Helene Carter
Helene Carter Silvey | |
|---|---|
| Born | Helene Carter 1887 Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Died | December 31, 1960 (aged 73) New York City, New York, U.S |
| Education | Ontario College of Art & Design University (BA) |
| Occupation | Natural history illustrator |
| Notable work | Swallows and Amazons |
Helene Carter Silvey (1887–December 31, 1960) was a Canadian illustrator and author from Toronto, Ontario, and is known for her illustrative work within the natural history field. She served as a governing member in the Society of Illustrators, and worked with the Women's National Book Association. All her work was published under her maiden name.
Early life and education
Silvey was born in Toronto, Ontario in 1887. As a child, she regularly enjoyed the company of wild animals where she would sew clothing for them, this did not please her mother. Growing up, she spent her days working on art and practicing violin, and on her sixteenth birthday she enrolled in the Ontario College of Art & Design University. During school she focused on commercial art studies and enjoyed theater. After she'd graduated in 1907, she worked in corporate advertising.[1]
In 1914, she moved to New York City where she studied at the Arts Students League and the Roerich Academy of Arts.[1][2] Her career continued in New York where she became highly respected within the local scene.
Career
Slivey's professional career began with her traveling to Italy in 1921 to work with Swiss-novelist Carl Spitteler for his short story Two Little Misogynists, she later returned to Italy via France in 1930 for Gertrude Linnell's historical documentation novel Behind the Battlements.[2]
In the 1930s, Silvey's career took off as she contributed her illustrative skills into children's literature. This is seen in her work with British author D. K. Broster for her Jacobite Trilogy series, and Arthur Ransome's Swallows and Amazons series. By 1931, she was a member of the Society of Illustrators committee and acted as a judge for open illustration exhibition contests.[3][4]
In 1934, Slivey began to work with American zoologist Raymond Ditmars, who she claims welcomed her to the world of natural history illustrators, due to this collaboration she worked more specifically in the field.[5]
In the latter half of her life during the 1950s, she focused on working on the "First Book" series, which surveyed the history of certain animals and hobbies of mundane life. Slivey most often worked with the American author and librarian Jannette May Lucas, and the publishing house J.B. Lippincott Company.
Death
Silvey died in the Manhattan Hospital in New York City after a general operation, she was 73.[6] By the time she'd died she was a secretary for the Artists Guild, and a governing member of the Society of Illustrators.[5]
Legacy
A selected collection of Silvey's children's literature illustrations are held in the University of Minnesota.[7]
List of written and illustrated work
- Smokey and Pinocchio (J. B. Lippincott Company, 1940)[8]
List of illustrative work
- Two Little Misogynists (written by Carl Spitteler, Henry Holt and Company, 1922)[2]
- The Three of Salu (written by Carol Della Chiesa, World Book Company, 1923)[9]
- Picture-Story Reading Lessons Series 1 Dictionary (written by Nila Banton Smith and Stuart Appleton Curtis, World Book Company, 1924-26)[10]
- Bemol and Kusum (written by Herbert E. Wyman, World Book Company, 1926)[11]
- Natalia and Nikolai, children of Russia (written by Varia Klenova and Louise Lamprey, World Book Company, 1928)[12]
- City Stories Told by City Children as They Go Exploring in New York (written by Florence Matthews Tchaika, MacMillan Publishers, 1928)[13]
- The Flight of the Heron (written by D.K. Broster, Coward McCann, 1930)[14]
- The Omnibus (written by Jules Verne, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1931)[15]
- Swallows and Amazons (written by Arthur Ransome, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1931)[16]
- Behind the Battlements (written by Gertrude Linnell, MacMillan Publishers, 1931)[17]
- Grandmother's Doll (written by Elizabeth Gladwin Bouton, Duffield & Green, 1931)[15]
- Wayside Flowers: Poems of the Out-Of-Doors (written by William Wordsworth, MacMillan Publishers, 1931)[15]
- Gleam in the North (written by D.K Broster, Coward McCann, 1931)[14]
- Swallowdale (written by Arthur Ransome, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1932)[18]
- Puppet Parade (written by Carol Della Chiesa, Longman, 1932)[19]
- Peter Duck (written by Arthur Randsome, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1933)[20]
- Winter Holiday (written by Arthur Randsome, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1933)[21]
