Dugald Stewart Walker facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dugald Stewart Walker
Dugald Stewart Walker
Born	1883 Richmond, Virginia
Died	1937
Nationality	American
Education	University of Virginia, New York School of Art
Known for	Illustrator

Dugald Stewart Walker (1883 – 1937) was an American artist who illustrated many books in the early 1900s. He was known for his detailed and imaginative drawings, especially for fairy tales and children's stories.

Early Life

Dugald Stewart Walker was born in Richmond, Virginia. He studied art at the University of Virginia and the New York School of Art. These schools helped him develop his unique drawing style.

His Art and Illustrations

Bringing Stories to Life

"I did not call you over to give me a bath," cried Squeaky
Snythergen (1923)

Walker's first big collection of colorful and black-and-white drawings appeared in a book called Stories for Pictures in 1912. The writer of that book, Mackay, said that Walker was a "new artist of remarkable talent." He felt Walker's style was unique, even though it reminded him a little of other famous illustrators like Rackham and Dulac.

Two years later, Walker created many illustrations for Fairy Tales from Hans Christian Andersen (1914). He was very involved in this project. In his introduction to the book, Walker shared how he found inspiration for his art:

"I have never been anywhere except Richmond, Virginia, and New York... But the good East Wind and the kindly Moon have taken me on rapturous journeys high above the world to get an enchanted view of things. In this book I have put some of my discoveries... if you are interested in what the East Wind or the Father Stork or the Moon told me, then look with my eyes and you will not mind very much if the courtiers... or the dock leaves... are not just as a grown-up person thinks they should be. After all is said and done, what the young ones say about it is the all-important matter."

This shows that Walker believed in using his imagination. He wanted young readers to see the world through his eyes, full of magic and wonder, rather than just how grown-ups might see it.

Walker's artwork was famous for its fine details. He used a special technique called stippling, which involves creating patterns with tiny dots. His designs were often very fancy and beautiful.

Personalized Art: Bookplates

Bookplate by Dugald Stewart Walker

Besides illustrating books, Dugald Stewart Walker also created art in other ways. One popular way was through bookplates. A bookplate is a small, decorative label that people stick inside their books to show who owns them.

Walker's bookplates were often black and white. They included special symbols or images that meant something to the person who ordered them. For example, if someone loved music, their bookplate might have musical notes. These personalized designs made each bookplate unique and special for its owner.

List of Works

Here are some of the books Dugald Stewart Walker either wrote or illustrated:

Author

• Dream Boats: And Other Stories, Portraits and Histories of Fauns, Fairies, Fishes and Other Pleasant Creatures. (1918)
• Sally's ABC (1929)
• The Dust of Seven Days (1924)

Illustrator

• Stories for Pictures (1912)
• Fairy Tales from Hans Christian Andersen (1914)
• The Boy Who Knew What the Birds Said (1918)
• Dream Boats and Other Stories (1918)
• The Wishing-Fairy's Animal Friends (1921)
• Rainbow Gold (1922)
• Snythergen (1923)
• The Six Who Were Left in a Shoe (1923)
• Many Wings (1923)
• Squiffer (1924)
• The Golden Porch (1925)
• Orpheus with His Lute (1926)
• Mopsa the Fairy (1927)