Clement Hurd
Clement G. Hurd (January 12, 1908 – February 5, 1988) was an American artist. He is known for illustrations of children's picture books, especially collaborations with writer Margaret Wise Brown including Goodnight Moon (1947) and The Runaway Bunny (1942).
Biography
Early life
Hurd was born in New York City[1] to Richard Melancthon Hurd, an economist and mortgage banker, and Lucy Gazzam Hurd.[2] He was educated at St. Paul's School in Concord, New Hampshire,[3] then studied architecture[4] at Yale University and painting with Fernand Léger in Paris.[3]
Career
Hurd returned to New York in 1933 to work as a commercial artist. There Brown was an editor at Young Scott Books, as well as a writer of picture book texts. On seeing two of his paintings, she asked him if he would consider illustrating children's books. She wrote a text herself, for what became Bumble Bugs and Elephants (1938) —"perhaps the first modern board book for babies".[3]
He also illustrated a number of books written by his wife Edith Thacher Hurd (a friend of Brown's) as well as a children's book written by Gertrude Stein, The World Is Round. He also wrote and illustrated the book Run, Run, Run.
Personal life
A doctored/altered photo of Hurd was included in the 60th anniversary republication of Goodnight Moon with a cigarette removed from his hand, causing controversy over publication standards.[5]
His son Thacher Hurd is also a children's book author and illustrator, and referred in an interview to the "wonderful aura of creativity" surrounding his father and the Vermont farm that was their home.[3]
Hurd died of Alzheimer's disease at a San Francisco hospital in 1988.[4]
Books
- Goodnight Moon (1947)
- The Runaway Bunny (1942)
- The World Is Round (1938-1939)
- Run Run Run: Story of Black Cat and Dog (author and illustrator)
- The Merry Chase
- Hurry Hurry
- Catfish
- Johnny Lion's Book
- Benny the Bulldozer
- Johnny Lion's Bad Day
- Johnny Lion's Rubber Boots
- Wilson's World (1971)
- No Funny Business
- Look for a Bird
- Last One Home is a Green Pig
- Windy and the Willow Whistle
- The Mother Kangaroo
- This is the Forest
- The Mother Chimpanzee
- The Mother Owl
- Mr. Charlie, the Fireman's Friend
- What Whale? Where?
- Under the Lemon Tree
- The Race Between the Monkey and the Duck
- Good-night Moon Room
- Bumble Bugs and Elephants (1938)
- The Day the Sun Danced (1966)
- Goodnight Moon's 123
- Goodnight Moon's ABC
- My World (a Goodnight Moon book)
- Little Brass Band
- Come and Have Fun
- No Funny Business
- Christmas Eve
- The Blue Heron Tree
References
- ↑ Silvey, Anita (2002). The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. p. 214. ISBN 9780547348896.
- ↑ The New York Red Book. Williams Press. 1916. p. 65.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Leonard S. Marcus (1997). "Meet Clement Hurd". Enter the World of Margaret Wise Brown. HarperCollins Children's. Retrieved 2014-10-01.
Apparently citing Marcus's book, Dear Genius, The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom. - ↑ 4.0 4.1 McDowell, Edwin (February 10, 1988). "Clement G. Hurd, 80, Illustrator Of Many Children's Books, Dies". New York Times. Retrieved April 5, 2015.
- ↑ Wyatt, Edward (November 17, 2005). "'Goodnight Moon', Smokeless Version". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-07-26.
|