Wanda Hazel Gág ( ; March 11, 1893 – June 27, 1946) was an American artist, author, translator, and illustrator. She is best known for writing and illustrating the children's book '' Millions of Cats'', the oldest American picture book still in print. Gág was also a noted print-maker, receiving international recognition and awards. ''Growing Pains'', a book of excerpts from the diaries of her teen and young adult years, received widespread critical acclaim. Two of her books were awarded

Newbery Honor The John Newbery Medal, frequently shortened to the Newbery, is a literary award given by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to the author of "the most distinguished contr ...

s and two received Caldecott Honors. The New York Public Library included ''Millions of Cats'' on its 2013 list of 100 Great Children's Books.

Early years

Wanda Hazel Gág was born March 11, 1893, in the German-speaking community of

New Ulm, Minnesota New Ulm ( ) is a city and the county seat of Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 14,120 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located on the triangle of land formed by the confluence of the Minnesota River a ...

, to Elisabeth ( Biebl) Gag and the artist and photographer Anton Gag. The eldest of seven siblings, Wanda was 15 when her father died of

tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB), also known colloquially as the "white death", or historically as consumption, is a contagious disease usually caused by ''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can al ...

. His final words to her were: "" () Following his death, the family was on welfare and some townspeople thought that Wanda should quit high school and get a steady job to help support her family. Despite this pressure, Wanda continued with her high school education. While still a teenager her illustrated story ''Robby Bobby in Mother Goose Land'' was published in ''

The Minneapolis Journal ''The Minnesota Star Tribune'', formerly the ''Minneapolis Star Tribune'', is an American daily newspaper based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As of 2023, it is Minnesota's largest newspaper and the seventh-largest in the United States by circula ...

'' in their ''Junior Journal'' supplement. After graduating in June 1912, she taught

country school One-room schoolhouses, or One-room schools, have been commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries, including Prussia, Norway, Sweden, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Portugal, and Spa ...

Springfield, Minnesota Springfield is a city in Brown County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 2,152 at the 2010 census. U.S. Highway 14 serves as a main route in the community. This location is in the middle of some of Minnesota's most productive far ...

, from November 1912 to June 1913.

Art school

In 1913, Gág began a platonic relationship with

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota Twin Cities (historically known as University of Minnesota) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in the Minneapolis–Saint Paul, Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint ...

medical student Edgar T. Herrmann who exposed her to new ideas in art, politics and philosophy. With a scholarship (and the aid of friends), she attended The Saint Paul School of Art in 1913 and 1914. From 1914 to 1917 she attended The Minneapolis School of Art under the patronage of

Herschel V. Jones Herschel V. Jones (August 30, 1861May 24, 1928) was a publisher of the ''Minneapolis Journal'' (now the ''Star Tribune'') for twenty years as well as a noted book collector. He is best known for his collection of Americana. Jones' personal philosop ...

. While there, she became friends with

Harry Gottlieb Harry Gottlieb (September 23, 1895 – July 4, 1992) was an American painter, screen printer, lithographer, and educator. Biography Gottlieb was born in Bucharest, Romania on September 23, 1895. He immigrated to America in 1907, and his family s ...

and

Adolf Dehn Adolf Dehn (November 22, 1895 – May 19, 1968) was an American artist known mainly as a lithographer. Throughout his artistic career, he participated in and helped define some important movements in American art, including Regionalism (art), re ...

. Her first illustrated book commission (as Wanda Gäg) was ''A Child’s Book of Folk-Lore— Mechanics of Written English'' by Jean Sherwood Rankin (1917).

New York

In 1917, Gág won a scholarship to the

Art Students League of New York The Art Students League of New York is an art school in the American Fine Arts Society in Manhattan, New York City. The Arts Students League is known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists. Although artists may study f ...

where she took classes in composition, etching and advertising illustration. By 1919, Gág was earning her living as a commercial illustrator. During her time in New York she became a member of the

Society of American Graphic Artists The Society of American Graphic Artists (SAGA) is a not for profit national fine arts organization serving professional artists in the field of printmaking. SAGA provides its members with exhibition, reviews and networking opportunities in the Ne ...

. In 1921, she became a partner in a business venture called ''Happiwork Story Boxes''. The boxes were decorated with story panels on its sides. Happiwork Packages

An illustration of Gág's was published in '' Broom: An International Magazine of the Arts'' in 1921. Gág's art exhibition in the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second-largest public library in the United States behind the Library of Congress a ...

in 1923 was her first solo show. She began signing her name "Gág" around this time. In 1924, Gág's work was published in a short-lived folio-style magazine with artist

William Gropper William Gropper (December 3, 1897January 3, 1977) was an American cartoonist, painter, lithographer, and muralist. A committed radical, Gropper is best known for the political work which he contributed to such left wing publications as '' Th ...