- All the Ways of Building (written by Louise Lamprey, MacMillan publishers, 1933)[22]
- The Dark Milk (written by D.K Broster, Coward McCann, 1934)[14]
- Ruth visits Margot, a little French girl (written by Roy A. Keech, Albert Whitman & Co, 1934)[23]
- The Book of Zoography (written by Raymond Ditmars, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1934)[24]
- Coot Club (written by Arthur Randsome, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1934)[25]
- The Poet's Craft (complied by Helen Fern Daringer and Anne Thaxter Eaton, World Book Company, 1935)[26]
- The Book of Living Reptiles (written by Raymond Ditmars, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1936)[27]
- The Gleam in the North (written by D.K. Broster, Coward McCann, 1936)[14]
- The Earth Changes (written by Jannette May Lucas, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1937)[28]
- The Book of Insect Oddities: Where the Strange Insects of the World are Found (written by Raymond Ditmars, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1938)[29]
- The Baby Whale Sharp Ears (written by John Y. Beaty, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1938)[30]
- Fruits of the Earth (written by Jannette May Lucas, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1942)[31]
- Twenty Little Pets From Everywhere (written by Raymond Ditmars, Julian Messner, 1943)[32]
- Pierre Keeps Watch (written by Maria Gleit, Charles Scribner's Sons, 1944)[33]
- Indian Harvest: Wild food plants of America (written by Jannette May Lucas, J.B. Lippincott Company, 1945)[34]
- The Gulf Stream (written by Ruth Brindze, Vanguard Press, 1945)[35]
- Where Did Your Garden Grow? (written by Jannette May Lucas, Harper Collins,1945)[36]
- Desert Animals (written by Rita Kissin, K. McKay Company, 1947)[37]
- The Story of Our Calendar (written by Ruth Brindze, Vanguard Press, 1949)[5]
- The First Book of Trees (written by Maribelle Cormack, Greystone Press, 1951)[38]
- The First Book of Bees (written by Albert B. Tibbets, Greystone Press, 1952)[39]
- Water, Water Everywhere! (written by Mary Walsh, Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1953)[40]
- The First Book of Prehistoric Animals (written by Alice Dickinson, Franklin Watts, 1954)[41]
- The First Book of Gardening (written by Virginia Kirkus, Watts, 1956)[42]
- The First Book of Tropical Mammals (written by Helen Hoke, Vanguard Press, 1958)[5]
Awards
| Award | Year | Work | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Tribune Spring Festival Award | 1945 | The Gulf Stream | [5] |
| New York Tribune Spring Festival Award | 1949 | The Story of Our Calendar | [5] |
References
- ^ a b Commire, Anne (1979). Something About The Author. Vol. 15. Detroit, Michigan: Gale Research. pp. 37–39.
- ^ a b c Hill Viguers, and, Ruth; Dalphin, Marcia; Mahony Miller, Bertha (1958). Illustrators of Children's books 1946-1956. The Horn Book. p. 88.
- ^ Alden Jewell, Edward (1936-05-02). "ILLUSTRATORS GIVE ANNUAL ART SHOW; Paintings, Water-Colors, Etchings, Masks and Sculpture Entered by Members. PROFESSIONAL WORK SEEN Members Also Exhibit Results of 'Playtime' Efforts, Often in Different Media". The New York Times. p. 13. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-04.
- ^ Alden Jewell, Edward (1935-04-02). "ART SHOW OPENED BY ILLUSTRATORS; Society Starts Thirty-third Exhibition at Gallery in Rockefeller Center". The New York Times. p. 19. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-04.
- ^ a b c d e f Fuller, Muriel (1963). More Junior Authors. H.W. Wilson. OCLC 1010988031.
- ^ "HELENE CARTER DEAD; Illustrator of Scientific and Other Books Was 73". The New York Times. 1961-01-02. p. 25. Retrieved 2026-04-08.
- ^ Czechowski, Leslie (2004-07-05). "Helene Carter Papers". University of Minnesota Libraries. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
- ^ Carter, Helene. "Smoky and Pinocchio". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2026-06-05.
- ^ Della Chiesa, Carol (1923). The three of Salu; around the year in northern Italy. The Library of Congress. Yonkers-on-Hudson, N.Y., World book company.
- ^ "Review of MY STORY BOOK PAD. Picture-Story Reading Lessons, Series 1. Picture-Story Reading Lessons, Series 1". The Journal of Education. 100 (23 (2509)): 639–639. 1924. ISSN 0022-0574.
- ^ Murdoch, Clarissa (1927). "Review of Father's Gone A-Whaling". The Elementary English Review. 4 (3): 90–90. ISSN 0888-1030.
- ^ "Front Matter". The Journal of Education. 107 (16). 1928. ISSN 0022-0574.
- ^ Tchaika, Florence Matthews; Coffin, Rebecca Jane; Columbia University. (1928). City stories told by city children as they go exploring in New York. New York: The Macmillan company.
