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Rose O’Neill

Hi everyone and thanks for having me! Ever since Johnny asked me to be a contributor, I’ve been trying to decide what my first post would be.
It was a tough choice, but here it is: the magnificent Ms. Rose O’Neill. Don’t let the Kewpies in Grandma’s curio fool you, she was an illustration super star in her day and her life story is a fascinating read.
Unfortunately, for all of her prolificness, it’s a bit difficult to find several of her drawings in one place, but a google image search produces quite a few good examples.

  • http://www.jasoncrosbyillustration.com/ Jason

    Wonderful line work!

  • http://www.jasoncrosbyillustration.com Jason

    Wonderful line work!

  • http://www.nobodyssweetheart.com/ D. Moe

    There’s a bit on O’Neill in the first chapter of Trina Robbins’ “The Great Women Cartoonists”

  • http://www.nobodyssweetheart.com D. Moe

    There’s a bit on O’Neill in the first chapter of Trina Robbins’ “The Great Women Cartoonists”

  • http://www.mikerbaker.com/ mikerbaker

    I love her mermaids and kewpies! What a great drawing you chose here. It’s sad there’s not a good collection of her illustration work. All the sites I can find are for dolls and there’s nothing on Amazon.

    This one was good:
    http://www.ortakales.com/illustrators/Oneill.html

    Thanks, Adam!

  • http://www.mikerbaker.com mikerbaker

    I love her mermaids and kewpies! What a great drawing you chose here. It’s sad there’s not a good collection of her illustration work. All the sites I can find are for dolls and there’s nothing on Amazon.

    This one was good:
    http://www.ortakales.com/illustrators/Oneill.html

    Thanks, Adam!

  • Juliana

    Did she ever do ilustrations for Kingsley’s “Water Babies” ?
    I haven’t got the book handy, but the illos look very similar.
    I don’t know which pressing I have either, it is a well loved copy I have had since I was born.

  • Juliana

    Did she ever do ilustrations for Kingsley’s “Water Babies” ?
    I haven’t got the book handy, but the illos look very similar.
    I don’t know which pressing I have either, it is a well loved copy I have had since I was born.

  • http://www.adamkoford.com/ Ape Lad

    I’m pretty sure Water Babies was her big hit previous to the Kewpies, though I’ve never actually seen any of the books.

  • http://www.adamkoford.com Ape Lad

    I’m pretty sure Water Babies was her big hit previous to the Kewpies, though I’ve never actually seen any of the books.

  • LR

    It was said in May of 2007 that it is sad there is no collections of Rose O’Neill’s work. Good New-Rose O’Neill has several collections and one new one is opening in April 2009 in Springfield, Missouri by her Grandnephew David O’Neill. He has a collection of over 20,000 pieces of Rose’s work. Only part of the collections be exhibited at a time. And, I have written a book on Rose’s childhood, in color with over a hundred of her illustrations. It is a picture book and can be seem at http://www.boxingdaybook.com.

  • LR

    It was said in May of 2007 that it is sad there is no collections of Rose O’Neill’s work. Good New-Rose O’Neill has several collections and one new one is opening in April 2009 in Springfield, Missouri by her Grandnephew David O’Neill. He has a collection of over 20,000 pieces of Rose’s work. Only part of the collections be exhibited at a time. And, I have written a book on Rose’s childhood, in color with over a hundred of her illustrations. It is a picture book and can be seem at http://www.boxingdaybook.com.