May Gibbs (1877 – 1969) is one of Australia’s most treasured illustrators, artists and children’s authors. Her bush fantasy world has captured the imaginations of Australians for over a century, creating a uniquely Australian folklore that holds a special place in the hearts of a nation.
Late in 1913, May was commissioned to illustrate the headpiece for Ethel Turner’s serial The Magic Button in the Sydney Mail. Hidden among the detail is a family of gumnuts peeping shyly out.
A few years later May was to tell Theatre Magazine the idea for these gumnut babies came to her ‘in the middle of the night’.
In December May also took out copyright registration for a gum-leafed bookmark which would become one of Australia’s most iconic designs. On 5 December, just in time for Christmas, Gum-Nut Babies was published. This was followed shortly after by Gum-Blossom Babies. Critical response to these books was quite extraordinary and both books were an immediate sell out.
Encouraged, May wrote three more bush baby books – Boronia Babies, Flannel Flower and Other Bush Babies in 1917, and Wattle Babies in 1918. The bush babies were now firmly established as part of Australian folklore.
In 1918, May took her place as a beloved Australian children’s author. Her most ambitious work to date Tales of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie was published and was ardently scooped up by the Australian public and has never been out of print to this day.
In April 1967, her ninetieth year May completed her last cartoon and retired. On 27 November 1969, May Gibbs passed away in Sydney aged 92 years. Gibbs bequeathed the copyright from the designs of her bush characters and her stories to Northcott Disability Services and Cerebral Palsy Alliance, the residue of her estate was left to the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund.
Source: Australian Stockmans Hall of Fame
Comentarios