Eleanor Campbell (illustrator)

Last updated

Eleanor B. Campbell (1894-1986) [1] was an early-twentieth-century illustrator of children's books and portrait artist. [2]

Contents

Education and career

Campbell was from Philadelphia, [3] [4] [5] and spent part of her childhood in Seattle, Washington. [6] Both her parents had studied art, and one of her sisters was Elizabeth Campbell Warhanik, an artist and one of the founders of Women Painters of Washington. [7] Campbell studied at the Sorbonne. [2] She illustrated children's books, especially for the P. F. Volland Company and Scott Foresman. A review of Roberta Goes Adventuring (P.F. Volland, 1931) described Campbell as "the artist who knows all about little boys and girls as well as little black dogs with little pink tongues." [8]

Campbell was the first illustrator of the Dick and Jane series of beginning readers created by Zerna Sharp. [3] [4] [5] [9] Her watercolors [10] for the series were intended to show "scenes as a child might see the world", [1] including everyday activities [11] such as when "a preschooler tries to give a teddy bear a drink at a water fountain or dress up in their parents' clothes or help mom take the laundry down from the line before the rain starts." [1] Campbell based her illustrations on photographs [11] she took of her friends' and relations' children. [5] An exhibition of 50 of Campbell's original artworks for the series, held at the Lakeview Museum of Arts and Sciences, was so popular that it was extended from the planned three months to seventeen months. [12] The Dick and Jane illustrations have been criticised for reinforcing class, race and gender stereotypes. [11]

Campbell's illustrations were also featured in advertising for Kellogg's and Wheatena cereals. [5]

After retiring, Campbell lived in Seattle, where she died in 1986. [6]

Selected publications

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ruth Plumly Thompson</span> American author of childrens books (1891–1976)

Ruth Plumly Thompson was an American writer of children's stories, best known for writing many novels placed in Oz, the fictional land of L. Frank Baum's classic children's novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and its sequels.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dick and Jane</span> Series of childrens early reading books

Dick and Jane are the two main characters created by Zerna Sharp for a series of basal readers written by William S. Gray to teach children to read. The characters first appeared in the Elson-Gray Readers in 1930 and continued in a subsequent series of books through the final version in 1965. These readers were used in classrooms in the United States and in other English-speaking countries for nearly four decades, reaching the height of their popularity in the 1950s, when 80 percent of first-grade students in the United States used them. Although the Dick and Jane series of primers continued to be sold until 1973 and remained in use in some classrooms throughout the 1970s, they were replaced with other reading texts by the 1980s and gradually disappeared from school curricula. The Dick and Jane series were known for their simple narrative text and watercolor illustrations. Despite the criticisms of the stereotypical content that depicted white, middle-class Americans and the whole-word (look-say) method of teaching reading on which these readers are based, the characters of "Dick", "Jane", and their younger sister, "Sally", became household words. The Dick and Jane primers have also become icons of mid-century American culture and collectors' items.

Zerna Addas Sharp was an American educator and book editor who is best known as the creator of the Dick and Jane series of beginning readers for elementary school-aged children. Published by Scott, Foresman and Company of Chicago, Illinois, the readers, which described the activities of her fictional siblings, "Dick," "Jane," "Sally," and other characters, were widely used in schools in the United States and many other English-speaking countries for nearly forty years. The series, which included such titles as We Look and See, We Come and Go, We Work and Play, and Fun with Dick and Jane, among others, was marketed until 1973 and used the look-say method of teaching reading.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Johnny Gruelle</span> 20th-century American cartoonist

John Barton Gruelle was an American artist, political cartoonist, children's book and comics author, illustrator, and storyteller. He is best known as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls and as the author/illustrator of dozens of books. He also created the Beloved Belindy doll. Gruelle also contributed cartoons and illustrations to at least ten newspapers, four major news syndicates, and more than a dozen national magazines. He was the son of Hoosier Group painter Richard Gruelle.

Robert Lawson was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. He won the Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in They Were Strong and Good in 1941 and the Newbery award for his short story for Rabbit Hill in 1945.

May Hill Arbuthnot was an American educator, editor, writer, and critic who devoted her career to the awareness and importance of children's literature. Her efforts expanded and enriched the selection of books for children, libraries, and children's librarians alike. She was selected for American Libraries article “100 Most Important Leaders we had for the 20th Century”.

