One of the most prolific children's illustrators in history was Daisy Mager, but you wouldn't know it by searching Google. Sometimes I fear nothing began before Al Gore invented the internet. I've seen Mager's work all my life, but try to find her biography. Even finding a first name took some time. These were published by Saalfield, a company which operated in Akron, Ohio and did primarily children's instruction books, toys and paper dolls. They lasted nearly 100 years, but had the bad fortune to go out of business just before the internet came along, so Daisy will ever remain a nobody. Saalfield's library and archives were purchased by Kent State University the year they went under. I'm sure more information on the prolific and perpetually positive Mager is to be found there, as the artwork alone held by the school is 89 oversize boxes...but it is midnight, this is only a blog post, and Daisy Mager only taught me to draw and connect the dots, not look stuff up.
8 children's activity books illustrated by Doris Mager 1953 (from a set of 20) Collection Jim Linderman
Jim, I'm sorry but you insulted my intelligence when you said that Al Gore invented the Internet. I hope you were joking cause I really love your collection. And a collector with tastes like mine should only give credit where its due. Aliens created Al Gore so they should get the credit.
ReplyDeleteJim, Daisy Mager is my father-in-law's mother and she's still drawing at age 93. I'd love to help get her story told.
ReplyDeleteIs your father in law Herb Magar? If so, we played together as children along with his sister. Somewhere I have an old home movie of all of us at Geauga Lake...Christine
ReplyDeleteI hope you will create a Wikipedia page for her. It's free and used as a reference by millions of people. Thank you!
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