O'Neill, Rose Cecil, 1874-1944

Rose Cecil O'Neill was an American children's book writer and illustrator. Her work appeared in such magazines as "Collier's", "Truth", "McClure's" and "Harper's". She also worked as a staff artist for "Puck" magazine. In 1909, O'Neill created the Kewpie doll, a roly-poly elf with a fat child's body, small wings and a turnip top head. The kewpies made their first public appearance in "Woman's Home Companion" in December 1909. They were immediately popular and quickly became a large merchandising industry. O'Neill was commissioned for her Kewpie designs for magazine stories, paper dolls, and advertisements appearing in "Good Housekeeping" and "Ladies' Home Journal" as well as other periodicals, and as a comic strip for "The New York Journal" in the 1930's. Popular at this time were the 'Kewpie Kutouts', the first of its kind double-sided paper doll. The first Kewpie children's book THE KEWPIES AND DOTTIE DARLING appeared in 1910, followed by two more in 1912, and the last one THE KEWPIES AND THE RUNAWAY BABY in 1928.

From the description of Rose Cecil O'Neill letters to Mr. & Mrs. William Curtis Gibson, 1912-1927. (Peking University Library). WorldCat record id: 156040834

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