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Born in Liverpool in 1845, Walter Crane was the son of portrait painter, miniaturist, and lithographer Thomas Crane. Shortly after Walter's birth, Thomas' poor health forced the Crane family to move to Torquay, an unspoiled rural area in Devonshire. This move was perhaps fortunate for Walter, who noted later in life that his love of landscapes and of the sea was the result of spending his early childhood in this idyllic place. Walter Crane's formal education was minimal. Apart from nursery school, some tutoring by governesses and a brief period spent as a student at a small local school in Torquay, Walter's sensitive nerves and the financial situation of his middle-class family combined to limit his schooling. In 1857 the family moved to London, where some halfhearted attempts were made at locating a school for Walter and his brother Tom. Nothing ever came of these efforts, and Walter's school days were ended. Young Walter's real education took place in his father's studio, where he could browse through illustrated books and journals as he developed his natural talent for drawing. He practiced by sketching the hands and faces of Thomas Crane's portrait commissions. Soon, guided by his father, Walter began painting in oils and designing illustrations for stories and poetry. In 1858, a series of page designs that Walter executed for Tennyson's poem "The Lady of Shalott" were brought to the attention of William James Linton, a famous engraver. Struck by the thirteen-year-old Crane's abilities, Linton offered the boy an apprenticeship in his shop. Crane embarked on his apprenticeship in January, 1859, and spent the next three years learning the art of illustrating and engraving. His assigned tasks were often tedious, but they provided him with the opportunity to study the work of artists like Dante Gabriel Rosetti and Millais. Following his apprenticeship, Crane went to work illustrating anything available, primarily religious tracts. As his reputation as an artist grew, his portfolio expanded to include work for illustrated serials and some book illustration. In 1862, Crane met printer Edmund Evans, who was deeply involved with the development of color printing processes. Within a few years, Evans was regularly using Crane's designs for his publications. Walter Crane's work, characterized by static imagery and strong, bold lines, lent itself well to the new printing techniques. It was also well-suited to the production of nursery books -- a booming industry in the late 1860's. Evans soon set Crane to designing illustrations for several sixpenny children's stories. These stories were a success, and from 1867 to 1875 Crane was primarily occupied with working in color for Evans, illustrating the "toy books" like One, Two, Buckle My Shoe which would make his name famous.
Crane modeled his drawings for the toy books on some prints which a naval friend brought home from Japan. Intrigued by the block outlines, flattened forms, and solid colors of the prints, he attempted to transfer these characteristics to the children's rhymes and stories which he was illustrating. Both children and adults loved these unusual illustrations, and the Sixpenny and Shilling Toybooks, as the series came to be called by publisher George Routledge, quickly became the most popular children's books of the period. By 1876, Crane's name was linked with those of Kate Greenaway and Randolph Caldecott as the preeminent children's illustrators of the day, although his style and subject matter -- somewhat more classical and academic than that of his contemporaries -- set him apart as "The Academician of the Nursery." His work for the Routledge toybook series was complete, and he had recently begun illustrating the works of Mrs. Molesworth. Mrs. Molesworth's rather moralistic books, although criticized for the childlike grammar used by her youthful characters, were quite popular. Crane completed the illustrations for sixteen of Mrs. Molesworth's books by 1890, and designed the frontispiece for a seventeenth in 1893. In addition to the Molesworth books, Crane illustrated a number of other books for children for various publishing houses throughout the 1880's. He also wrote and illustrated at least twenty-seven books for his own three children. Most of these remain unpublished, but the sheer number of these manuscripts is evidence of Crane's devotion to his family. His sister Lucy worked with him on several projects, and what is perhaps his finest work can be found in one of these collaborations.
