Charles Robinson

A native of England, Charles Robinson was born in 1870. He was born into and raised by a family of illustrators. He studied under his father and uncle in his early years, eventually becoming a giant in the field of illustrators. He was indentured for seven years to a printer where he worked with lithographs. He studied art in the evenings and was good enough that he was offered the opportunity to study at the Royal Academy. Unfotunately, he could not afford the schooling. At the age of 25 Charles illustrated his first full book with over 100 images. It was Robert Louis Stevenson's A Child's Garden of Verses (1895). Golden Sunbeams, a children's magazine started in 1896, contained many of his illustrations. A prolific artist, he illustrated numerous fairy tales and children's books throughout his career. Among them are notables: Lullaby Land (1897), Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (1907), Grimm's Fairy Tales (1910), and The Secret Garden (1911). Robinson was also a prolific painter. His watercolors are as well known as his illustrations. Charles Robinson died in 1937.