Brinton Turkle
Brinton Turkle (1915-2003) was an accomplished American artist and author, renowned for his contributions to children's literature, particularly through his illustrations. Born in Alliance, Ohio, he initially pursued drama before shifting to art at the Carnegie Institute of Technology and later at the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston. After working in advertising, he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico, where he married Yvonne Foulston and had three children. Turkle's career took off in New York City, where he illustrated numerous children's books, starting with Ann McGovern's "If You Lived in Colonial Times" in 1964. He authored and illustrated eleven books, most notably the "Obadiah" series, which imparted lessons on courage and kindness. Despite his successful writing, Turkle's illustrations garnered greater acclaim, earning him honors like the Caldecott Honor Book for "Thy Friend, Obadiah." Throughout his life, he was actively involved in local theater and Quaker meetings, and he continued to engage with his roots in Ohio through community readings. Turkle's legacy in children's literature remains significant, marked by his artistic and narrative contributions.
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Brinton Turkle
Illustrator
- Born: August 15, 1915
- Birthplace: Alliance, Ohio
- Died: October 9, 2003
- Place of death: Santa Fe, New Mexico
Biography
Brinton Turkle was born on August 15, 1915, in Alliance, Ohio. His father, Edgar Harold Turkle, was a funeral director, and his mother, Ada Cassaday Turkle, was a homemaker. A family friend, Gertrude Alice Kay, wrote and illustrated children’s books, and she encouraged Turkle’s budding talents as an artist and a storyteller.
Turkle studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology (now called Carnegie Mellon University) from 1933 to 1936, beginning his studies in the drama department before switching to art. At the Museum of Fine Arts School in Boston from 1938 to 1940, he focused on illustration. After completing his formal studies, he worked in advertising in Chicago. In 1948, Turkle married Yvonne Foulston, and the couple settled in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The couple had three children: Matilda, Haynes, and Jonathan.
In 1959, Turkle moved to New York City, which offered more illustrating opportunities. In 1964, he illustrated his first children’s book, Ann McGovern’s historical If You Lived in Colonial Times. This was followed by illustrations for Eve Merriam’s The Story of Benjamin Franklin (1965). That same year, he published the first children’s book for which he supplied both the text and the illustrations, Obadiah the Bold, a fictional story of a young Quaker boy in nineteenth century Nantucket who longs to be a pirate. He would feature Obadiah in three more books over a dozen years.
Turkle wrote and illustrated eleven books, many of them drawing on history, and all of them expressing subtle lessons about courage, integrity, and kindness. The Fiddler of High Lonesome is the story of a nineteenth century orphan who magically communicates with wild animals through his fiddle playing until his relatives use his magic to attract and shoot the animals. Turkle commented that he hoped this book would discourage young readers from senseless violence later in life.
Turkle illustrated more than one hundred picture books written by others, including books by some of the most important children’s book authors of his day, including McGovern, Merriam, Beatrice Schenk de Regniers, and Lucille Clifton. In the 1970’s, Turkle returned to Santa Fe. He had a lifelong interest in music and the theater, and he participated in local theater groups as an actor, director, and designer. He was active in Quaker meetings. Frequently, he returned to Alliance, Ohio, to do readings at the local library.
Turkle’s last illustrations appeared in Vivian Laubach Thompson’s Camp-in- the-Yard in 2002. He died in 2003. Turkle’s writing was well-received, but his illustrations received more praise than did his texts. Thy Friend, Obadiah was a Caldecott Honor Book and won a Horn Book-Boston Globe honor citation for its illustrations. In 2001 he received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts from the State of New Mexico.