. In 1925 she created a series of illustrated crossword puzzles for children that was syndicated in several newspapers. She began to sell her lithographs, linoleum block prints, water colors and drawings through the Weyhe gallery where she had developed a relationship with its manager,

Carl Zigrosser Carl Zigrosser (1891–1975) was an art dealer best known for founding and running the New York Weyhe Gallery in the 1920s and 1930s, and as Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art between 1940 and 1963. In the 1910s, ...

. Gág's one-woman-show there in 1927 led to her being acclaimed as "… one of America’s most promising young graphic artists… " In 1927, her article ''These Modern Women: A Hotbed of Feminists'' was published in ''

The Nation ''The Nation'' is a progressive American monthly magazine that covers political and cultural news, opinion, and analysis. It was founded on July 6, 1865, as a successor to William Lloyd Garrison's '' The Liberator'', an abolitionist newspaper ...

'', drawing the attention of

Alfred Stieglitz Alfred Stieglitz (; January 1, 1864 – July 13, 1946) was an American photographer and modern art promoter who was instrumental over his 50-year career in making photography an accepted art form. In addition to his photography, Stieglitz was k ...

and prompting

Egmont Arens Egmont Hegel Arens (December 15, 1887 – October 2, 1966) was an American publisher of literature and art, and an industrial designer and commercial artist specializing in marketing and product packaging. Career Washington Square Book Shop Arens ...

to write: "The way you solved that problem (her relationship with men) seems to me to be the most illuminating part of your career. You have done what all the other ‘modern women’ are still talking about." Gág’s illustrations were published on the covers of the leftist magazines ''

The New Masses ''New Masses'' (1926–1948) was an American Marxist magazine closely associated with the Communist Party USA (CPUSA). It was the successor to both '' The Masses'' (1911–1917) and ''The Liberator'' (1918–1924). ''New Masses'' was later merge ...

'' and '' The Liberator''. In a 1929 ''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' review, Elisabeth Luther Cary described Gág's print ''Stone Crusher'': "Pure imagination leaps out from dusky shadows and terrifies with light, an emotional source difficult to analyze." For a 1934 auction organized by

Langston Hughes James Mercer Langston Hughes (February 1, 1901 – May 22, 1967) was an American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist from Joplin, Missouri. An early innovator of jazz poetry, Hughes is best known as a leader of the Harl ...

to raise funds for the defense of the

Scottsboro Boys The Scottsboro Boys were nine African Americans, African American male teenagers accused of rape, raping two White American, white women in 1931. The landmark set of legal cases from this incident dealt with Racism in the United States, racism ...

, Gág contributed an original drawing from ''ABC Bunny'', "'F' is for Frog." Her work was recognized internationally and was selected for inclusion in the

American Institute of Graphic Arts The American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) is a professional organization for design. Its members practice all forms of communication design, including graphic design, typography, interaction design, user experience, branding and identity. The ...

''Fifty Prints of the Year'' in 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1936, 1937 and 1938. Her work was featured in exhibitions at The

Whitney Museum of American Art The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...

in 1934, 1936, 1938, 1939, 1940, and 1941. In 1939 Gág's work was shown at The

Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street (Manhattan), 53rd Street between Fifth Avenue, Fifth and Sixth Avenues. MoMA's collection spans the late 19th century to the present, a ...

exhibition ''Art in Our Time'' and at the New York World's Fair ''American Art Today'' show.

Works for children

In 1927 Gág's illustrated story ''Bunny's Easter Egg'' was published in '' John Martin's Book'', a magazine for children. Gág's work caught the attention of Ernestine Evans, director of

Coward-McCann G. P. Putnam's Sons is an American book publisher based in New York City, New York (state), New York. Since 1996, it has been an Imprint (trade name), imprint of the Penguin Group. History The company began as Wiley & Putnam with the 1838 part ...

's children's book division. Evans was delighted to learn that Gág had children's stories and illustrations in her folio and asked her to submit her own story with illustrations. The result, ''Millions of Cats'', had been developed from a story that Gág had written to entertain the children of friends. It was published in 1928.

