Tunis, Edwin, 1897-1973

Edwin Tunis was born in Cold Springs Harbor, N.Y., on Dec. 8, 1897. He studied at City College in Baltimore and the Maryland Institute of Art and Design. He served as a pilot during World War II and then returned to Maryland Institute where he worked as a furniture designer and in advertising drawing layout copy. His typographical design talent led to work for printers (brochures and direct mail material) and later to illustrating for Grosset and Dunlop and A.P. Putnam's Sons. For Maryland's Tercentenary in 1934, he designed a commemorative stamp and drew a literary and historical mural map of the state, which was later shown at the 1939 New York World's Fair. He then became a radio announcer in Baltimore at WBAL, while continuing his second career, which had begun in 1918, as performer and stage and program designer with the Vagabond Players, a local theater group. This association lasted until 1938 when Edwin Tunis and his wife, Elizabeth, whom he married in 1927, moved to a house in the country, which he had designed himself, "Long Last." World War II found him working in the engineering dept. of Black and Decker in Towson, N.J. In 1943, he was commissioned by McCormick and Co. of Baltimore to paint a mural depicting the history of spices. This 145-foot mural took two and a half years to complete; his research for the project led to his first book Oars, sail and steam, which the American Institute of Graphic Arts voted as one of the 50 Books of the Year and one of the Best Juvenile Books of 20 Years. He then embarked his final career as a writer and illustrator; notable later works include Wheels (Boys' Club of America Junior Book Award, 1955), Colonial living (Thomas A. Edison Foundation Award, 1957), Frontier living (first runner-up for Newbery Medal, 1962), and Shaw's fortune : the picture story of a colonial plantation (cited by the New York times as one of the ten best illustrated books of 1966). Edwin Tunis died in 1973.

From the description of Edwin Tunis papers, 1951-1973. (University of Oregon Libraries). WorldCat record id: 163571793

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