major
Edwin McClellan who assigned him to illustrate a book of Marine
history. Manookian also contributed illustrations to "Leatherneck"
the magazine of the U. S. Marines.
Upon
leaving the Marines in 1927 he created illustrations for "Paradise
of the Pacific" magazine and also created murals in the
Honolulu area. His was becoming recognized as an outstanding
Modernist when he took his own life, by poison, in a fit of
despondency.
As
a result of his early death, his original illustrations and
paintings are rare and sought after.