Carl Rosner has worn many hats during his lifetime: bakery owner, soldier, carpenter, food and beverage manager, bonsai collector, and illustrator. Today, at the age of 95 years young, his long-term students have a different title for him — beloved art teacher.
Born in Atlantic City, Rosner worked every summer as a baker’s helper before graduating from Atlantic City High School. He then went on to study at the Pratt Institute in Manhattan and had aspirations to become an illustrator. Rosner was working for a magazine called “U.S. Camera Annual” when duty called, and he served in the United States Army during the Korean War.
After serving time in the Army, Rosner fell in love and got married. He learned yet another trade from his father-in-law and brother-in-law, who were furriers. After a year in the fur business in New York, Rosner went back to his roots and love of baking. He purchased Michel’s Bakery across from Casel’s Marketplace in Margate. The business became a family affair, and his wife, sister, brother-in-law, father, and kid brother worked in the bakery. Their business grew into several locations, including an ice cream parlor. Carl and his wife, Marilyn, worked long hours during the summers while balancing raising their children. Winters in seasonal South Jersey were slow, so Rosner put into practice another skill and did carpentry work during the long, cold winters.
Mr. Rosner eventually decided to leave the family business and began working for the legendary Zaberer’s Restaurant on the Black Horse Pike near Atlantic City. Rosner worked closely with the owner, Charles Zaberer. Although Rosner started as a baker, he eventually worked his way up to being the head of food and beverage as well as purchasing agent for the iconic restaurant. Rosner worked for Zaberer’s Restaurant for over 18 years.
Charles Zaberer had been a cartoonist and did all the illustration work for the advertisements for Zaberer’s Restaurant. Mr. Zaberer’s untimely death in 1971 due to cancer was a terrible blow to all who worked with him. After Zaberer’s passing, Rosner took on more responsibilities, including taking on the role of preparing all of the artwork for the restaurant. This included newspaper advertisements, billboards, menus and brochures. Among his large portfolio of artwork, Rosner also painted a portrait of Charles Zaberer, which hung in the “Charles Zaberer Room” after Zaberer’s death. Rosner remembers his time at Zaberer’s Restaurant fondly and says that it was “the best job I ever had besides painting.”
Along the way, Rosner added oil painting to his repertoire of talents. He taught weekly workshops from 1986 to 2002 and has been giving private lessons since 2003. During this time, he has won numerous awards for his painting. Rosner’s artwork has been displayed in Absecon at the Ram’s Head Inn Gallery, in Stone Harbor at William Ris Galleries, and in Atlantic City at the Tropicana Casino Gallery and the Caesars Casino Gallery. Rosner has sold over 1,000 paintings, including over 400 commissioned paintings. These paintings are now in private collections throughout the United States, Puerto Rico, Germany, England, South Africa, and Japan. Currently, he focuses on painting miniatures (over 460 to date) and enjoys giving them to friends.
Though Rosner has seen heartache in his full life, including losing an adult daughter and also his beloved wife of 68 years, he has a positive outlook and exudes a zest for life. He has almost two decades’ worth of stories from his time at Zaberer’s Restaurant. His students enjoy their lessons as much for the friendship and good company as well as the talent he can pass on to them. His work includes seascapes, still lifes, monograms, portraits, and westerns. If you would like more information about Mr. Rosner and his art classes, he can be reached at arteacher3725@yahoo.com.
Tammy Thornton lives with her husband, children, and crazy pets while enjoying a life of gardening, cooking, and going to the beach.