"Household Stories from the Collection of the Brothers Grimm," a collection of fairy tales translated into English by Lucy Crane, was published at the peak of Crane's career. The illustrations in this book, although not colored, typify Crane's style, represent his influences, and reflect his philosophy of the importance of decorative art. Crane believed that decorative art should relate to its surroundings rather than remain complete in itself, as in easel painting. With this type of harmony in mind, he often included the words he was illustrating as an integral part of the artwork and created solid yet decorative frames for his drawings. His study of illuminated manuscripts is especially evident in the elaborate initial letters, headpieces, and tailpieces of the fairy tales presented in Household Stories. Walter Crane also expressed an admiration for the work of Greek potters and vase painters, which is reflected in his flowing draperies and in the classical dress and features of the people depicted in his illustrations. Classical architecture is an integral part of Crane's work; in Household Stories and in his other children's books, classical arches and columns are much in evidence. As the 1880's drew to a close, Crane's work gradually began shifting away from children's literature and became more adult oriented. In his later years, Walter Crane published books and essays on the decorative arts and illustrated the works of authors like Shakespeare and Edmund Spenser. Although not designed specifically for a youthful audience, fanciful books like Flowers From Shakespeare's Garden and Crane's other floral fantasies probably still held some appeal for children.
During his lifetime as well as after his death in 1915, Walter Crane's work was both popular and influential, especially in regard to literature for children. By 1880, children's magazines like St. Nicholas had begun to use illustrations with the strong lines and integrated text characteristic of Crane's work. His style and philosophy was widely imitated, particularly during the Art School movement of the 1890's-1900's. Direct followers of Walter Crane are difficult to pinpoint, but his ideas are reflected in the work of illustrators like Heywood Sumner, Aubrey Beardsley, and Charles Robinson. For more information about Walter Crane, consult the following sources. Items held by the University of Pittsburgh are followed by the item's location and call number. Works Cited Carpenter, Humphrey and Mari Pritchard. The Oxford companion to children's literature. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1984. Engen, Rodney. Walter Crane as a book illustrator. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1975. Smith, James A., and Dorothy M. Park. Word music and word magic: children's literature methods. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1975.
Part II Bibliography of Secondary Book SourcesEngen, Rodney. Walter Crane as a Book illustrator. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1975. Gilbert, Susie. Walter Crane: A Study of his children's book illustrations. Thesis, Chatham College, 1974. Konody, Paul G. The art of Walter Crane. London: George Bell and Sons, 1902. Masse, Gertrude C. E. A bibliography of first editions of books illustrated by Walter Crane. London: The Chelsea Publishing Co., 1923. Pressler, Joan, M. A verie brief historie of the lives and works of five illustrators of books for little Masters and Misses. S.l.: s.n., n.d. Smith, Greg and Sarah Hyde. Walter Crane, 1845-1915: Artist, designer, and socialist. London: Lund Humphries in association with the Whitworth Art Gallery, University of Manchester, 1989. Spencer, Isobel. Walter Crane. New York: Macmillan Publishing Co., 1975. Weinstein, Frederic. Walter Crane and the American book arts. Thesis: Columbia University, 1970. Wilkens, Lea-Ruth. Walter Crane and the reform of the German picture book. Thesis, University of Pittsburgh, 1973. Bibliography of Non-Print SourcesThe arts and crafts movement http://www.speel.demon.co.uk/other/aandc.htm Information about the Arts and Crafts Movement and associated artists; includes excerpts and images from sixteen of Walter Crane's works. CGFA-Walter Crane: King Arthur & the Giant. http://130.225.51.30/cgfa/c/c-15.htm#crane The home page of Bob Speel. http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/speel/ Information on nineteenth century illustrators, including Walter Crane and his contemporaries. Walter Crane's Mr. Micheal Mouse http://www.scils.rutgers.edu/special/kay/toy12.html
Part III Bibliography of Works Illustrated and/or Written by Walter CraneNOTE: This bibliography does not include reprints, translations,
compilations, serial illustrations, non-book items for home decoration
such as wallpaper and tiles, or the picture books -- mostly unpublished --
which Crane wrote for his own children. In addition, books to which Crane
contributed but did not illustrate entirely are not included. For the
titles of these items and more information about them, see the following
books Masse, Gertrude C. E. A bibliography of first editions of books
illustrated by Walter Crane. London: The Chelsea Publishing Co., 1923
and Spencer, Isobel. Walter Crane. New York: Macmillan Publishing
Co., 1975.
