Edwin Tunis
Edwin Tunis was a notable American illustrator and author, recognized for his meticulous attention to detail throughout his artistic career. Born in 1897 in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, he spent his early years moving across various states due to his father's profession as an electrical engineer. After graduating high school in Baltimore, Tunis enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Service during World War I, becoming a second lieutenant. His professional journey began as a commercial artist and illustrator, where he focused on historical subjects and contributed to projects like Booth Tarkington's "Seventeen."
In 1952, Tunis transitioned into writing, motivated by the lack of comprehensive resources on historical topics, publishing "Oars, Sails, and Steam: A Picture Book of Ships." Over the years, he authored and illustrated ten additional books, covering diverse subjects from early American history to wildlife. His work garnered significant recognition, including a Newbery Medal nomination for "Frontier Living: An Illustrated Guide to Pioneer Life in America." Notably, his artistic style evolved due to a shoulder injury, leading him to explore crayon drawings with ink washes in his later works. Tunis's contributions were celebrated with his appointment as the official artist for Maryland's tercentenary, and his legacy continues through collections housed at the University of Oregon library.
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Edwin Tunis
- Born: December 8, 1897
- Birthplace: Cold Spring Harbor, New York
- Died: August 7, 1973
- Place of death: Baltimore, Maryland
Biography
Edwin Tunis, throughout his career as an illustrator and as an author, has been known as having an eye for meticulous detail. He began his career painting murals and doing book illustrations. He then moved into writing about topics in American and cultural history, carrying over his genius for portraying intriguing details.
Tunis was born in Cold Spring Harbor, New York, in 1897, but he moved frequently, following his electrical-engineer father Oliver Lyman Tunis to a variety of small towns in North Carolina, Delaware, and Maryland, where his father worked at installing electric-generating equipment. His mother was Julia B. (Jackson) Tunis. Tunis eventually graduated from high school in Baltimore and attended the Maryland Institute of Art and Design in Baltimore until he enlisted in the U.S. Army Air Service in World War I, where he became a second lieutenant.
After the war, Tunis worked for twenty years as a commercial artist and illustrator, particularly focusing on historical subjects. He married painter Elizabeth Hutton in 1927. Tunis worked in a variety of careers, including designing furniture and working in advertising layout. Early in his career, he illustrated Booth Tarkington’s Seventeen (1932).
In 1952, Tunis added a new dimension to his career by becoming a writer. As he worked on creating a mural for the McCormick spice company depicting ships carrying spices, he realized that no definitive book existed on the subject. He determined to fill the gap, publishing Oars, Sails, and Steam: A Picture Book of Ships in 1952. Tunis both wrote and illustrated ten more books, on topics ranging from early American colonial history to chipmunks to weaponry. One book on early American history, Frontier Living: An Illustrated Guide to Pioneer Life in America, was the first runner-up for the 1962 Newbery Medal. A 1969 book, The Young United States, 1783 to 1830: A Time of Change and Growth, a Time of Learning Democracy, a Time of New Ways of Living, Thinking, and Doing, was nominated for the National Book Award.
Later in his career, Tunis published Chipmunks on the Doorstep, a charming study of the life history of the chipmunk. Tunis’s later artistic style varied somewhat from his earlier work. His first books exhibited intricately detailed but physically demanding pen-and-ink drawings. Following an injury to his shoulder, Tunis modified his technique to include less-demanding crayon drawings with ink washes. At the end of his career, Tunis was appointed the official artist for Maryland’s tercentenary and designed a United States postal stamp for the event. The University of Oregon library houses a collection of Tunis’s drawings and prepublication materials.