Anne Carroll Moore Anne Carroll Moore (July 12, 1871 – January 20, 1961) was an American educator, writer and advocate for children's libraries. She was named Annie after an aunt, and officially changed her name to Anne in her fifties, to avoid confusion with An ...

wrote: "… It bears all the hallmarks of becoming a perennial favorite among children, and it takes a place of its own, both for the originality and strength of its pictures and the living folk-tale quality of its text. A book of universal interest to children living anywhere in the world… A kinship with all children made her respect their intelligence, and gave them at once ease and joy in her company. With as sure an instinct for the right word for the ear, as for the right line for the eye, Wanda Gág became quite unconsciously a regenerative force in the field of children's books." '' Millions of Cats'' won a

award in 1929, one of the few picture books to do so. It is the oldest American picture book still in print. It entered the

public domain The public domain (PD) consists of all the creative work to which no Exclusive exclusive intellectual property rights apply. Those rights may have expired, been forfeited, expressly Waiver, waived, or may be inapplicable. Because no one holds ...

in the United States in 2024. In 1935 Gág published the "proto-feminist" ''Gone is Gone; or, the Story of a Man Who Wanted to Do Housework''. To encourage the reading of fairy-tales, Gág translated and illustrated ''Tales from Grimm'' in 1936. English critic

Humbert Wolfe Humbert Wolfe CB CBE (5 January 1885 – 5 January 1940) was an Italian-born British poet, man of letters and civil servant. Biography Humbert Wolfe was born in Milan, Italy, and came from a Jewish family background,"Wolfe, Humbert" in Stanley ...

, commenting on Gág's translation, wrote: "From the very first page it was clear that Miss Gág was chopping away a perfect brushwood of clumsy phraseology to let in the light." Two years later she translated and illustrated the Grimm story ''

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...

'' in reaction to the "trivialized, sterilized, and sentimentalized" Disney movie version. Her essay ''I Like Fairy Tales'' was published in the March 1939 issue of ''

The Horn Book Magazine ''The Horn Book Magazine'', founded in Boston in 1924, is the oldest bimonthly magazine dedicated to reviewing children's literature. It began as a "suggestive purchase list" prepared by Bertha Mahony and Elinor Whitney Field, proprietors of t ...

''. ''More Tales from Grimm'' was published posthumously in 1947. Four of her translated fairy tales were later released with illustrations by

Margot Tomes Margot Ladd Tomes (August 10, 1917 – June 25, 1991) was an American artist and illustrator of children's books. Books that she illustrated have been among The New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Books of the Year, ''Jack and the Wonder Be ...

Personal life

Gág enjoyed living and working in the country. In the early 1920s she spent summers drawing at various locations in rural New York and Connecticut. She rented a three-acre farm called "Tumble Timbers" in

Glen Gardner, New Jersey Glen Gardner is a borough in Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,682, a decrease of 22 (−1.3%) from the 2010 census count of 1,704, which in turn reflected a ...

, from 1925 to 1930. In 1931 she bought a larger farm she named "All Creation" in

Milford, New Jersey Milford is a borough located in western Hunterdon County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the borough's population was 1,232, a decrease of one person (−0.1%) from the 2010 census count of 1,233, which ...

. Two of her siblings, and Howard, lived there with her. Gág's brother Howard contributed the hand lettering in ''Millions of Cats'' and ''The ABC Bunny''. Gág encouraged her sister Flavia to create illustrated books for children. In addition to Earle Humphreys (her long-time paramour and business manager), Gág had, sometimes concurrently, other lovers: Adolph Dehn, Lewis Gannett, Carl Zigrosser, and Dr. Hugh Darby. She married Humphreys on August 27, 1943. Gág died from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma, is a malignant tumor that begins in the lung. Lung cancer is caused by genetic damage to the DNA of cells in the airways, often caused by cigarette smoking or inhaling damaging chemicals. Damaged ...

in New York City, aged 53, on June 27, 1946.

Legacy

Memorials

Gág was honored by ''

'' in a tribute issue in 1947. Her childhood home in

has been restored and is now the Wanda Gág House, a museum that offers tours and educational programs. In 1992, ''Millions of Cats'' was featured on the television series '' Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories'', narrated by

James Earl Jones James Earl Jones (January 17, 1931 – September 9, 2024) was an American actor. A pioneer for black actors in the entertainment industry, Jones is known for his extensive and acclaimed roles on stage and screen. Jones is one of the few perfor ...

. A bronze sculpture of Gág (with one of her cats) by Jason Jaspersen was erected at the public library of New Ulm, Minnesota, in 2016. In 2017 The

Sandbox Theatre Sandbox Theater is an experimental theater company based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Ryan Hill, Lisa Moreira, Andrew Lawrence Schiff and Heather Stone formed Sandbox Theater in 2005 after working together at 15 Head Theatre Lab. Hill served as ...

in Minneapolis produced ''In The Treetops'', a new play that focused on Gág's childhood years.

