Price, Edith Ballinger, 1897-1997

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Edith Ballinger Price was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on April 26, 1897, to Eleanor French Richards Price and William Farmer Price. Influenced by her grandfather, landscape painter William Trost Richards (1833-1905), she started drawing at an early age. In 1911, at the age of fourteen, Price studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and later at the New York Art Students League and the National Academy of Design. Her sketchbooks reflect the evolution of her drawing and her dedication to following in her grandfather's footsteps as an artist. In 1918 Price submitted a series of illustrations to St. Nicholas, a children's magazine, along with a story, "Blue magic." While Price envisioned the story as proof that her drawings could fit a narrative, the editors preferred her writing to her drawing. From that point on, she grudgingly accepted her role as a writer first and illustrator second. By 1920, "Blue magic" had been published in book form, a pattern that followed many of her stories. This success encouraged the author, and many stories and eighteen books followed. Price's serialized stories, poetry, and illustrations were published in Collier's, The Portal, Youth's companion, and St. Nicholas. Price was also instrumental in starting the Brownie Scouts program in the United States. In the early 1920s Price adopted Burchey May Perry, a two-year-old who had been born without sight. Price lived for many years in Newport, Rhode Island and taught artistic anatomy at the school of the Art Association of Newport. In 1962 she moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she worked at A.R.E. Press. Price died in Virginia Beach on September 29, 1997.

Edith Ballinger Price was born in New Brunswick, New Jersey, on April 26, 1897, the daughter of Eleanor French Richards Price and William Farmer Price. Influenced by her grandfather, landscape painter William Trost Richards (1833-1905), she started drawing at an early age and filled many notebooks with lively illustrations of scenes from books she read and the world around her. In 1911, at the age of fourteen, Price studied at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and later at the New York Art Students League and the National Academy of Design. She continued to hone her artistic talents in sketchbooks, many of which are dedicated to her grandfather. These sketchbooks reflect the evolution of her drawing and her dedication to following in her grandfather's footsteps as an artist.

In 1918 Price submitted a series of illustrations to St. Nicholas, a magazine for children along with a story, "Blue Magic." While Price envisioned the story as proof that her drawings could fit a narrative, editors at St. Nicholas preferred her writing to her drawing. From that point on, she grudgingly accepted her role as a writer first and illustrator second. Several of her stories were illustrated by others, often to her dismay. Price referred to the success of her stories as having "sealed her doom" since "I kept vainly protesting that I was an artist, not a writer; and just to keep me quiet they used my pictures as illustrations for my books." This apparently still rankled many years later because Price mentioned it more than once in her letters to Special Collections. By 1920, "Blue Magic," originally serialized in St. Nicholas, had been published in book form, a pattern that followed many of her stories. The success of this first story encouraged the author to keep writing and many stories and eighteen books eventually followed. Price's serialized stories, poetry, and illustrations were published in such magazines as Collier's, The Portal, Youth's Companion, and St. Nicholas.

Edith Ballinger Price was interested in Girl Scouting and was instrumental in starting the Brownie Scouts program in the United States. She was the national chair, or "Great Brown Owl," of the Brownies from 1925 to 1932. She wrote the first Brownie handbook as well as stories for Girl Scout magazines, such as The American Girl, Girl's Guide Gazette, and Girls Today .

Price's stories emphasize the importance of simple pleasures and strong human relationships based on shared memory and creative adventure. Her love of the sea and its vessels is apparent in her stories, many of which either take place on ships ( Blue Magic ) or involve former seamen ("The Captain's Valentine"). Price said that she is "pleased with little things," and "approves of people cultivating resources within themselves which will forever prevent their being lonely or bored." She specifically addressed the impact of modern lifestyles on the need for simple pleasures by saying the "in the midst of this complicated new world...we ought to try to hold on to quiet things and simple delights." This philosophy is evident in her coming of age stories and tenderly expressed in her drawings, which often capture the emotional moods of her characters.

In the early 1920s Price adopted Burchey May Perry, a child of two who had been born without sight. This daughter was Price's companion and primary interest throughout the rest of her life. My Lady Lee, published in 1925, is a fictionalized account of their early years together.

Ms. Price lived for many years in Newport, Rhode Island, and taught artistic anatomy at the school of the Art Association of Newport, of which she was a council member for twenty-eight years. In 1962 Price moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia, where she worked at A.R.E. Press, a publisher of the works of psychic Edgar Cayce. Her other interests included gardening, ecology, playing violin and viola, restoration of historical sites, preservation of endangered species, involvement with humane societies and with the English Folk Dance Society.

Edith Ballinger Price died in Virginia Beach on September 29, 1997, at the age of one hundred.