Kate Greenaway

Kate named Catherine was was born in Hoxton, North London,to John Greenaway a master engraver and Elizabeth Catherine Jones, an accomplished seamstress.

Kate and her father had a special bond and he was a guiding force throughout her lifeeven influencing the profession she. Her mother though was a major influence on Kate's subject matter.

Kate had little formal schooling and was taught at home by local women who, most times, had little education themselves. She rarely paid attention and was often caught drawing. When Kate was twelve, she was enrolled at the Finsbury School of Art which she attended for six years. At eighteen she attended the Central School in South Kensington. In 1871 she attended the newly founded Slade School. She also attended Heatherley’s School of Art in the evenings.

In 1867, Kate produced her first printed piece, a frontispiece for a book called Infant Amusements. She also started doing greeting card, calendar and book illustrations for Marcus Ward and worked for them for six years. One of her card designs sold over 25,000 copies in just a few weeks time.

In 1876, Kate’s father contacted an engraver, who had worked under him; Edmund Evans. Kate reluctantly showed Evans her portfolio but he quickly realized that her style was well suited to his wood-block printing process. Evans purchased her original art work and had a poet edit her verse. At no expense spared her first book with Evans, Under the Window, came out in October of 1879. 20,000 copies sold almost immediately and Evans had to produce a second printing of 70,000.

Kate’s books were enormously popular in Britain and America. The public could not seem to get enough of Kate Greenaway and there were imitators every where. Pirated copies of her books were being sold in Europe and especially America. Greenaway items started appearing everywhere including wallpaper, plates, scarves, fashions and dolls.

Eventually, Kate insisted on selling only the rights to her work and keeping her original art. This insured her artistic control and any future income from additional sales after publication. “I have made it a rule for a long time, not to part with the copyright of my drawings, for I have been so copied, my drawings reproduced and sold for advertisements and done in ways I hate,” she later commented.

n 1955, the Library Association of Great Britain established the Kate Greenaway Medal. It is awarded annually to the artist living and publishing in Britain who has produced the most distinguished children’s book illustrations for that year. Receiving this medal is considered the highest honor an English illustrator can receive.