- ^ a b c d Monro, Isabel S.; Cook, Dorothy E. (1942). Fiction Catalog 1941 Edition.
- ^ a b c The Publishers Weekly 1931-08-29: Vol 120 Iss 9. Internet Archive. New York City: The Publisher's Weekly. 1931-08-29. p. 106.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ "Latest Books Received; Latest Books Received Latest Books Received". The New York Times. 1931-02-15. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-24.
- ^ "Latest Books Received; Latest Books Received Latest Books Received". The New York Times. 1931-08-30. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-19.
- ^ Eaton, Anne T. (1932-02-14). "" Swallowdale" and Other New Books for Children; SWALLOWDALE. By Arthur Ransome. Illustrated by Helene Carter. 393 pp. Philadelphia: J.B. Lfppincott Company. $2". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
- ^ Chiesa, Carol Della. "Puppet Parade". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2025-06-08.
- ^ Alderson, Brian. "Valediction No.9: Small Gang – Books For Keeps". booksforkeeps.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2024-03-02. Retrieved 2026-04-25.
- ^ Eaton, Anne T. (1934-04-15). "Arthur Ransome's "Winter Holiday," a New Animal Book by Margery Bianco and a Tale of Colonial Times; WINTER HOLIDAY. By Arthur Ransome. Illustrated by Helene Carter. 350 pp. Philadelphia. J.B. Lippincott Company. $2". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
- ^ "ALL THE WAYS OF BUILDING. By L. Lamprey. Illustrated by Helene Cartier. 304 pp. New York: The Macmillan Company. $3.50". The New York Times. 1934-03-04. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
- ^ Keech, Roy A. (1934). Ruth visits Margot,a little French girl. The Library of Congress. Chicago, Albert Whitman & co.
- ^ Library of Congress (1963). Catalog of Copyright Entries, Third Series. Part 1: Books and Pamphlets Jan-June 1962: Vol 16 No 1. Washington, D.C: Copyright office. p. 873. ISSN 0041-7815.
- ^ Beust, Nora (1935). "A Selection of the 1935 Books for Children and Young People". The High School Journal. 18 (7): 246–248. ISSN 0018-1498.
- ^ Daringer, Helen Fern; Thaxter Eaton, Anne (1935). The Poet's Craft. Internet Archive. Yonkers-on-Hudson, N.Y., World Book Co.
- ^ "THE BOOK OF LIVING REPTILES. Where the Crocodilians, Lizards, Snakes, Turtles and Tortoises Are Found. By Raymond L. Ditmars. Illustrated in Color by Helene Carter. 62 pp. Philadelphia, Pa.: J.B. Lippincott Company. $2". The New York Times. 1936-12-06. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-05-04.
- ^ Lucas, Jannette May (1937). The Earth Changes. Internet Archive. J.B. Lippincott Company.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Ditmars, Raymond (1938). The Book of Insect Oddities. J.B. Lippincott Company.
- ^ Beaty, John Y. (1938). The Baby Whale Sharp Ears. J.B. Lippincott Company.
- ^ "A History of Fruits; FRUITS OF THE EARTH. By Jannett May Lucas. With illustrations by Helene Carter. 71 pp. Philadelphia, Pa.: J.B. Lippincott Company. $2". The New York Times. 1942-10-18. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ^ Ditmars, Raymond (1943). "Twenty Little Pets From Everywhere". LOC. Retrieved 2026-06-08.
- ^ Gleit, Maria (1944). Pierre Keeps Watch. Internet Archive. Charles Scribner's Sons. LCCN 44006599.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Lucas, Jannette May (1945). Indian Harvest: Wild Food Plants of America. Internet Archive. Philadelphia New York, J.B. Lippincott company. LCCN 45008162.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: date and year (link) - ^ Brindze, Ruth (1945). The Gulf Stream. Vanguard Press.
- ^ Lucas, Janette May (1945). Where Did Your Garden Grow (2nd ed.). Harper Collins. OCLC 156246722.
- ^ Kissin, Rita. "Desert Animals". Library of Congress. Retrieved 2026-06-09.
- ^ Cormack, Maribelle (1951). The First Book of Trees. Prelinger Library. New York : Watts.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: publisher location (link) - ^ Tibbets, Albert B. (1952). The first book of bees. Prelinger Library. New York, F. Watts.
- ^ O'Neall Faris Harrison, Phoebe (1953). Books, Booklets, Bulletins on Soil and Water Conservation. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 19.
- ^ Dickinson, Alice (1966). The First Book of Prehistoric Animals (1st ed.). Watts.
- ^ Woodward, Carol H. (1962-08-19). "CHILDREN'S GARDEN BOOKS". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2026-06-09.