Margot Austin
Margot Austin | |
|---|---|
| Born | Margaret Helser September 18, 1907 Portland, Oregon, U.S. |
| Died | June 25, 1990 (age 82) New Fairfield, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Alma mater | National Academy of Design |
| Occupation(s) | Children's book illustrator, author |
Margot M. Helser Austin (September 18, 1907 – June 25, 1990)[1] was an American children's book illustrator, best known for her Churchmouse stories, a series of illustrated books about animals who live at a church.
Early life and education
Margaret "Margot" Helser was born in Portland, Oregon, the daughter of Peter Frederick Helser and Maria (Maud) Campbell Helser (later Swisher). Esther Pohl Lovejoy signed her 1907 Oregon birth certificate.[1] Her mother was a stenographer, born in Canada. Her parents divorced when she was young, and she was raised in her maternal grandparents' household in Portland.[2] She attended St. Mary's Academy[3] and the National Academy of Design in New York. She also studied with the Art Students League of New York.[4]
Career
Austin illustrated many children's books and contributed to magazines including Jack and Jill Magazine. Among her many books was a series about small animals in the church of Parson Pease-Porridge,[5] beginning with E. P. Dutton's 1941 publication of Peter Churchmouse. Author Merab Eberle called Austin's Gabriel Churchkitten "an enchanting bit of abysmal foolishness" in a 1942 review.[6] "Miss Austin writes with an instinctive tenderness and in a refreshing style," wrote one reviewer in 1944. "There is a gentle radiance about her charcoal drawings."[7]
Austin's illustrations were exhibited at the Portland Art Museum in 1943.[3] Her book Gabriel Churchkitten was adapted as an animated film short in 1944. The Churchmouse Stories were published in a single volume in 1956.[5][8]
Personal life
Margot Helser married fellow artist Darrel Raymond Austin in 1933.[9] They had a son, Darrel Jr.[10] She died in 1990 at the age of 82 in her home in New Fairfield, Connecticut.[4] There is a box of her illustrations and publishing paperwork in the University of Minnesota Libraries.[11]
Publications
As author and illustrator
- Moxie & Hanty & Bunty (1939)[12]
- Barney's Adventure (1941)[12]
- Peter Churchmouse (1941)[5][7]
- Effelli (1942)[13]
- Gabriel Churchkitten (1942)[5][7]
- Trumpet Churchdog (1943)[5][7]
- Manuel’s Kite String, and other Stories (1943)[3]
- Lutie (1944)[7]
- Gabriel Churchkitten and the Moths (1948)[8]
- Poppet (1949)
- The Three Silly Kittens (1950)[8]
- Growl Bear (1951)[14]
- First Prize for Danny (1952)
- William's Shadow (1954)
- Brave John Henry (1955)
- Churchmouse Stories (1956)[8]
- Archie Angel (1957)
- Cousin's Treasure (1960)[15]
As author
- Once Upon a Springtime (1940)
- Tumble Bear (1940)
- Willamette Way (1941)
As illustrator
- A Friend for Growl Bear
- David’s Silver Dollar (1940)
- Mother Goose Rhymes (1940)
- My Brimful Book (1960)
- The Very Young Mother Goose (1963)
References
- ^ a b These are the birth and death date given in the U.S. Social Security Death Index, via Ancestry. It is confirmed by an Oregon birth certificate dated September 18, 1907, also via Ancestry. Other sources give her year of birth as 1908, including her marriage license and her New York Times obituary.
- ^ 1920 United States census, via Ancestry.
- ^ a b c Jones, Catherine (1943-01-03). "January Art Exhibitions Hold Appeal for Children". The Sunday Oregonian. p. 39. Retrieved 2025-06-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Margot Austin; Children's Author, 81". The New York Times. 1990-06-26. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-01-31.
- ^ a b c d e Commins, Kathleen M. (1959-06-20). "Books for Children; For the Very Young". The Sydney Morning Herald. p. 14. Retrieved 2025-06-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Eberle, Merab (1942-08-02). "Churchkitten and His Thinking Cap Manage to Break Starvation Threat (review)". The Journal Herald. p. 44. Retrieved 2025-06-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d e Mahoney, E. (1944-08-20). "Tonic for Vacation-Sated Children from Peter Churchmouse's Creator". The Montgomery Advertiser. p. 28. Retrieved 2025-06-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Gay Churchmouse Stories Collected in One Volume (review)". The Jackson Sun. 1956-11-04. p. 31. Retrieved 2025-06-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "New Fairfield Artist Praised for One-Man Exhibit in London". The Bridgeport Post. 1963-01-13. p. 80. Retrieved 2025-06-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Darrel Austin, 88, Visionary Painter Of Mythical Scenes". The New York Times. 1994-08-20. p. 29. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2025-06-26.
- ^ Margot Austin Collection, Elmer L. Andersen Library, University of Minnesota.
- ^ a b MacMillan, Eleanor T. (1941-08-17). "Books". The Oregon Daily Journal. p. 43. Retrieved 2025-06-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Adventures of a Baby Elephant (review)". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 1942-02-08. p. 13. Retrieved 2025-06-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Martin, Fran (1951-11-11). "Author of 5 Books for Young Readers Surveys Season's Harvest". The Virginian-Pilot. p. 80. Retrieved 2025-06-26 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Freehoff, Bill (1960-10-02). "Story of Tiny Bear Will Delight Small Children". Kingsport Times-News. p. 17. Retrieved 2025-06-26 – via Newspapers.com.