Several generations of children from all over the world have honed their reading skills by using his books. The stories still have the power to enchant and delight, no matter how old you are. What makes books like 'Yertle the Turtle' or 'Green Eggs and Ham' extra special is the quirky and colorful Dr Seuss artwork that accompanies the text.
Having grown up in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the city of his birth, Ted Geisel went on to study at Dartmouth College. Here he created cartoons for a humor magazine on campus. After an unfortunate event involving gin and subsequently being banned from extracurricular activities, he continued his work for the magazine by simply signing his cartoons 'Dr Seuss'. This was his middle name and also his mother's maiden name. Even though he wasn't officially a doctor just yet, the legitimate title followed after he graduated from Lincoln College, Oxford with a doctorate in Philosophy.
Geisel's started his professional career as cartoonist and commercial artist. He especially made a name for himself as illustrator of advertisements. His cartoons and advertisement illustrations laid the foundations for characters that would eventually feature in his children's books. An advertisement for a car company, for example, depicted cats with hats.
The first children's book from Geisel's pen was published by Vanguard Press in 1937. It was called 'And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street' and Vanguard snapped it up after countless other publishers didn't want to publish it. Those publishers must have wanted to kick themselves because the Dr Seuss books have since sold by the millions and are still going strong. In fact, a couple of the books, like 'The Cat in the Hat' are among the best-selling books in the history of the genre.
Geisel's preferred media were watercolors or, later on, pen and ink. His illustrations are easily recognized by their droopy-figured characters. Straight lines hardly ever appear anywhere and even the elaborate buildings and strange machines he created look a little droopy. Children loved his style right from the start and the stories, usually written in as quirky rhymes, helped to make bedtime a treat.
The stories for which Dr Seuss was so well known and loved have inspired many adaptations. Among these are several movies and televisions series. There was even an award-winning short film from the Soviet Union. There are toys based on his characters and Florida even has a theme park replicating his style, to the point of avoiding any straight lines.
While Geisel is best known for his illustration work, he also created sculptures. 'A Collection of Unorthodox Taxidermy' is indeed very different. Geisel used bits and pieces from actual animals and combined these with other materials to create strange beasts. These were then mounted, like one would mount a hunting trophy of, say, a moose. Today you will be able to find replicas relatively easily.
Even though Ted Geisel passed away in 1991, his award-winning legacy lives on. You can buy Dr Seuss artwork for a touch of quirky magic in your home. These are available at selected art galleries. It's ironic that Geisel, who brought so much joy to children the world over, never had children of his own.
Having grown up in Springfield, Massachusetts, in the city of his birth, Ted Geisel went on to study at Dartmouth College. Here he created cartoons for a humor magazine on campus. After an unfortunate event involving gin and subsequently being banned from extracurricular activities, he continued his work for the magazine by simply signing his cartoons 'Dr Seuss'. This was his middle name and also his mother's maiden name. Even though he wasn't officially a doctor just yet, the legitimate title followed after he graduated from Lincoln College, Oxford with a doctorate in Philosophy.
Geisel's started his professional career as cartoonist and commercial artist. He especially made a name for himself as illustrator of advertisements. His cartoons and advertisement illustrations laid the foundations for characters that would eventually feature in his children's books. An advertisement for a car company, for example, depicted cats with hats.
The first children's book from Geisel's pen was published by Vanguard Press in 1937. It was called 'And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street' and Vanguard snapped it up after countless other publishers didn't want to publish it. Those publishers must have wanted to kick themselves because the Dr Seuss books have since sold by the millions and are still going strong. In fact, a couple of the books, like 'The Cat in the Hat' are among the best-selling books in the history of the genre.
Geisel's preferred media were watercolors or, later on, pen and ink. His illustrations are easily recognized by their droopy-figured characters. Straight lines hardly ever appear anywhere and even the elaborate buildings and strange machines he created look a little droopy. Children loved his style right from the start and the stories, usually written in as quirky rhymes, helped to make bedtime a treat.
The stories for which Dr Seuss was so well known and loved have inspired many adaptations. Among these are several movies and televisions series. There was even an award-winning short film from the Soviet Union. There are toys based on his characters and Florida even has a theme park replicating his style, to the point of avoiding any straight lines.
While Geisel is best known for his illustration work, he also created sculptures. 'A Collection of Unorthodox Taxidermy' is indeed very different. Geisel used bits and pieces from actual animals and combined these with other materials to create strange beasts. These were then mounted, like one would mount a hunting trophy of, say, a moose. Today you will be able to find replicas relatively easily.
Even though Ted Geisel passed away in 1991, his award-winning legacy lives on. You can buy Dr Seuss artwork for a touch of quirky magic in your home. These are available at selected art galleries. It's ironic that Geisel, who brought so much joy to children the world over, never had children of his own.
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