William Penn Life, 2017 (52. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
2017-03-01 / 3. szám
Tibor s Take THE LITTLE IT RED illustrator for Simon and Schuster Publishers and became the principal illustrator for the newly formed Little Golden Books division. Gergely continued to illustrate the books until his death on Jan. 13,1978. Gergely was one of the most prolific artists and illustrators of the mid- 20th Century. He provided covers or artwork for The New Yorker and Free World magazines, won a Caldecott Award in 1954 for illustrating the book Wheel on the Chimney and did commercial art and drafting for several well-known advertising firms and publishers along the East Coast. Although Gergely spent half of his life here in America, he never forgot his Magyar origins. In many of the Little Golden Books he illustrated, one can find a yellow house with green shutters, maroon roof and ornate wrought iron fences and decorations. Each quaint house served as a subtle tribute to his many happy experiences growing up in Hungary. Gergely produced thousands of works, but most were destroyed once production runs of the Little Golden Books ended. Some of his work can be found in various museums and galleries, but the bulk of the art that made him a legend was thrown away —victim to the expediency and demands of the publishing world. Luckily, his books are still readily available, so current and future generations of children can enjoy and learn to read from them, just as I did. On my most recent visit home, my quest was to find more Little Golden Books, hoping some were illustrated by Gergely. As with other items from my childhood, dozens of books were placed in plastic containers in the basement by my parents. Many of my Little Golden Books were put into containers that also contained different items and toys. I recently discovered some books that were packed in with some Barbies and one or two that were stored with some Hot Wheels. Being that Little Golden Books are not thick, they were also easily tucked away with my old baseball gloves and cards. I even found some in a box containing Hungarian Christmas ornaments, with several books partitioning the glass ornaments in a manner similar to an egg carton. As a young adult, I further appreciate how Gergely sketched objects and animals with human-like facial characteristics, including those in such works as The Merry Shipwreck, The Taxi that Hurried or The Jolly Barnyard. He also could draw animals and objects so lifelike that they appeared ready to jump off of the page and into my lap, as in Dogs, About the Seashore and The Book of Planes. All of Gergely's Little Golden Books illustrations contain an incredible amount of detail that oftentimes can be overlooked when reading the story for the first time. A sentimental favorite of mine is Daddies. Tibor Gergely is yet another example of how America benefited from the immigration of many artists, musicians, performers, industrialists and inventors, including those like Gergely who were born and educated in Hungary. Éljen a Amerikai-Magyar, Cseh Tibor, Jr. Tibor Check, Jr., is a member of Branch 28 and an attorney working in Washington, D.C. Let's hear your take If you have any questions or comments, please email me at: silverkingl937@gmail.com, or drop me a letter in care of the William Penn Association, 709 Brighton Road, Pittsburgh, PA 15233. WILLIAM PENN LIFE 0 March 2017 0 7