The absurd ABC. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1874. The adventures of Puffy. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1870. The affecting story of Jenny Wren. London: Ward, Lock and Tyler, 1865. Aladdin. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1875. Ali Baba and the forty thieves. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1873. The alphabet of old friends. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1874. Annie and Jack in London. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1869. Baby's own alphabet. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1875. Beauty and the Beast. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1874. Bluebeard. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1875. Calmour, Alfred C. Rhumbo rhymes; or, the great combine: A satire.
London: Harper and Brothers, 1911.
Carey, Mother. Our old uncle's home, and what the boys did there. London: Griffith and Farran, 1872. Carpenter, Edward. Chants of labour: A song book of the people. London : Swan, Sonnenschein and Co., 1892. Chattering Jack. London: George Routledge and Sons, 186. Cinderella. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1873. Cock Robin. London: Ward, Lock and Tyler, 1866. Craik, Mrs. Agatha's husband. London: Macmillan and Co., 1875. Crane, Walter. An alphabet of old friends and the absurd ABC.
New York : The Metropolitan Museum of Art & Thames & Hudson, 1981.
Crane, Walter. An artist's reminiscences. London: Methuen and Co., 1907. Crane, Walter. The baby's bouquet, a fresh bunch of old rhymes with
new dresses. London: Frederick Warne, 1878.
Crane, Walter. The baby's opera, a book of old rhymes with new dresses.
London : George Routledge and Sons, 1877.
Crane, Walter. The baby's own Aesop, being the fables condensed in rhyme. London : George Routledge and Sons, 1887. Crane, Walter. The bases of design. London: Bell and Co., 1898. Crane, Walter. Beauty and the beast picture book. including,
Beauty and the beast, The hind in the wind, The frod prince. Walter
Cranes's Picture Books Large series vol. one. London and New York : John
Lane, n.d. engraved and printed by Edmund Evans. (2 copies) 1 copy [Sept. 1900]
Crane, Walter. Beauty and the beast. London and New York : John Lane, n.d.
Crane, Walter. Best loved fairy tales of Walter Crane. New York
: Avenel Books, a division of Crown Publishers, Inc., n.d.
Crane, Walter. Cartoons for the cause. London: Twentieth Century Press, 1896. Crane, Walter. The claims of decorative art. London: Lawrence and Bullen, 1892. Crane, Walter. Columbia's courtship. Boston: Prang and Co., 1893. Crane, Walter. A floral fantasy in an old English garden. London: Harper and Brothers, 1898. Crane, Walter. Flora's feast, a masque of flowers. London: Cassell and Co., 1889. Crane, Walter. A flower wedding, described by two wallflowers.
London : Cassell and Co., 1905.
Crane, Walter. Flowers from Shakespeare's garden: A posy from the
plays. London: Cassell and Co., 1906. Crane, Walter. Frog Prince. London and New York : John Lane,
n.d. Crane, Walter. Hazelford sketch book. Cambridge, Massachusetts:
John Barnard Associates, 1937.
Crane, Walter. Hind in the Wood. London & New York : John
Lane, n.d. Crane, Walter. Ideals in art. London: George Bell and Sons, 1905. Crane, Walter. India impressions. London: Methuen and Co., 1907. Crane, Walter. Legends for Lionel. In pen & pencil by Walter
Crane. London, Paris, New York, Melbourne : Cassell & * comp. Limited,
1887. Crane, Walter. Line and form. London: George Bell and Sons, 1900. Crane, Walter. Little Queen Anne. London: Marcus Ward and Co., 1886. Crane, Walter. Michael mouse unfolds his tale. ________: Yale University Press, 1956. Crane, Walter. Mother Hubbard's Picture Book. London & New
York : John Lane: The Bodley Head, containing Mother Hubbard, The three
bears, the absurd ABC n.d.
