Mary Williams (June 27, 1869 – February 11, 1961), who wrote

pseudonym A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person or group assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true name (orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individua ...

ously as Kate Carew, was an American

caricaturist A caricaturist is an artist who specializes in drawing caricatures. List of caricaturists * Abed Abdi (born 1942) * Al Hirschfeld (1903–2003) * Alex Gard (1900–1948) * Alexander Saroukhan (1898–1977) * Alfred Grévin (1827–1892) * Alf ...

self-styled as "The Only Woman Caricaturist". She worked at the ''

New York World The ''New York World'' was a newspaper published in New York City from 1860 until 1931. The paper played a major role in the history of American newspapers. It was a leading national voice of the Democratic Party. From 1883 to 1911 under publi ...

'', providing illustrated celebrity interviews.

Education

Convent of Notre Dame, San Jose, Cal.; Mark Hopkins Institute of Art, University of California.; awarded gold medal for painting, 1891; Studied at the Atelier Colarossi, Paris, and the N.Y. School of Ar

Biography

Mary Williams (pseudonym "Kate Carew") was born in Oakland, California, and began her art training at San Francisco’s School of Design under the esteemed Arthur Frank Mathews, Arthur Mathews and received the school’s “Special Medal for Excellence in Painting” at the local Art Association’s 1891 Winter Annual. Her brother was

Gluyas Williams Gluyas Williams (July 23, 1888 – February 13, 1982) was an American cartoonist, notable for his contributions to ''The New Yorker'' and other major magazines. He was also syndicated in a number of newspapers, including the ''Boston Globe'' ...

.''Society Is Nix: Gleeful Anarchy at the Dawn of the American Comic Strip 1895-1915''
book review by Paul Tumey, in ''

The Comics Journal ''The Comics Journal'', often abbreviated ''TCJ'', is an American magazine of news and criticism pertaining to comic books, comic strips and graphic novels. Known for its lengthy interviews with comic creators, pointed editorials and scathing re ...

''; published August 30, 2013; retrieved November 30, 2019 From 1891 to 1895 her art received awards at the California State Fair. She exhibited at the

World’s Columbian Exposition The World's Columbian Exposition (also known as the Chicago World's Fair) was a world's fair held in Chicago in 1893 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus's arrival in the New World in 1492. The centerpiece of the Fair, hel ...

in Chicago in 1893. After the death of her first husband, Seymour Chapin Davison, in 1897 she became, under the sponsorship of

Ambrose Bierce Ambrose Gwinnett Bierce (June 24, 1842 – ) was an American short story writer, journalist, poet, and American Civil War veteran. His book ''The Devil's Dictionary'' was named as one of "The 100 Greatest Masterpieces of American Literature" by t ...

, a staff illustrator of portrait sketches at ''

The San Francisco Examiner The ''San Francisco Examiner'' is a newspaper distributed in and around San Francisco, California, and published since 1863. Once self-dubbed the "Monarch of the Dailies" by then-owner William Randolph Hearst, and flagship of the Hearst Corporat ...

''. An online facsimile of the entire text of Vol. 1 is posted on the Traditional Fine Arts Organization website (). In 1899 Mary Williams Davison moved to New York City and established a studio-residence on West Twenty-Fourth Street. She was hired by

Joseph Pulitzer Joseph Pulitzer ( ; born Pulitzer József, ; April 10, 1847 – October 29, 1911) was a Hungarian-American politician and newspaper publisher of the ''St. Louis Post-Dispatch'' and the ''New York World''. He became a leading national figure in ...

to publish her caricature drawings and interviews of celebrities under the pseudonym “Kate Carew” for his ''Sunday World'' and ''Evening World'', divisions of the ''

''. In 1901 she married the Australian journalist and playwright Henry Kellett Chambers. In September 1910 she gave birth to a son, Colin Chambers, and the following year divorced her husband for his infidelities with the Mexican writer

Maria Cristina Mena Maria Cristina Mena (later María Cristina Chambers; April 3, 1893 – August 3, 1965) was the author of eleven short stories, five children's books, and a nonfiction article. She is best known for her short stories, published mainly in ''The Cent ...

