Mary Tourtel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mary Tourtel |
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Mosaic Art of Mary Tourtel in Canterbury, 2018
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| Born | Mary Caldwell 28 January 1874 Canterbury, England |
| Died | 15 March 1948 (aged 74) Canterbury, England |
| Area(s) | Artist, writer |
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Notable works
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Rupert Bear |
Mary Tourtel (born Mary Caldwell on January 28, 1874 – March 15, 1948) was a talented British artist. She is famous for creating the beloved comic strip character, Rupert Bear. Her works, especially Rupert Bear stories, have sold over 50 million copies around the world!
Contents
The Story of Mary Tourtel
Mary Caldwell was born in Canterbury, England. She was the youngest child of Samuel Caldwell, who worked with stained-glass and stone. Mary loved art and studied at the Sidney Cooper School of Art in Canterbury. This school is now part of the University for the Creative Arts. After her studies, she became an illustrator for children's books.
In 1900, Mary married Herbert Bird Tourtel. He was an assistant editor at a newspaper called The Daily Express.
How Rupert Bear Was Born
Rupert Bear was created in 1920. At that time, The Daily Express was competing with other newspapers. They wanted a new comic strip to attract readers. Herbert Tourtel, Mary's husband, was asked to find a new comic idea. He immediately thought of Mary, who was already a skilled artist and writer.
Mary created Rupert Bear! The first story was published on November 8, 1920. It was called Little Lost Bear, and Rupert didn't even have a name yet! Mary drew the pictures, and her husband wrote the captions, often as poems. The strips appeared twice a day with a short story below them.
Originally, Rupert was a brown bear. But the newspaper wanted to save money on ink. So, they changed Rupert to his famous white color! Mary's Rupert looked more like a real bear, with a bit of a clumsy walk and lots of fur. Today, Rupert wears bright red and yellow clothes. But in Mary's early drawings, he wore a soft blue jumper and grey trousers.
Later Years
Mary stopped drawing Rupert in 1935 because her eyesight started to get worse. Her husband, Herbert, had passed away in 1931. After Mary retired, another artist named Alfred Bestall continued the Rupert Bear strips.
Mary Tourtel died on March 15, 1948, when she was 74 years old. She was buried with her husband in St Martin's Church, Canterbury. They did not have children but enjoyed traveling the world together.
Today, you can still see a special display about Rupert Bear. It is at the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge in Canterbury.
Other Books by Mary Tourtel
Mary Tourtel also created and illustrated other books for children. Here are some of them:
- A Horse Book, 1901
- The Humpty Dumpty Book: Nursery Rhymes told in Pictures, 1902
- The Three Little Foxes, 1903
- Matchless A B C, 1903
- The Strange Adventures of Billy Rabbit, 1908
As an Illustrator
Mary also drew pictures for other authors' books, like:
- The Rabbit Book, by Bruce Rogers, 1900
Images for kids
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Plaque in Ivy Lane, Canterbury, marking the place where Tourtel spent her final years
