Harrison Cady facts for kids
Walter Harrison Cady (1877–1970) was an American illustrator and author. He is best known for his Peter Rabbit comic strip. He wrote and drew this comic for 28 years.
Cady was born in Gardner, Massachusetts. His father, Edwin Cady, was a town leader who owned a local store. Edwin helped Harrison love nature and encouraged his art. Cady learned from a local painter named Parker Perkins. His first drawing was published in 1894. It appeared in a magazine called Harper's Young People.
When Harrison was 18, his father passed away. He moved to New York City. Within a year, he found work as an illustrator. He worked for the Brooklyn Eagle newspaper. His salary was $10 a week. This allowed him to support his mother. They lived in a small apartment in Greenwich Village. He stayed at the Brooklyn Eagle for four years. He also did freelance work for other publications.
His income grew a lot after he joined Life magazine. The editor, John Ames Mitchell, hired Cady as a staff artist. This led to a long career. He became a newspaper and magazine illustrator. He also illustrated many children's books. These books featured amazing animal drawings.
After much success in the 1920s, Cady and his wife, Melinna, took a long trip. They toured Europe for two months in 1931. They visited cities like London, Paris, Rome, and Venice. Melinna wrote a letter to Harrison's mother. She described their adventures. She said she liked Paris best as a place to live. She mentioned the shops, museums, and shows. She also wrote about Venice. She called it charming and beautiful. She said they took gondola rides every afternoon. She was very excited about everything they saw.
Cady worked closely with Thornton Burgess for a long time. He drew pictures for Burgess's books. This included Happy Jack and his daily newspaper column, "Bedtime Stories." Their partnership lasted for five decades. It began around 1912 with Baby Possum Has a Scare. Other early books were The Adventures of Reddy Fox (1913) and Buster Bear Invites Old Mr. Toad to Dine (c. 1914). Their work continued into the 1950s. This included At Paddy the Beaver's Pond (1950).
Cady was a very busy artist. He illustrated for over 70 years. His drawings appeared in many magazines. These included St. Nicholas Magazine, Boys' Life, and The Saturday Evening Post. He also worked for Ladies' Home Journal and Good Housekeeping. He drew pictures for the Queen Silver-Bell series by Frances Hodgson Burnett.
Besides illustrating other authors' books, Cady also wrote his own books. He drew the pictures for these books himself. His books included the Butternut Hill series (1929). He also wrote Johnny Funny-Bunny's Picnic Party (1928) and Spring Moving Day (1928).
Peter Rabbit Comic Strip
Cady's Peter Rabbit comic strip started on August 15, 1920. The New York Herald Tribune Syndicate launched it. He continued to write and draw the strip for almost 30 years. When he retired in 1948, Vince Fago took over drawing the strip. Avon published Cady's Peter Rabbit Comics in 1947.
Museum Display
You can see Walter Harrison Cady's artwork at the Thornton Burgess Museum. This museum is located in Sandwich, Massachusetts.
- Watson, Ernest W. 40 Illustrators: How They Work (includes photograph of Cady's studio)
