Figure 1.--The boy here wears a tunic suit with above the knee bloomer knickers and strap shoes. This drawing was done in 1909 and these tunics suits were widely worn at the time. The mother's dress looks, especially the sleeves, however, to be from an earlier page. |
Milicent Sowerby illustrated children's books in the early 20th century. Her father was also an illustrator, much influenced by Kate Greenway. She illustrated a large number of children's books and children were perhaps her favorite subject. Perhaps her best known work are the illustraions for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Her illustrations are very nicely done, but she had a tendency to mix garments from different historical periods in the same drawing. Milicent collaborated with her sister Githa on children’s books with Githa writing the stories.
Her father was designer and illustrator John G. Sowerby. He was greatly influenced by Kate Greenway. As an illustrator himself he of course greatly incluenced his daughter Millicent. Sowerby wrote and illustrated children's books in the late 19th century. For some reason he copied the style of Kate Greenaway. Millicent at the time was a little girl, but she must have been exposed to her fathers work. John Sowerby turned to landscape paintings in his later years.
Milicent had a sister Githa of who she is very close.
Millicent Sowerby was born in Northumberland, England.
No information available at this time.
As her father was an illustrator himself, she was encouraged at home. She began to paint at a young age. She took art classes for several years, but she lived at some distance from the school did not allow her to attend regularly. She was essentially a self-taught illustrator, although her father provide a great deal of assistance. She also learned from studying the work of other illustrators.
Milicent Sowerby illustrated children's books in the early 20th century. The family was not wealthy. Thus Milicent and her sister were drawn into the family business. Milicent illustrated a large number of children's books. She was fond of children and were thus her favorite subject. Perhaps her best known work are the illustraions for Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Her first version of the Lewis Carol classic was done in 1907. Milicent collaborated with her sister Githa on children’s books with Githa writing the stories. One such book done with Githa was, Yesterday’s Children (1908). There was also a wonderful edition of Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child’s Garden of Verses (1909). There were numerous books during the 1910s and 20s. One of her last books was My Own Picture Book with Anne Anderson (1930).
In addition to book illustrations, Sowerby was also a prolific illustrator of picture post cards. The post card industry was an important activity by the turn of the 20th century as significant improvements were made in lithography. Children were a favorite subject of these cards. Sowerby drew scenes from Shakespeare as well as Kate Greenaway type girls. Some of her best know post cards are 30 sets of cards for an annual series called "Postcards for the Little Ones". Many of these cards showed children from other countries in national or folk dress.
Sowerby's drawings are full of color. Her career in large measure benefit from the technical advances in color lithography that occureed at the turn of the 20tyh century. Her love of color can be seen in the flowers that often accompany her illustrations of children. It is no accident that her illustrated books all date from the mid-1900s when the publishing of color plates had become feasible in both technical and econonomic terms. The first illustrated book was one of the many collaborations with Githa, The Wise Book (1906).
Her illustrations are very nicely done, but she had a tendency to mix garments from different historical periods in the same drawing.
Soweby remained active even into her 80s. She focused on watercolors and loved to paint flowers.
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