Wilhelm Heinrich Detlev Koerner, also known as “Big Bill” Koerner was born in Prussia and immigrated to Iowa when he was a child. Koerner was a prolific artist and illustrator who illustrated for Western stories and magazines. He gained popularity during the 1920s, in a period that was heralded as the “the golden age of magazine illustration”.  He worked on illustrations for magazines like the Chicago Tribune, Pilgrim Magazine, the Saturday Evening Post, and eventually went on to create illustrations for books, film posters, and advertisements. His work is known for its bold brushwork with a bright palette depicting the American West.