Crane, Walter. Mrs. Mundi at home, the terrestrial ball, lines and outlines by Walter Crane. London: Marcus Ward and Co., 1875. Crane, Walter. Of the decorative illustration of books old and new. London: George Bell and Co., 1896. Crane, Walter. Pothooks and perseverance. London: Marcus Ward and Co., 1886. Crane, Walter. Puss in Boots. London & New York : John Lane,
n.d. facsimile edition, Japan : Holp Shuppan, 1981.
Crane, Walter. Queen Summer or the journey of the lily and the rose.
London, Paris & Melbourne: Cassell and Co., 1891.
Crane, Walter. Renasence, a book of verse. London: Elkin Matthews,
1891.
Crane, Walter. The sirens three, a poem. London: Macmillan and Co., 1886. Crane, Walter. The sirens three, a poem. Boston : Richard G.
Badger and Company Publishers, n.d.
Crane, Walter. Slateandpencilvania. London: Marcus Ward and Co., 1885. Crane, Walter. This little pig's picture book. Volume 2, London
& New York : John Lane, n.d.
Crane, Walter. William Morris to Whistler. London: George Bell and Sons, 1911. The comical cat. London: Ward, Lock and Tyler, 1865. Dale, Nellie. The Walter Crane infant reader. London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1899. Dale, Nellie. The Walter Crane reader: first primer. London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1899. Dale, Nellie. The Walter Crane reader: second primer. London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1899. de Gruchy, Augusta. Under the Hawthorn and other verses. London: Elkin Mathews and John Lane: 1893. Deland, Margaret. The old garden and other verses. Boston: Houghton,
Mifflin and Co., 1893.
de Morgan, Mary. The necklace of Princess Fiorimonde and other stories. London: Macmillan and Co., 1880. Ellis, F. S. The history of Reynard the fox. London: David Nutt, 1894. The fairy ship. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1870. The farmyard alphabet. George Routledge and Sons, 1865. The frog prince. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1874. A gaping-wide-mouth waddling frog. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1866. Gilbert, Henry. King Arthur's knights. London: T.C. and E.C. Jack, 1911. Gilbert, Henry. Robin Hood and the men of the Greenwood. London: T.C. and E.C. Jack, 1912. Goody two shoes. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1874. Gould, F. J. The children's Plutarch. London: Watts and Co., 1905. Grammar in rhyme. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1868. Grimm, Jacob. Household stories from the collection of the Brothers
Grimm. Translated from the German by Lucy Crane; and done into pictures
by Walter Crane. London: Macmillan and Co., 1917.
Harrison, Mrs. Burton. Folk and fairy tales. London: Ward and Downey, 1885. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Transformation: Or, the romance of Monte Beni. London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1865. Hawthorne, Nathaniel. A wonder book for girls and boys. Boston:
Houghton, Mifflin, and Co., 1892.
The hind in the wood. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1875. The house that Jack built. London: Ward, Lock and Tyler, 1865. How Jessie was lost. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1868. Jack and the beanstalk. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1875. Johnson, Effie. In the fire and other fancies. London: Elkin Mathews, 1892. Kelly, Arthur. The rosebud and other tales. London: Fisher and Unwin, 1909. King Luckieboy's party. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1870. Lamb, Charles. A masque of days, from the last essays of Elia.
London: Cassell and Co., 1901.
Lemon, Jack. Wait for the end. London: Bradbury, Evans and Co., 1866. Little Red Riding Hood. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1875. Living English poets. London: Kegan Paul, 1882. MacGregor, Mary. The story of Greece. London: T.C. and E.C. Jack, 1913. Marzials, Theo. Pan pipes, a book of old songs. London: George
Routledge and Sons, 1883.
