The Atwaters
On their own, Richard and Florence Atwater were well accomplished individuals who just so happened to be married and raising a family together. Both intellectual and scholarly, they were more than capable of producing works on their own that would make an impact on those around them. However, it wasn't until a tragedy occurred in their own home that they began to realize that, together, they could create a work that could impact a generations.
Frederick Mund Atwater was born on December 1892 in Chicago, Illinois to Clarence and Mae Atwater. He attended the University of Chicago and graduated in 1910. He would stay there for an additional 7 years, both as a graduate student and a teacher of Greek studies. In addition to his intellectual interests, Atwater also was an active participant in the performance arts, even going so far as to write a play for the university’s drama club.(i) In 1913, he legally changed his name to Richard Tupper Atwater and, after leaving the university, he served in World War 1 with the U.S. Army from 1918 to 1919.(ii) He returned and married Florence Hasseltine Carroll in 1921.
Florence was born on September 13, 1896. She received her education from the University of Illinois, earning a Bachelor of Arts and then a Master of Arts in French Literature.(iii) Together, they had two daughters, Doris and Carroll. Meanwhile, Richard began work for the Chicago Evening Post and the Chicago Daily News under the pseudonym Riq.(iv) A nod to his dramatic and play-writing background, he wrote humor columns for these publications, which later prompted him to write his first book, The Rickety Rimes of Riq, which was published in 1925. Richard was a translator of Secret History of Procopius in 1927, authored a children’s book entitled Doris and the Troolls in 1931 and an operetta, The Kings Sneezes in 1933.(v)
The Atwaters & The Penguins
Richard had been writing for some time and had already written his first children’s book, Doris and the Trolls (1931). His next idea, the one that would inspire a new book, came during a family viewing of a film about the first Byrd Antarctic expedition.(xi) Richard imagined a story about a man named Mr. Popper who finds himself the caretaker of a group of penguins. The original plot was written with a fantasy genre in mind, but Richard soon became dissatisfied with his story.(vii) It soon became forgotten when tragedy struck and he suffered a stroke in 1934.
As a result of the stroke, Richard lost his ability to write. In the midst of the Great Depression, his inability to continue with his work prompted Florence to action. While her husband was known for his publications, Florence was also accomplished in her own accord. According to Carroll (Atwater) Bishop, the Atwater’s daughter, “After the stroke, my mother tried all kinds of ways to rescue the family fortunes… did some writing of her own (published some things in the New Yorker and the Atlantic) got an M.A. in French….got three Chicago teachers’ certificates-one in English, one in French, one in Latin….”(viii) It was Florence who submitted Richard’s original version of Mr. Popper’s Penguins, which was promptly rejected by two publishing companies.
Not to be deterred, Florence took it upon herself to edit the story, including re-writing both the beginning and the end of the story and removing the fantasy elements.(ix) An example of her editing is evident since, in the first draft, Mr. Popper draws a penguin with shaving cream on the bathroom mirror which promptly comes to life. In 1938, after some of these elements were changed and the book was finished by Florence, Mr. Popper’s Penguins was finally published by Little, Brown.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins was Richard’s final and Florence’s first published book. Richard passed away on August 21, 1948 at the age of fifty-six. After his death, Florence continued her many other interests and works in other areas. She passed away on August 23, 1979.
As a result of the stroke, Richard lost his ability to write. In the midst of the Great Depression, his inability to continue with his work prompted Florence to action. While her husband was known for his publications, Florence was also accomplished in her own accord. According to Carroll (Atwater) Bishop, the Atwater’s daughter, “After the stroke, my mother tried all kinds of ways to rescue the family fortunes… did some writing of her own (published some things in the New Yorker and the Atlantic) got an M.A. in French….got three Chicago teachers’ certificates-one in English, one in French, one in Latin….”(viii) It was Florence who submitted Richard’s original version of Mr. Popper’s Penguins, which was promptly rejected by two publishing companies.
Not to be deterred, Florence took it upon herself to edit the story, including re-writing both the beginning and the end of the story and removing the fantasy elements.(ix) An example of her editing is evident since, in the first draft, Mr. Popper draws a penguin with shaving cream on the bathroom mirror which promptly comes to life. In 1938, after some of these elements were changed and the book was finished by Florence, Mr. Popper’s Penguins was finally published by Little, Brown.
