Golden Legacy: 65 Years of Golden Books
October 19, 2014–January 4, 2015
Grand Gallery
This exhibition presents the most extensive public showing ever of original illustration art from American publishing’s best loved and most important picture-book series, Little Golden Books.
Launched in 1942—the first full year of America’s involvement in the Second World War—Little Golden Books made high-quality illustrated books available at affordable prices for the first time to millions of young children and their parents. Among the artists who have contributed to the ambitious series are greats of the European émigré community (including Feodor Rojankovsky and Tibor Gergely); alumni of the Walt Disney Studios (including Gustaf Tenggren, Martin Provensen, J.P. Miller and Mary Blair), who came East for the artistic freedom and control associated with picture-book making; and such American originals as Garth Williams, Eloise Wilkin, Elizabeth Orton Jones, Richard Scarry and Bob Staake.
Aurelius Battaglia
Gouache. © Random House, Inc.
Fifty-seven masterpieces of original illustration art by these and other artists—chosen from the vast Random House archive—will be featured in the exhibition, including examples from such picture-book classics as Tootle, Home for a Bunny, Five Little Firemen, The Color Kittens and I Can Fly.
Artists Represented
- Aurelius Battaglia
- Sheilah Beckett
- A. Birnbaum
- Mary Blair
- David Diaz
- Gertrude Elliott
- Tibor Gergeley
- Trina Schart Hyman
- Elizabeth Orton Jones
- Jack Kent
- Hilary Knight
- Corinne Malvern
- J. P. Miller
- Jan Pfloog
- Alice and Martin Provensen
- Feodor Rojankovsky
- Richard Scarry
- Bob Staake
- Gustaf Tenggren
- Leonard Weisgard
- Eloise Wilkin
- Garth Williams
- Dan Yaccarino
Books Represented
- The Seven Sneezes
- The Happy Man and His Dump Truck
- The Great Big Fire Engine Book
- Five Little Firemen
- Tootle
- Scuffy the Tugboat and His Adventures Down the River
- Little Red Riding Hood
- My Little Golden Book About God
- Baby Listens
- Little Boy with a Big Horn
- The Twelve Dancing Princesses
- Baby Animals
- Home for a Bunny
- The Friendly Book
- The Giant Golden Book of Elves and Fairies
- Mister Dog
- There’s No Such Thing as a Dragon
- The Animals’ Merry Christmas
- I Am a Bunny
- Chicken Little
- The Rooster Struts
- Two Little Gardeners
- The Color Kittens
- Mr. Noah and His Family
- Doctor Dan the Bandage Man
- Indian Indian
- Pussy Willow
- Animal Friends and Neighbors
- Animal Stories
- A Name for Kitty
- The Three Bears
- Green Eyes
- I Can Fly
- Bow Wow! Meow!
- Little PeeWee
- The Little Red Hen
- Tawny Scrawny Lion
- The Lion’s Paw
- The Red Lemon
- Dan Yaccarino’s Mother Goose
- The Circus Is Coming
- Ocean’s Child
Golden Legacy is organized by the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature, Abilene, Texas.
In Rochester, it is sponsored by the Gallery Council of the Memorial Art Gallery and Nocon & Associates, a private wealth advisory practice of Ameriprise Financial Services, Inc. Additional support is provided by the Child Care Council, Inc., FULL MEA5URE, Michael & Joanna Grosodonia, and COMIDA.