. In 1911 she was sent to Europe by the ''Sunday World'' to publish the series ''Kate Carew Abroad''. She traveled to London and Paris, where she interviewed

Pablo Picasso Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and Scenic design, theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th ce ...

and Rostand,

John Galsworthy John Galsworthy (; 14 August 1867 – 31 January 1933) was an English novelist and playwright. Notable works include ''The Forsyte Saga'' (1906–1921) and its sequels, ''A Modern Comedy'' and ''End of the Chapter''. He won the Nobel Prize i ...

, George Moore,

Émile Zola Émile Édouard Charles Antoine Zola (, also , ; 2 April 184029 September 1902) was a French novelist, journalist, playwright, the best-known practitioner of the literary school of naturalism, and an important contributor to the development of ...

Bret Harte Bret Harte (; born Francis Brett Hart; August 25, 1836 – May 5, 1902) was an American short story writer and poet best remembered for short fiction featuring miners, gamblers, and other romantic figures of the California Gold Rush. In a caree ...

(who happened to be in England), Lady Sackville-West, and many others. She wrote about 500 pieces for New York City newspapers and later for the ''

Tatler ''Tatler'' is a British magazine published by Condé Nast Publications focusing on fashion and lifestyle, as well as coverage of high society and politics. It is targeted towards the British upper-middle class and upper class, and those interes ...

'' (London), ''The Patrician'', and ''Eve''. She was among those who visited `Abdu'l-Bahá, then head of the

Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the Baháʼí Faith and the unity of religion, essential worth of all religions and Baháʼí Faith and the unity of humanity, the unity of all people. Established by ...

, during his visit to the States and travelled with him for a number of days. On April 16, 1912, with Mary Williams still travelling with him, `Abdu'l-Bahá visited the

Bowery The Bowery () is a street and neighborhood in Lower Manhattan in New York City. The street runs from Chatham Square at Park Row, Worth Street, and Mott Street in the south to Cooper Square at 4th Street in the north.Jackson, Kenneth L. "B ...

. Mary Williams noted that she was impressed with `Abdu'l-Bahá's generosity of spirit in bringing people of social standing to the Bowery as well as that he then gave money to the poor rather than accepting it. She became severely ill in December 1913 and returned to the States after surgery. While conducting interviews in Hollywood for the London ''Strand'' she met and married the British-born John A. Reed in December 1916. The following spring they moved to

Carmel-by-the-Sea, California Carmel-by-the-Sea (), often simply called Carmel, is a city in Monterey County, California, United States, founded in 1902 and incorporated on October 31, 1916. Situated on the Monterey Peninsula, Carmel is known for its natural scenery and ric ...

. She became an exhibiting member of the Carmel Arts & Crafts Club and staged a solo exhibit at Monterey’s Hotel Del Monte with over two dozen caricatures, including Woodrow Wilson, Mark Twain, and Ethel Barrymore, to rave reviews. Beginning in the early 1920s, when a severe wrist injury temporarily limited her career, the Reeds resided primarily at Guernsey in the Channel Islands or in France. She exhibited at the Salon des Artistes of Paris in 1924 and 1928; on the latter date she displayed ''Farm at Hyeres''. In June 1938 they returned to the Monterey Peninsula. John Reed died in June 1941 at a sanatorium in St. Helena. Mary Williams returned to Monterey in the spring of 1943, purchased the former home of the painter Lucy Valentine Pierce, and devoted herself to seascapes and landscapes.Monterey Peninsula Herald, 13 July 1943, p. 6. She died at the age of 91 in a Pacific Grove rest home and is buried in Oakland.

References

Notes

Sources

* Horn, Maurice. ''Women in the Comics'' (Chelsea House; New York, London; 1977) ; (trade paperback) ISBN o-97754-205-8
Carew entry
Lambiek's ''Comiclopedia''

External links

Rediscovering Kate Carew

{{DEFAULTSORT:Carew, Kate American caricaturists 1869 births 1961 deaths American female comics artists People from Oakland, California