Harold Landaker was born in Ohio on December 12, 1892. His early studies included time spent at the Art Institute of Chicago, where he met his wife, artist Mabel Beatrice Holtz. The couple worked for and traveled with the Clyde Beatty Circus for thirteen years, with their children Walter and Hal. They were both involved in painting sets and decorations for the circus environment. In 1940 the Landakers moved to Southern California where Harold landed a job with MGM studies. While living in Los Angeles, Harold founded a ceramics studio in Van Nuys called “Landaker Originals.” In both two- and three-dimensions, Landaker’s paintings and clay sculptures mainly showcased whimsical renditions of circus characters like clowns and the many wild animals and birds he had become familiar with in the circus. Landaker died in Monterey on November 6, 1966.