William S. Gray (1885–1960) was an American educator and literacy advocate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Scott Foresman</span> Former educational publisher

Scott Foresman was an elementary educational publisher for PreK through Grade 6 in all subject areas. Its titles are now owned by Savvas Learning Company which formed from former Pearson Education K12 division. The old Glenview headquarters of Scott Foresman is empty as of August 2020, and Crain's Chicago Business reported that the broker hired to sell the property had missed a mortgage payment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dixie Willson</span> American screenwriter

Dixie Lucile Reiniger Willson was an American screenwriter, as well as an author of children's books, novels, and short stories.

P. F. Volland Company of Chicago, Illinois published poetry books, greeting cards, music, children's books, calendars, cookbooks, and children's occupational games, between 1908 and 1959. The press was noted for using new printing processes, including off-set printing techniques, and color illustrations. The P. F. Volland Company is also known for the many significant artists and writers whose work it published.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eleanor Sophia Smith</span> American composer and music educator

Eleanor Sophia Smith was an American composer and music educator. She was one of the founders of Chicago's Hull House Music School, and headed its music department from 1893 to 1936.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sara Addington</span> Childrens book author and journalist

Sarah Addington (1891–1940) was an author of children's books and a newspaper journalist.

Elizabeth O. Hiller was a prominent early twentieth-century American author of cookbooks and a professor of culinary arts.

Frances Beem was an early 20th-century American author and illustrator of children's books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary R. Bassett</span>

Mary Robertson Bassett was a late 19th and early 20th century illustrator of magazines and children's books.

Carmen L. Browne was an early twentieth century author and illustrator, particularly of children's books.

Ve Elizabeth Cadie was an early twentieth century American illustrator of children's books and magazines, a stylist, and a designer.

Bonnibel Butler was an early 20th century children's book illustrator. She also provided designs and illustrations for magazines, like St. Nicholas.

Emily Jane Harding Andrews (1850–1940) was a British artist, illustrator and suffragette. She was a member of the Artists' Suffrage League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gertrude Alice Kay</span> American childrens book illustrator and author

Gertrude Alice Kay was an American children's literature illustrator and author best known for her work in fairy tales and beginner novels. She was active during America's Golden Age of Illustration.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Grant, Daniel (2 December 1996). "'Dick & Jane' exhibit is an appeal to nostalgia". The Berkshire Eagle. p. B7. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Eleanor Brown Campbell - Artist, Fine Art Prices, Auction Records for Eleanor Brown Campbell". www.askart.com.
  3. 1 2 "See father paint. Children's author was model for 'Dick and Jane' books". Rutland Daily Herald. Rutland, Vermont. Associated Press. 28 December 1999. p. 5.
  4. 1 2 Kismaric, Carole (2004). Growing Up with Dick and Jane- Wal Mart: Learning and Living the American Dream (Reprint ed.). Harpercollins. pp. 21, 31, 112. ISBN   9780060766818 . Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Ward, Jervette R. (Spring 2012). "In Search of Diversity: Dick and Jane and Their Black Playmates". Making Connections: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Cultural Diversity. 13 (2): 20. ISSN   1930-1987.
  6. 1 2 Wergeland, Kari (September 4, 2004). "See kids read with Dick and Jane". The Seattle Times. Seattle, Washington. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
  7. ↑ Martin, David Francis; Whatcom Museum of History and Art (2005). Enduring Legacy: Women Painters of Washington 1930-2005. Whatcom Museum of History and Art. p. 44. ISBN   9780938506119 . Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  8. 1 2 "Reviews of Recent Books - "Roberta Goes Adventuring", by Margaret Thomsen Raymond". St. Louis Globe-Democrat. St. Louis, Missouri. 14 November 1931. p. 6. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  9. ↑ Ware, Susan; Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. (2005). Notable American Women: A Biographical Dictionary ... Cambridge: Belknap. p. 583. ISBN   067401488X . Retrieved 31 January 2019.
  10. ↑ Kelly, Katy (19 September 1996). "See Dick and Jane - Spot too - come back". The Ithaca Journal. Ithaca, New York. Gannett News Service. p. 3, Arts & Leisure. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
  11. 1 2 3 Banta, Gratia J. (Winter 2004). "Reading Pictures. Searching for Excellence in Picture Books". Children & Libraries: The Journal of the Association for Library Service to Children. 2 (3): 30. ISSN   1542-9806.
  12. ↑ Cook, Kim (15 August 2009). "See Dick and Jane ... on the wall". Courier-Post. Camden, New Jersey. Associated Press. p. 2D. Retrieved 21 August 2019.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.