de Grummond Collection

McCain Library and Archives
University Libraries
University of Southern Mississippi



MARIE HALL ETS PAPERS

Collection Number
Collection Dates
Collection Volume
DG0305
1948-1964
1.70 cu.ft. (3 boxes)

Biographical Sketch | Scope & Content | Related Collections | Series & Subseries | Box Inventory


Provenance
Material was donated by Marie Hall Ets from 1966.

Restrictions
Noncirculating; available for research.

Copyright
The collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U. S. Code). Reproductions can be made only if they are to be used for "private study, scholarship, or research." It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials, other than that noted above.

Biographical Sketch
Marie Hall Ets was born on December 16, 1895 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She attended Lawrence College, the New York School of Civics and Philanthropy, the University of Chicago, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Royal Academy of London, and Columbia University. Ets began her career as a social worker at the Chicago Commons, a settlement house on the northwest side of the city. After becoming very ill, she decided to use her artistic talents to write and illustrate books for children.

In 1956, Ets received the Hans Christian Anderson Award for her book Play with Me (1956). Five of Ets' books, In the Forest (1945), Play with Me (1956), Just Me (1966), Mr. Penny's Horse Race (1956), and Mr. T. W. Anthony Woo (1951), were chosen as Caldecott Honor books. In 1960, her Nine Days to Christmas was chosen for the Caldecott Medal.

Marie Hall Ets passed away on January 17, 1984 in Inverness, Florida.

Source:

Scope and Content
The collection contains typescripts, sketches, correspondence and illustrations for six picture books. The materials are arranged alphabetically by title. Within each title the materials are arranged in the probable order in which they were created. The correspondence is separated by title.

All the books in the collection are written and illustrated by Marie Hall Ets. An automobile is self-propelled down the road, running over anything that stands in its way, until it meets a train in Little Old Automobile (1948). The story was originally written for her nephew who liked to "play smashups" with his own toy cars. There are sketches, preliminary illustrations, and an illustration proof for this title. In Play With Me (1955), a little girl goes to the meadow to play, but each animal she tries to catch runs away from her. When she finally sits quietly by the pond the animals come back. This book was chosen as a Caldecott Honor book in 1956. There are sketches, illustrations and color separations for this title.

Some mice go upstairs and discover a small boy's toy cars, trains and planes in Automobiles for Mice. There is a typescript, some sketches and a partial dummy for this title. A cow finds out who his true friends are when he only has grass to serve at a birthday party and everyone leaves, except the horse, goat, and lamb in Cow's Party. There are sketches, a mounted dummy, a mounted illustration, and color separations for this title.

Series and Subseries

A. Books


Box Inventory

Box/Folder 

A. Books

     Automobiles for Mice written and illustrated by Marie Hall Ets (New
     York: Viking Press, 1964).

     1/1       Typescript, carbon copy, pp. 1-5.

     1/2       Sketches, chalk and marker, 2 items.

     1/3       Partial dummy with pasted text and collage illustrations, 
               pp. 9-11.

     Beasts and Nonsense written and illustrated by Marie Hall Ets (New
     York: Viking Press, 1952).

     1/4       Layout for dust jacket, photocopied illustrations and pasted text,
               1 item.

     Cow's Party written and illustrated by Marie Hall Ets (New York:
     Viking Press, 1958).

     1/5       Sketches on tracing paper, 37 items.

     1/6-1/7   Sketches, pencil, 

     1/6            8 items.

     1/7            Mounted, 4 items.

     1/8       Mounted dummy pages, watercolor, 2 items.

     1/9       Mounted preliminary illustration, crayon, 1 item.

     1/10-1/12 Preliminary illustrations, watercolor,

     1/10           5 items.

     1/11-1/12      Mounted, 7 items.
     
     1/13-1/14 Color separations, 

     1/13           3 items.

     1/14           Mounted, 2 items.

     Little Old Automobile written and illustrated by Marie Hall Ets (New
     York: Viking Press, 1948).

     2/1       Sketches on tracing paper, pencil, 37 items.

     2/2       Preliminary illustrations, ink on fabric, pp. 3-5 and 7-9, 8 items.

     2/3       Proof of illustration for p. 8, 1 item.

     Mister Penny's Race Horse written and illustrated by Marie Hall Ets
     (New York: Viking Press, 1956).

     2/4       Correspondence, 1955-1956, 3 items.

     2/5       Typescript, carbon copy, pp. 1-16.

     2/6       Sketches on tracing paper, pencil, 57 items.

     2/7       Color swatches, watercolor, 3 items.

     2/8       Preliminary dust jacket illustration, 1 item.

     Play With Me written and illustrated by Marie Hall Ets (New York:
     Viking Press, 1955).

     2/9       Preliminary illustrations, watercolor, 6 items.

     2/10      Sketches on tracing paper, pencil, 54 items.

     2/11-3/2  Mounted illustrations, watercolor, 8 items.

     3/3       Color separations, p. 13, 5 items.

     3/4       Color separation proof, p. 15, 7 items.


Processed: July 12, 1998

Biographical Sketch | Scope & Content | Related Collections | Series & Subseries | Box Inventory
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The de Grummond Children's Literature Collection

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118 College Drive, #5148
Hattiesburg, MS 39406-0001
(601) 266-4349
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