Desmond Digby facts for kids
Desmond Ward Digby (born January 4, 1933 – died April 10, 2015) was a talented artist from New Zealand. He was known for designing sets for plays, painting, and drawing pictures for children's books.
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Early Life and Education
Desmond Digby was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 1933. He went to Mount Albert Grammar School from 1946 to 1950. After high school, he studied art at the Elam School of Fine Arts.
After graduating, he joined a theatre group called the New Zealand Players. He worked there as a stage designer, creating the look of the plays. In 1955, he won a special scholarship to study theatre design in London at the Slade School of Art. In 1959, he moved to Australia.
Career Highlights
Desmond Digby became a very busy artist in Australia. He designed sets and costumes for major performing arts groups. These included Opera Australia and The Australian Ballet. He also worked with the Elizabethan Trust Opera.
One interesting fact is that he created a special head-dress for the famous actress Marilyn Monroe. She wore it in her 1957 movie, The Prince and the Showgirl.
Illustrator of Children's Books
Desmond Digby was also a well-known illustrator. He drew pictures for many books, especially children's books.
In 1971, he won a big award for his illustrations. It was the Children's Book of the Year Award: Picture Book from the Children's Book Council of Australia. He won this for his 1970 illustrated version of Waltzing Matilda, a famous Australian song by Banjo Paterson. He also won the Critici in Erba Prize for his work on this book.
From 1967 to 1989, he drew all the pictures for the popular children's book series Bottersnikes and Gumbles. These books were written by Sam Wakefield.
Digby also designed the covers for novels by Patrick White. Patrick White was a very famous writer who won the Nobel Prize. Desmond Digby and Patrick White were close friends.
Paintings and Artworks
Besides his work in theatre and books, Desmond Digby was also a painter. His paintings are kept in many of the biggest art galleries in Australia.
