Dillwyn Parrish facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dillwyn Parrish
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|---|---|
| Born |
George Dillwyn Parrish
July 25, 1894 |
| Died | August 6, 1941 (aged 47) near Hemet, California, U.S.
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| Cause of death | ... |
| Education | Harvard University |
| Spouse(s) | |
| Relatives | Anne Parrish (sister) Maxfield Parrish (cousin) |
| Military career | |
| Service/ |
 United States Army |
| Battles/wars | World War I |
George Dillwyn Parrish (July 25, 1894 – August 6, 1941) was an American writer, illustrator, and painter. He was known for his creative work, especially the children's books he made with his sister, Anne Parrish. He also wrote novels and illustrated books for other authors.
Growing Up and Learning
Dillwyn Parrish was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. People close to him often called him "Dillwyn," "Tim," or "Timmy." His family was very artistic. His father, Thomas Parrish, came from an artistic family in Philadelphia. His mother, Anne Lodge, was a respected portrait painter. She even studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts.
Dillwyn was the younger brother of author Anne Parrish. They were also cousins to the famous artist Maxfield Parrish. Maxfield sometimes used Dillwyn and Anne as models in his paintings. After his father passed away, Dillwyn's mother moved the family to her hometown of Claymont, Delaware.
Dillwyn Parrish studied art in Philadelphia. Later, he attended Harvard University. There, he met other writers like Conrad Aiken and E. E. Cummings. During World War I, he volunteered to drive ambulances in France. However, he had to return to the U.S. due to health issues. A year later, he joined the United States Army and worked in a military hospital.
A Creative Career
In 1923, Dillwyn Parrish began illustrating books. He created the pictures for his sister Anne's children's novel, Knee-High to a Grasshopper. They worked together on two more children's books. In 1924, they published Lustres. The next year, their book The Dream Coach earned a special honor called a Newbery Honor.
Dillwyn and Anne bought a cottage in Switzerland called "Le Paquis." It was near Lake Geneva. For a while, Dillwyn taught children from a wealthy family. He later married Gigi Parrish, the youngest girl from that family, in 1927. For their honeymoon, they planned to travel across the U.S. on motorcycles. However, Gigi was injured in an accident. They finished their trip by train.
In 1926, Dillwyn published his own novel, Smith Everlasting. He wrote three more books between then and 1934. In 1929, Dillwyn and Gigi moved to California. Gigi became a movie star in 1934, known as a WAMPAS Baby Stars.
The couple rented a beach house in Laguna Beach, California. Their neighbors were Mary Frances Kennedy Fisher and her husband. Dillwyn became good friends with Mary Fisher. He encouraged her writing, and her culinary essays were published in 1937. Dillwyn and Mary fell in love. After both their marriages ended, Dillwyn married M. F. K. Fisher in 1938. The next year, they wrote a novel together called Touch and Go. They used the pen name Victoria Berne.
They lived in Switzerland until 1939, when war started in Europe. In 1940, they bought land with a cabin in the San Jacinto Mountains in California.
Later Life and Legacy
Dillwyn Parrish faced serious health challenges. He had a condition that led to the amputation of one of his legs. During this time, he returned to painting. He created many works featuring angels, which were shown in an exhibition at the University of California, Los Angeles.
His health continued to decline, and he struggled with pain. Dillwyn Parrish passed away at the age of 47. He was cremated, and his ashes were buried near his home in the mountains.
His passing inspired his wife, M. F. K. Fisher, to write more books. Many of them were about cooking. Her book Stay Me, Oh Comfort Me: Journals and Stories 1933–1941 (1993) shared stories about her time with Dillwyn Parrish.
Dillwyn Parrish's Books
- Knee-High to a Grasshopper, written by Anne Parrish (Macmillan, 1923)
- Lustres, written by Anne Parrish (New York: George Doran, 1924)
- The Dream Coach, written by Anne Parrish (Macmillan, 1924)
- Smith Everlasting (1926)
- Gray Sheep (1927)
- Praise the Lord! (1932)
- Hung for a Song: a novel of the lives and adventures of Major Stede Bonnet and Blackbeard the pirate (1934), illustrated by Richard Floethe
- Touch and Go (Harper & Bros., 1939), by "Victoria Berne" (Dillwyn Parrish and M. F. K. Fisher)
