- Dorothy P. Lathrop
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Frontispiece to Walter de la Mare's Book of Fairies
Dorothy Pulis Lathrop (1891–1980) was an American author and illustrator of children's books. Lathrop was born April 16, 1891 in Albany, New York. During her lifetime of achievements, her notable prominence in the publishing world of children's literature includes the combined skills, mastery, and talents Lathrop displayed within the pages and color plates of the more than 38 books published with her illustrations. The prolific popularity of her talent was one of a steady production, primarily between the years of 1919 to 1962. In the 1930s, Lathrop published 9 children's books.
Lathrop's career as an illustrator and author began with using her artistic skills as an illustrator for other authors of children's literature, beginning around 1919. With the exception of several topical nonfiction books written by Lathrop, most of her art for illustrations, in her lifetime, remained dedicated to that of children's fictional literature. This included art for the book by Hans Christian Anderson, The Little Mermaid (1939, and Walter De la Mare's books for children, including his Down-adown Derry, Fairy Poems, published in 1922.
In year 1919, Lathrop's first published "suite" of expressive illustrations appeared in Walter De la Mare's book for children, The Three Mulla-Mulgars. Lathrop developed a friendship with author Walter De la Mare, and thereafter, illustrated 5 of his books published for children, including illustrations for De la Mare's Down-Adown-Derry (1922), Crossings (1923), Mr. Bumps (1942), and Bells and Grass (1942).
In 1930, Dorothy Lathrop illustrated Rachel Field's successful children's novel, Hitty: Her First Hundred Years, which won the Newbery Medal, annually awarded by The American Library Association for the best children's novel of the year. Macmillan's history of publishing its Hitty book spanned from years 1929, 1930, 1932, 1947, 1965, and 1998. Hitty is the fictional story of a doll, and its art and story saga has captured the imaginations of children for decades sinces its first publishing in 1929.
In 1931 Lathrop wrote The Fairy Circus, for which she received a Newbery Medal Honor citation, from The American Library Association. In 1938, was awarded the first Caldecott Medal ( for the excellence of her illustrations and art in the book Animals of the Bible, A Picture Book, written by Helen Dean Fish, published in 1937 by Lippincott.
Lathrop published many books devoted to the beauty and importance of animals. But Lathrop also illustrated many other books, especially fantasy and fairy tales such as W. H. Hudson's Little Boy Lost, Andersen's The Little Mermaid, the de la Mare', Conkling's Silverhorn, MacDonald's The Princess and Curdie and The Light Princess, Ingelow's Mopsa the Fairy. and her self-authored The Lost Merry-Go-Round and The Colt from Moon Mountain. She illustrated collections of children's poetry in addition to those by de la Mare, including Sara Teasdale's Stars To-night. She was also an accomplished printmaker
Works
List of books illustrated by Dorothy Pulis Lathrop.
A Little Boy Lost. Hudson, W. H. (author), Knopf, 1929.
An Angel In The Woods. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1947.
Animals Of The Bible. Lathrop, Dorothy (author), Lippincott, 1937.
Balloon Moon. Cabot, Elsie (author), Henry Holt, 1927.
Bells And Grass. De La Mare, Walter (author), Viking, 1965.
Bouncing Betsy. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1959.
Branches Green. Field, Rachel (author), Macmillan, 1934.
Childcraft In 15 Volumes. Lathrop, Dorothy P. et al. (author), Field Educational Pub., 1954.
Crossings: A Fairy Play. De La Mare, Walter (author), Knopf, 1923.
Devonshire Cream. Dean, Agnes L. (author), Unity Press, 1950.
Down-Adown-Derry: A Book Of Fairy Poems. De La Mare, Walter (author), Henry Holt, 1922.
Fierce-Face: The Story Of A Tiger. Mukerji, Dhan Gopal (author), Dutton, 1938.
Follow the Brook. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1960.
Grateful Elephant. Burlingame, Eugene W. (author), Yale University Press, 1923.
Grim: The Story Of A Pike. Fleuron, Svend (author), Knopf, 1921.
Hide And Go Seek. Lathrop, Dorothy (author), E.M. Hale, 1938.
Hitty: Her First Hundred Years. Field, Rachel (author), Macmillan, 1947.
