Dorothy Lathrop (1891-1980)
Dorothy Lathrop was born in 1891 into a family that thrived on appreciating creativity in art. Her mother’s love for painting, combined with her grandparent’s ownership of a bookstore, inspired her passion for illustrations. She received her education at the Teacher’s College of Columbia University, and further expanded her knowledge of art by joining the Pennsylvania Academy and Art Students League. Though she was the only member of her family to be formally educated, she shared the same ideals as her immediate relatives. Lathrop, her sister, and her mother were all strict vegetarians and animal activists – possibly a result of the multitude of pets at their home. All three also shared artwork at a gallery where First Lady Eleanor Rooseveltfound admiration for the works. Dorothy illustrated many books, almost one every year, after 1919. The first children’s book she illustrated was The Fairy Circus (1931), which she authored as well. Her style is known to be very delicate. Dorothy died in 1980 as a decorated artist, having won the Newberry Medal for Hitty, Her First Hundred Years (1929) and the Caldecott Medal for Animals of the Bible (1937).
-Aerin Philip