Born in Budapest, Hungary, Franz Geritz came to the United States in 1909, ultimately settling in northern California, where he graduated from the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland, where he studied under Perham Nahl, Xavier Martinez, and Frank Van Sloun. Geritz worked as a freelance illustrator for regional newspapers. Moving to Los Angeles, he taught block printing at the University of California extension until the early 1930s and commemorated his exploration of the western states during that period with a memorable group of prints. He exhibited at several shows, with a one-man exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum in 1926. In 1934, Geritz produced a number of prints for the Public Works Administration. His work is held by numerous institutions throughout California as well as by the Library of Congress and the Brooklyn Museum.