For 100 years May Gibbs’ iconic characters have found their way into the homes and hearts of many Austrailans. Narromine Library is celebrating this milestone with a free travelling display featuring Ms Gibbs’ iconic artwork.
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Ms Gibbs was Australia’s first professionally trained children’s book author and illustrator. The display will feature reproductions of some of her most beloved characters including the gumnut babies and the brothers Snugglepot and Cuddlepie.
State Library of NSW Senior Curator Alison Wishart said “Generations of Australians have fond memories of growing up with the gumnut babies and their friends, and passed the books they read as children down to their own children.”
The gumnut babies became an instant hit when they first appeared on December 5, 1916 in a booklet published by Angus and Robertson. The iconic gum-blossom babies soon followed.
The display explores May Gibbs’ early work, the characters of Snugglepot and Cuddlepie, Ragged Blossom and Little Obelia, her process and examples of how the war influenced her work.
“May Gibbs was a keen environmentalist and was also fiercely patriotic”, Ms Wishart said.
“Not many people know that during the First World War she designed a series of postcards and bookmarks featuring her popular characters to send to the soldiers overseas.”
The display will be at the Narromine Library from 10.30am – 5.30pm from Friday, May 25 to Friday, June 6.
For more information contact the Narromine Library on 6889 1088.
