Bertha Upton

The Adventure of Two Dutch Dolls and a 'golliwogg' (Illustrated Edition) (Dodo Press) Bertha Upton Illustrated edition

Florence Kate Upton (1873-1922) was an American-born English cartoonist and author most famous for her Golliwogg series of children's books. At the age of 16 she obtained work as a professional illustrator. Numerous publications existed at this time, mainly as vehicles for advertising and light fiction of varying merit. Some of the same authors whose stories appeared in the magazines went on to employ Florence to illustrate their novels or books of short stories. In 1893 she began to sketch out ideas for a children's book, using 'penny wooden' dolls as her models. The first Golliwogg story was produced in 1894. The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a 'Golliwogg' was published for Christmas 1895. Through the years Florence and Bertha, her mother, collaborated on a total of thirteen Golliwogg adventures, the series ending as, over the years, cultural drift caused interest in the series to wane and Florence sought a career as a professional artist. The last of the Golliwogg books was published in 1909.