Mr. Popper’s Penguins was Richard’s final and Florence’s first published book. Richard passed away on August 21, 1948 at the age of fifty-six. After his death, Florence continued her many other interests and works in other areas. She passed away on August 23, 1979.
The Illustrator
Robert Ripley Lawson was born on October 4, 1892 in New York, New York to William Bethel Lawson and Elma Cecilia Bowman. His interest in art was evident early on, and he attended the New York School of Fine and Applied Arts after graduating from high school. (x) His career began in 1914 as an artist and illustrator working in Greenwich Village. During World War I, Lawson served in the Camouflage Section Fortieth Engineers in France, where he designed camouflage.(xi) He married Marie Abrams, an author and illustrator in 1922. The couple shared their artistic abilities, and both even designed greeting cards.(xii)
Lawson continued to illustrate for magazines, but also illustrated George Randolph Chester’s The Wonderful Adventures of Little Prince Toofat in 1922. According to sources, Lawson was unimpressed with the final look of the reproduction of his original illustrations when the books were published.(xiii) Therefore, it wasn't until 1930 that he illustrated for another author, Wee Men of Ballywooden, by Arthur Mason and, because of its success, he continued with the work.
After his success, Lawson was the illustrator for many books, including Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Story of Ferdinand. In addition to illustrating for other authors, he also added writing to his resume in 1939. Some of his own books include Ben and Me (1939), They Were Strong and Good (1940), and Rabbit Hill (1944). Robert Lawson continued to write for the remainder of his life and is the only person to have been awarded both a Caldecott and Newbery award.(xiv) His last work, The Great Wheel, as published in the last year of his life. Robert Lawson passed away on May 26, 1957 in Weston, Connecticut.
Lawson continued to illustrate for magazines, but also illustrated George Randolph Chester’s The Wonderful Adventures of Little Prince Toofat in 1922. According to sources, Lawson was unimpressed with the final look of the reproduction of his original illustrations when the books were published.(xiii) Therefore, it wasn't until 1930 that he illustrated for another author, Wee Men of Ballywooden, by Arthur Mason and, because of its success, he continued with the work.
After his success, Lawson was the illustrator for many books, including Mr. Popper’s Penguins and Story of Ferdinand. In addition to illustrating for other authors, he also added writing to his resume in 1939. Some of his own books include Ben and Me (1939), They Were Strong and Good (1940), and Rabbit Hill (1944). Robert Lawson continued to write for the remainder of his life and is the only person to have been awarded both a Caldecott and Newbery award.(xiv) His last work, The Great Wheel, as published in the last year of his life. Robert Lawson passed away on May 26, 1957 in Weston, Connecticut.
(i) "Richard Tupper Atwater." Illinois Authors. n.d.
(ii) "Richard (Tupper) Atwater (1892-1948)," Something About the Author, 1989
(iii) "Florence (Hasseltine Carroll) Atwater (1896-1979)," Something About the Author, 1991
(iv) "Richard Atwater," Contemporary Authors Online, 2011
(v) IBID
(vi) IBID
(vii) "Richard (Tupper) Atwater," Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults, 2002
(viii) IBID
(ix) IBID
(x) Robert Ripley Lawson," Dictionary of American Biography, 1980
(xi) "Robert Lawson (1892-1957)," Something About the Author, 1999
(xii) IBID
(xiii) Stone, Contemporary Authors Online, 2003
(xiv) "A Biography of Robert Lawson, 1892-1957." Goldstein Lawson Collection.
(ii) "Richard (Tupper) Atwater (1892-1948)," Something About the Author, 1989
(iii) "Florence (Hasseltine Carroll) Atwater (1896-1979)," Something About the Author, 1991
(iv) "Richard Atwater," Contemporary Authors Online, 2011
(v) IBID
(vi) IBID
(vii) "Richard (Tupper) Atwater," Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults, 2002
(viii) IBID
(ix) IBID
(x) Robert Ripley Lawson," Dictionary of American Biography, 1980
(xi) "Robert Lawson (1892-1957)," Something About the Author, 1999
(xii) IBID
(xiii) Stone, Contemporary Authors Online, 2003
(xiv) "A Biography of Robert Lawson, 1892-1957." Goldstein Lawson Collection.