Awards

The books ''Millions of Cats'' and '' The ABC Bunny'' were recipients of a

. Both ''

'' and '' Nothing at All'' received a

Caldecott Honor The Randolph Caldecott Medal, frequently shortened to just the Caldecott, annually recognizes the preceding year's "most distinguished American picture book for children". It is awarded to the illustrator by the Association for Library Service ...

. Wanda Gág was posthumously honored with The

Lewis Carroll Shelf Award The Lewis Carroll Shelf Award was an American literary award conferred on several books by the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Education annually from 1958 to 1979. Award-winning books were deemed to "belong on the same shelf" as ''Al ...

in 1958, and the

Kerlan Award The Kerlan Award is a literary award given by the University of Minnesota's Kerlan Collection, a special library focusing on children's literature. Many awards focus on the finished product, but the Kerlan Award is given based on the creative pro ...

in 1977. In 2018, Gág was posthumously honored with the Original Art Lifetime Achievement Award from the

Society of Illustrators The Society of Illustrators (SoI) is a professional society based in New York City. It was founded in 1901 to promote the art of illustration and, since 1959, has held an annual exhibition. Since absorbing the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art (M ...

. The Wanda Gág Read Aloud Book Award is awarded each year by the

Minnesota State University Moorhead Minnesota State University Moorhead (MSUM) is a public university in Moorhead, Minnesota, across the Red River of the North from Fargo, North Dakota. The school has an enrollment of 7,534 students in 2019 and 266 full-time faculty members. MSUM ...

Exhibitions

The

Whitney Museum The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is a Modern art, modern and Contemporary art, contemporary American art museum located in the Meatpacking District, Manhattan, Meatpacking District and West Village neighbor ...

presented a small retrospective (18 prints and two books) of her work, March through December 2024.

Works

Books

Writer and illustrator: *''Batiking at Home: a Handbook for Beginners'', Coward McCann, 1926 *'' Millions of Cats'', Coward McCann, 1928 *''The Funny Thing'', Coward McCann, 1929 *''Snippy and Snappy'', Coward McCann, 1931 *''Wanda Gág’s Storybook'' (includes Millions of Cats, The Funny Thing, Snippy and Snappy), Coward McCann, 1932 *'' The ABC Bunny'', Coward McCann, 1933 *''Gone is Gone; or, the Story of a Man Who Wanted to Do Housework'', Coward McCann, 1935 *''Growing Pains: Diaries and Drawings for the Years 1908–1917'', Coward McCann, 1940 *'' Nothing At All'', Coward McCann, 1941 Translator and illustrator: *''Tales from Grimm'', Coward McCann, 1936 *''

'', Coward McCann, 1938 *''Three Gay Tales from Grimm'', Coward McCann, 1943 *''More Tales from Grimm'', Coward McCann, 1947 Illustrator only: *''A Child’s Book of Folk-Lore— Mechanics of Written English'', by Jean Sherwood Rankin, Augsburg, 1917 *''The Oak by the Waters of Rowan'', by Spencer Kellogg Jr, Aries Press, New York, 1927 *''The Day of Doom'', by Michael Wigglesworth, Spiral Press, 1929 *''Pond Image and Other Poems'', by Johan Egilsrud, Lund Press, Minneapolis, 1943 Translator only: *''The Six Swans'', illustrations by Margot Tomes, Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1974 *''Wanda Gág's Jorinda and Joringel'', illustrations by Margot Tomes, Putnam, 1978 *''Wanda Gag's the Sorcerer's Apprentice'' illustrations by Margot Tomes, Putnam, 1979 *''Wanda Gag's The Earth Gnome'', illustrations by Margot Tomes, Putnam, 1985 *''The Sweet Porridge,'' illustrations by Jill McDonald t al. Methuen Educational, 1966.

Selected prints

Airtight Stove
1933
Backyard Corner
1930
Evening
1929
The Forge
1932.
Gumbo Lane
c. 1928
Macy’s Stairway
1940–41
Spinning Wheel
1927
Ploughed Fields
1936
Winter Garden
1936

References

Sources

* * * * * * * * *

Penn State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campuses and facilities throughout Pennsyl ...

's Special Collections Library *
Overview of Wanda Gag archives at University of Minnesota Kerlan Collection
''All About Kids! TV Series'' #259 (1998) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gag, Wanda 1893 births 1946 deaths 20th-century American illustrators 20th-century American painters 20th-century American printmakers 20th-century American women artists American children's book illustrators American children's writers American fantasy artists American people of Czech descent American women children's writers American women children's book illustrators American women printmakers Artists from Minnesota Deaths from lung cancer in New York (state) Illustrators of fairy tales Newbery Honor winners People from New Ulm, Minnesota Writers from Minnesota Writers from New Jersey