Mayhew, H. and A. Mayhew. The magic of kindness: Or, the wondrous story of the good Huan. London: Cassell, Petter and Galpin, 1869. Meiklejohn, J. M. D. The golden primer, part I. London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1884. Meiklejohn, J. M. D. The golden primer, part II. London: William Blackwood and Sons, 1885. Molesworth, Mrs. The adventures of Herr Baby. London: Macmillan
and Co., 1881.
Molesworth, Mrs. Carrots. London: Macmillan and Co., 1876. Molesworth, Mrs. The children of the castle. London: Macmillan and Co., 1890. Molesworth, Mrs. A christmas child. London: Macmillan and Co., 1880. Molesworth, Mrs. A christmas posy. London: Macmillan and Co.,
1888. Molesworth, Mrs. Christmas-tree land. London: Macmillan and Co., 1884.
Molesworth, Mrs. The cuckoo clock. London: Macmillan and Co., 1877. Molesworth, Mrs. Four winds farm. London: Macmillan and Co.,
1886. Molesworth, Mrs. Grandmother dear. London: Macmillan and Co., 1878.
Molesworth, Mrs. Little Miss Peggy. London: Macmillan and Co., 1887. Molesworth, Mrs. An old-fashioned story. London: Macmillan and Co., 1883. Molesworth, Mrs. The rectory children. London: Macmillan and Co., 1889. Molesworth, Mrs. Rosy. London: Macmillan and Co., 1882.
Molesworth, Mrs. The tapestry room. London: Macmillan and Co., 1879.
Molesworth, Mrs. Tell me a story. London: Macmillan and Co., 1875. Molesworth, Mrs. Two little waifs. London: Macmillan and Co., 1883. Molesworth, Mrs. Us. London: Macmillan and Co., 1885.
Morris, William. The story of the glittering plain. Hammersmith: Kelmscott Press, 1894. Muloch, D. M. The head of the family. London: Macmillan and Co., 1875. Multiplication table in verse. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1867. My mother. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1873. Noah's ark alphabet. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1872. The old courtier. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1867. Old Mother Hubbard. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1874. One, two, buckle my shoe. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1869. Princess Belle Etoile. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1875. Puss in boots. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1874. The railroad alphabet. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1865. Reid, K. E. J., May Moss, and Mabel Bamfield. The book of wedding days. London : Longmans, Green and Co., 1889. Shakespeare, William. The merry wives of Windsor. London: George Allen, 1894. Shakespeare, William. The tempest. London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1893. Shakespeare, William. Two gentlemen of Verona. London: J.M. Dent and Co., 1894. Sing a song of sixpence. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1866. The sleeping beauty in the wood. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1875. Spenser, Edmund. The Faerie Queene. London: George Allen, 1894. Spenser, Edmund. The Shepheard's calendar. London: Harper and
Brothers, 1898.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. An inland voyage. London: C. Kegan Paul, 1878. Stevenson, Robert Louis. Travels with a donkey in the Cevennes. London: C. Kegan Paul, 1879. Sunny days: or, A month at the great Stowe. London: Griffith and Farran, 1872. This little pig went to market. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1870. The three bears. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1873. The turtle dove's nest and other nursery rhymes. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1890. Valentine and Orson. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1874. Warr, George C. Echoes of Hellas. London: Marcus Ward and Co., 1887. Wise, John R. The first of May: A fairy Masque. London: Henry Southeran and Co., 1882. The yellow dwarf. London: George Routledge and Sons, 1875.
This resource guide represents the combined work of the following people: Michelle Gillie, Michelle Frisque, Beth Kean, and Elizabeth T. Mahoney. |
alter Crane, multifaceted artist of the late nineteenth century, was one of
the best-loved children's illustrators of his day. Although he often painted
in oils and displayed his easel paintings in galleries and at exhibitions,
Crane's paintings never achieved the monumental success and public recognition
of his illustrative work. Today, just as in his own time, Walter Crane is
recognized as one of the greatest and most innovative of all children's book
illustrators.
