Palmer Cox
Palmer Cox was a Canadian author and illustrator, best known for creating the beloved "Brownies," whimsical creatures that captured the imaginations of children in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born on April 28, 1840, in Granby, Quebec, he developed a fascination with fairy tales and folklore during his childhood, which later inspired his creative works. After moving to San Francisco and dabbling in various careers, he eventually found his niche in children's literature upon moving to New York City in 1876.
Cox gained significant recognition when his poem featuring the Brownies was published in *St. Nicholas*, a prestigious children's magazine. Over the next three decades, he produced numerous stories and thirteen published volumes centered on the Brownies, who were depicted as kind-hearted and adventurous characters. Unlike traditional mischievous sprites, Cox's Brownies led exciting lives and did not engage in mischief, reflecting his belief in positive storytelling for children.
His works not only entertained but also imparted moral lessons, influencing two generations of young readers. Palmer Cox’s success in children's literature and his significant contributions to the genre made him one of the most popular and influential writers of his time. He spent his later years in a medieval-style castle in Granby, where he often interacted with his young fans, passing away on July 24, 1924.
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Palmer Cox
Writer
- Born: April 28, 1840
- Birthplace: Granby, Quebec, Canada
- Died: July 24, 1924
- Place of death: Granby, Quebec, Canada
Biography
Palmer Cox was born on April 28, 1840, in Granby, