Jessie Wilcox-Smith, known for affectionate portraits of endearingly innocent, carefree children, began her career as a kindergarten teacher. When she was 20 years old, Wilcox-Smith (1863 – 1935) was pressured into taking an art class and discovered that she had an aptitude for drawing. Motivated by her success, she pursued a formal art education and became an advertising artist for “Ladies Home Journal.” Her wholesome, sensitive illustrations have graced over 40 children’s books and hundreds of national magazine articles and covers. Wilcox-Smith also created ads for Cream of Wheat, Campbell’s Soup, the Red Cross and Ivory Soap.

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