Kaleidoscope. Farjeon, Eleanor (author), Stokes, 1929.
Japanese Prints. Fletcher (author), Four Seas Press, Boston, 1918.
Let Them Live. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1961.
Made-To-Order Stories. Canfield, Dorothy (author), Harcourt Brace, 1953.
Mopsa The Fairy. Jean, Ingelow (author), Harper & Brothers , 1927.
Mr. Bumps And His Monkey. De La Mare, Walter (author), Winston, 1942.
Presents For Lupe. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1940.
Puffy And The Seven Leaf Clover. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1954.
Puppies For Keeps. Lathrop, Dorothy (author), Macmillan, 1944.
Silverhorn: The Hilda Conkling Book For Other Children. Conkling, Hilda (author), Stokes, 1924.
Snow Image. Hawthorne, Nathaniel (author), Macmillan, 1930.
Stars To-Night: Verses New And Old For Boys And Girls. Teasdale, Sara (author), Macmillan, 1930.
Sung Under The Silver Umbrella. Education Association For Childhood (author), Macmillan, 1935.
Tales From The Enchanted Isles. Gate, Ethel May (author), Yale University Press, 1926.
The Colt From Moon Mountain. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1941.
The Dog In The Tapestry Garden. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1962.
The Dutch Cheese. De La Mare, Walter (author), Knopf, 1931.
The Fair Of St. James. Farjeon, Eleanor (author), Stokes, 1932.
The Fairy Circus. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1931.
The Forgotten Daughter. Snedeker, Caroline Dale (author), Doubleday, 1933.
The Happy Flute. Mandal, Sant Ram (author), Stokes, 1939.
The Light Princess. Macdonald, George (author), Macmillan, 1952.
The Little Mermaid. Andersen, Hans (author), Macmillan, 1939.
The Little White Goat. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1935.
The Littlest Mouse. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1955.
The Long Bright Land. Howes, Edith (author), Little Brown, 1929.
The Lost Merry-Go-Round. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1938.
The Princess And Curdie. MacDonald, George (author), Macmillan, 1927.
The Skittle Skattle Monkey. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1945.
The Snail Who Ran. Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Stokes, 1934.
The Snow Image. Hawthorne, Nathaniel (author), Macmillan, 1930.
The Three Mulla-Mulgars. De La Mare, Walter (author), Knopf, 1919.
Treasure Of Carcassonne. Robida, A. (author), E.M. Hale, 1926.
Who Goes There? Lathrop, Dorothy P. (author), Macmillan, 1967.
Further reading
Biographical Resources on Dorothy P. Lathrop
- Lathrop is indexed in the book American Writers for Children 1900-1960, edited by John Cech (1983, Gale Research Co.) Dictionary of Literary Biography, volume 22.
- Lathrop is also featured with a chapter about her life, and literary and artistic talents in the book Topflight: Famous American Women, by Anne Stoddard, Year 1946, published by Nelson and sons (224 Pages), chapter title "Animal Artist Extraordinary".
- In 1991, the University at Albany (New York) featured and honored the achievements of Lathrop's art and prominence within the literary world of in a special exhibition, "Dorothy P. Lathrop, A Centenary Celebration, Oct 1 - Oct 27, 1991"
- The best single source about Lathrop's art and life is the catalogue of a 2006 exhibition of Lathrop's art, presented by The Brandywine River Museum in Chadd's Ford, PA, the museum best known as the repository of much of the Wyeth family's artwork. That exhibition catalogue, "Flora, Fauna, and Fantasy: The Art of Dorothy Lathrop," contains essays, all profusely illustrated by Lathrop's artwork, by Anne Roberts ("Dorothy Lathrop's World," a brief biography), Virginia O'Hara (who contributes the longer keynote essay, with the same title as the catalogue itself and many illustrations), and Charles Semowich ("Dorothy P. Lathrop, Printmaker").
- TAGS: Dorothy Pulis Lathrop, Randolph Caldecott Medal, ALA, American Library Association, 1930's, 1937, artist, illustration, children's literature United States, American children's literature, award winning books for children
External links
Categories:- 1891 births
- 1980 deaths
- Caldecott Medal winners
- People from Albany, New York
- American people of Dutch descent
- Newbery Honor winners
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