E. (Elizabeth) MacKinstry was born in 1879 in Scranton, Pennsylvania. Her family moved to Paris when she very young. There she began studying violin at age 7. She proved to be a musical prodigy and studied under famed violinist Eugène Ysaÿe, but her brief career as a violinist came to an end when she was a teenager due to tuberculosis of the spine. Afterwards her family returned to the United States and she began studying drawing and sculpture. She taught art at Albright Art School of the Buffalo Fine Arts Academy in Buffalo, New York from 1911-1913. In 1913 she published a book of poetry, Helen's Mirror and Other Verses, under the pseudonym Elizabeth Westermain, but she did not begin illustrating children’s books until 1924 with What Shall We Play?, written by Edna Geister. This was followed in 1925 by the poetry collection Puck in Pasture (1925), which she both wrote and illustrated. Many of Mackinstry’s illustrations were done for anthologies of fairy tales, including The White Cat, and Other Old French Fairy Tales (1928) and Anderson’s Fairy Tales (1933). She died on May 13, 1956 in Lenox, Massachusetts. In 1957, she was honored with a memorial exhibit of her work at the Central Children’s Room of the New York Public Library.

Bibliography

Something About the Author, vol. 42.

This collection consists of three bound volumes and four sets of drawings and studies by children's illustrator E. (Elizabeth) MacKinstry (1879-1956). Subjects range from figure drawings to copies of famous artworks to demonstrations of various artistic techniques. Many of the artworks feature religious or literary themes, including illustrations by MacKinstry for The Hobbit, Pilgrim's Progress, Richard III, and others. There are also designs for stage sets and costumes for Christopher Marlowe's Doctor Faustus. MacKinstry was a skilled and versatile artist who mastered many styles, from classical to Cubist, all represented in this collection.

The collection is arranged in alphabetical order by title.

Publication Information:

Free Library of Philadelphia: Children's Literature Research Collection, April 2012

Finding Aid Author:

Finding aid prepared by Lindsay Friedman

Sponsor:

The processing of this collection was made possible through generous funding from The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, administered through the Council on Library and Information Resources’ “Cataloging Hidden Special Collections and Archives” Project.

Access Restrictions:

This collection is open to researchers by appointment. Please contact the Curator for information on access.

Use Restrictions:

The right of access to material does not imply the right of publication. Permission for reprinting, reproduction, or extensive quotation from the rare books, manuscripts, prints, or drawings must be obtained through written application, stating the use to be made of the material. The reader bears the responsibility for any possible infringement of copyright laws in the publication of such material. A reproduction fee will be charged if the material is to be reproduced in a commercial publication.

Immediate Source of Acquisition:

Gift of Florence Brooks, 1960.

Yale University: Elizabeth MacKinstry Papers, 1913-1957, YCAL MSS 408.

• Drawings (visual works)

• Chaucer, Geoffrey, -1400
• Langland, William, 1330?-1400?
• MacKinstry, E. (Elizabeth), 1879-1956

• Art--Technique
• Children's authors--20th century
• Children's literature--20th century
• Illustrated children's books--20th century
• Women artists