Edna Cooke Shoemaker drawings and papers, 1818-1980, 1908-1960 (bulk dates)
Shoemaker, Edna Cooke
Details
17 boxes, 4 maps case drawers : chiefly illustrations
Most of the items are arranged by size. Edna Cooke Shoemaker's illustrations and prints are separated from those of others. Letters are grouped together, as are photographs. Larger photo albums and a scrapbook are sitting on the shelf, not in boxes. Marionette backdrops are at the end of the collection
Collection includes drawings, prints, sketches, sketchbooks, and marionette backdrops done by Edna Cooke Shoemaker. Original illustrations for Heidi, Stories of Mrs. Molesworth, East o' the Sun West o' the Moon, Rip van Winkle, and Mother Goose's Nursery Rhymes, as well as cover art for the Ladies Home Journal are found. A number of illustrations for a story entitled "The Moon Lady" are also in the collection, but her illustrations were evidently never used in an edition of that book. Prints made from some of these illustrations are in the collection as well. After Mrs. Shoemaker gave up book illustration, she began putting on marionette shows, and backdrops for those shows, plus a few scripts, are in the collection. Another project she tried was illustrating Bible stories in an ancient manner, using archaeological finds from the Babylon area as inspiration for illustrations for the stories of Noah and Abraham and ancient Egyptian art for the story of Moses. She was not successful in finding a publisher, but kept her drawings and mock-ups of books
As well are found printed illustrations done by other artists (probably collected for inspiration), family letters and assorted memorabilia, a letter from author Jack London to Edna's mother, photographs of the Cooke and Shoemaker families, toy theater backdrops and characters (some 19th century, some reproductions), stories, diaries of trips to Europe, greeting cards and birth announcements (some designed by Mrs. Shoemaker, some 19th century), a 19th century scrapbook, some Cooke and Shoemaker genealogy, a scrapbook about Edna's schoolmates, a yearbook from the Philadelphia High School for Girls, a collection of autographs of musicians, some assorted publications, and a number of other items collected by members of the Shoemaker or Cooke families. Included with the photographs are a picture of Mrs. Shoemaker's father taken before the Battle of Antietam, a photo of a Chippewa chief, a photo of Mrs. Shoemaker at her easel, views of the Constitution Centennial celebration in Philadelphia, and views of 19th century Florida. Many photos are of the Shoemaker home and garden in Media
Edna Abigail Cooke Shoemaker was an American illustrator in the first third of the 20th century. She was born in Philadelphia in 1889, the daughter of George Anderson and Elizabeth Simon Cooke. She graduated from the Philadelphia High School for Girls in 1908 and was awarded a scholarship to study at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. She illustrated a number of children's books, as well as magazine articles, and also provided illustrations for several magazine covers. She married Orlando Shoemaker on May 3, 1924, and they had three children. Regretfully, motherhood left her little time for illustrating. Eventually, her creativity found an outlet in producing marionette shows, first for her children, and then with her children. Mrs. Shoemaker died on November 28, 1975
For the most part, the items are in good condition. However, backing boards are acidic and brittle. All illustrations must be handled with care
Collection is open to the public. Copyright restrictions may apply
Books illustrated by Edna Cooke Shoemaker are in the Printed Books and Periodicals section of the Winterthur Library
Additional copies of some of the Betty Butterick paper dolls are in the Maxine Waldron Collection, Col. 121, acc. 74x438.367a-f. The Waldron group also includes "Betty's Visit to the Italian Children" which is not found in this collection
Finding aid is available at this repository
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