The Proof Is in the Printing: John Tenniel's Alice Illustrations
by Julie Carlsen, Coordinator, Berg Collection of English and American Literature, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
December 29, 2020
In the 145 years since its initial publication, Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland has provided continuous inspiration for artists and illustrators. But the most iconic Alice images remain John Tenniel’s illustrations for the first edition published in 1865. This February marked the bicentennial anniversary of Tenniel’s birth, and in celebration of that milestone, The New York Public Library has digitized a set of Alice books interleaved with proofs of Tenniel’s illustrations.
Quiet Panels: NYC Subway Edition
by Emily Drew
August 9, 2016
How many times have you stared dreamily at an Art Card on the subway ride to work? Did you know you can find many of the featured artists at the library?
Violet Oakley: An Interview with Dr. Bailey Van Hook
by Tal Nadan, Manuscripts and Archives Division, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
April 4, 2016
Dr. Bailey Van Hook recently published the first full-length biography of artist Violet Oakley. In this interview, she discusses her work and what made Oakley an interesting subject, as well as her research in our archival collections.
Fashion Illustration Inspiration from Print and Digital Collections
by Jessica Cline, Picture Collection, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
November 10, 2015
There are a number of books in our collections to help you fine tune your fashion drawing style, but have you also seen our digital collections of original hand colored and reproduced fashion illustrations?
How to Draw, Color, Sketch, Doodle and Tangle
by Lauren Lampasone, Senior Librarian, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library (SNFL)
August 4, 2015
Coloring books are all the rage… for the kindergarten set and for grown ups too. You could say it's a fad, but there's nothing quite like putting pencil or crayon to paper and seeing pure creativity flow out, no matter your age.
Ask the Author and Illustrator: Lost in NYC
by Manuel Martinez, Library Manager, Allerton Library
April 7, 2015
Join us for a Kids LIVE event April 13th at the Allerton Library in the Bronx and meet the author and illustrator of Lost in NYC. We talked to them both recently about what they like to read.
30 Days of Poetry: A Kid's Eye-View of WPA-Era New York City
by Jessica Pigza
April 1, 2015
The Doughnut Boy and Other Poems offers a glimpse of New York City through the eyes of a sassy little beret-wearing, doughnut-loving, public-transit-taking, library-visiting child.
Children's Literary Salon in Retrospect: Accuracy in Illustration on March 7, 2015
by Miranda McDermott, Harry Belafonte 115th Street Library
March 30, 2015
Authors Mara Rockliff, Brian Floca, Sophie Blackall and editor Nicole Raymond sat down with Youth Materials Specialist Betsy Bird to discuss the idiosyncrasies of kid lit pictures. But first, they each gave a presentation about illustration and their books.
March Author @ the Library Programs at Mid-Manhattan
by Elizabeth Waters, AskNYPL
February 26, 2015
Drawing as a form of inquiry... groundbreaking graphic designers... The U.S. a safe haven for Nazis... 1,000 years of visualizing the cosmos... a moment-by-moment account of Hurricane Sandy... the era of great American songwriting... the evolution of the painted nail...
Children's Literary Salon in Retrospect: Collaborating Couples on February 7, 2015
by Miranda McDermott, Harry Belafonte 115th Street Library
February 23, 2015
Andrea and Brian Pinkney, Sean Qualls and Selina Alko, and Betsy and Ted Lewin spoke about living and working on books together.
Learn More About Artist Carole Byard's "Rent Series"
by Candice Frederick
February 19, 2015
Alexis De Veaux talks to us about Carole Byard's "Rent Series," a collection of artwork inspired by old rent receipts her late father kept in his lifelong efforts to provide housing for their family.
Glimpses of Alice
by Meredith Mann, Manuscripts and Archives Division, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building
January 21, 2015
To celebrate Lewis Carroll’s upcoming birthday—and my un-birthday!—let’s venture down the rabbit hole to explore depictions of Alice, his most famous creation, here at the library.
Meet the Artist: Hsaio-Chi Chang
by Sherri Machlin, Mulberry Street Library
January 7, 2015
On view at the Mulberry Street Library on the Children's Floor are the whimsical illustrations of artist Hsaio-Chi Chang. Her work references known classics such as The Little Prince, as well as her own vivid imaginarium of characters inspired by animals and dreams. I spoke with the artist recently about her work.
Podcast #40: Maira Kalman on Her Favorite Things
by Tracy O'Neill
December 11, 2014
At a recent Books at Noon event, she spoke with us about her favorite things, including, Kantian walks, Pippi Longstocking, and Monet.
Imagination Academy 2014 - Week 4
by Rebecca Dash Donsky, Library Manager, 67th Street Library
August 7, 2014
Our last week of Imagination Academy 2014 focused on illustration and graphic novels.
Booktalking "Art & Max" by David Wiesner
by Miranda McDermott, Harry Belafonte 115th Street Library
June 18, 2014
Dinosaur and lizard minds collide in a shared attempt to create art. Arthur decides paint Max a panoply of colors that fragment and shatter all across the page!
A Philadelphia Collaboration: The Pinto Brothers' Designs for Catherine Littlefield’s Philadelphia Ballet Company
by Danielle Castronovo, Assistant Curator, Jerome Robbins Dance Division, New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center
February 26, 2014
A Philadelphia Collaboration: The Pinto Brothers’ Designs for Catherine Littlefield’s Philadelphia Ballet Company, a newly installed exhibit in Jerome Robbins Dance Division, features a variety of drawings, costume sketches and set designs by Salvatore (1905-66) and Angelo (1908-94) Pinto commissioned by Catherine Littlefield (1905-51) for the Philadelphia Ballet Company’s productions of Barn Dance and Terminal.
Meet West Side Artist Bobbi Beck
by Ashley Gonzalez, Adult Librarian, St. Agnes Library
October 24, 2013
Bobbi Beck in her studioOn view from November 4 through December 27, 2013 at the St. Agnes Library of The New York Public Library is BOBBI BECK: A West Side Visual Diary. As a longtime Upper Westsider, she has had many exhibitions at various libraries throughout New York City. The drawings are autobiographical and reflect her day-to-day observations and feelings. Her artworks convey emotional and visual renderings of humor, love, gender conflicts, marriage, family, health, joy and sorrow, anguish and global issues.
What led to your
The Line King's Vandamms
by Barbara Cohen-Stratyner
October 24, 2013
It has been a while since the last blog post. I have been busy with the installation and opening tours related to our final Fall exhibition, The Line Kings’ Library: Al Hirschfeld at The NYPL, which is on view in the Donald and Mary Oenslager Gallery here through January 4, 2014. It, the Vandamm exhibit and Michael Peto: Stage in
The Art of Drawing When One is Blind or Has Low Vision
by Dana Simon
May 10, 2013
With my hand, I touch the outside, or contour, of a small ceramic jug, a container for cream. I slowly trace the curve of the rim, continuing to the pointed lip. I put down the jug, and pick up a piece of charcoal or a soft pastel. I draw round curves, recreating what I see in my mind's eye, moving my hand across the paper, keeping pace with my inner vision.
"Jug and Green Glass," iPad drawing by Dana SimonI return to the small jug and begin again; tracing the contours of the round, squat body. But alas, when I try to return to the spot on the paper to begin
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