Mabel Lucie Attwell
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As many of you will know, from reading our articles, Maria's favourite children's book illustrator is Mabel Lucie Attwell (see articles on Comforting Thoughts & For Today and Bunty and the Boo Boos). However, on checking, it appears that we have yet to research an article of her history... so here goes!
Mabel Lucie Attwell was born in London (Mile End), on 4th of June 1879, to a large family; she was the ninth out of ten children. Not being the favourite child, she took to making up stories, which she would then accompany with illustrations.
By the time she attended art school, first at Heatherleys and then at St. Martin's School of Art, Attwell already had some of her work published, and she was able to finance herself through these college years.
It was at her time at St. Martin's School of Art that she met fellow artist Harold Earnshaw. They were later married in 1908 and had three children - Peggy, Peter and Brian. Much of their married life was spent in London, Surrey and Sussex, although Attwell herself also lived in Wiltshire and Cornwall, after Harold's death. Attwell's children, it appears especially Peggy, seemed to be a great inspiration for her child sketches.
During her working life, Attwell never seemed to be out of work. She worked for many different publishers, including W. & R. Chambers, from whom she received commissions for illustrations for ten different books, published between 1905 and 1913. These included Troublesome Ursula by Mabel Quiller-Couch and Dora, A High School Girl by May Baldwin.
It was not just books in which her illustrations were published; in 1906 she created her first poster for the London Underground. As many collectors of her work know, there are numerous postcards, greetings cards, promotional drawings, booklets and other ephemera including china to seek out. Many of the postcards and greetings cards were designed by her and produced for Valentine's; a collection which she started in 1911.
Among the other publishers that she worked for are: Cassell & Company, Raphael Tuck and Sons, Hodder & Stoughton, Collins, S. W. Partridge & Co. and Valentine & Sons.
Included in her works for the above publishers, she illustrated many famous children's stories. Among these were a gift book version of Peter Pan and Wendy (Attwell was approached by the publishers at the insistence of Barrie himself!), The Water Babies, Grimm's Fairy Tales, Hans Andersen's Fairy Tales and possibly most famouslyAlice In Wonderland (1911).
Reception of the above varied, with some criticising her later illustrations (after Alice), saying that they lacked variety of concept and technique, especially when comparing her offerings to other artists of the day, such as Rackham and Dulac. However, in spite of these criticisms, Attwells cherubic and innocent style of drawing children, is what makes her work so recognizable and likeable, by the majority.
Although most famously known as an illustrator for books written by others, Attwell also turned her hand to writing, creating her own characters in her own stories. She brought the 'Boo Boos' to life during the early 1920s, creating her own brand of 'fairy'. The six stories in this series are now sought after, with some being quite scarce.
Another series that we see more of in the shops at Stella & Roses Books is the Lucie Attwell Annuals. She was first asked to do these in 1922, and the publications were printed continuously from then until 1974. Over that time the title changed from The Lucie Attwell Annual to Lucie Attwell's Children's Book (all published by S.W. Partridge & Co. from 1922-1932) and then reverting to Lucie Attwell's Annual in 1933, when Dean & Son took over publication. The annuals published after her death on 5th of November 1964 reused drawings from previous titles.
Her love of drawing is also something that she (and her husband) seem to have passed onto the next generation, with their daughter, Peggy Wickham, being a talented artist and illustrator in her own right.
The above is just a small snap-shot of the life and works of Mabel Lucie Attwell, whose illustrations, I'm sure will continue to be collected and enjoyed!
Contributed by Joanne
Additional material sourced from: Mabel Lucie Attwell by Chris Beetles (1988)
(Published on 25th Feb 2015 )
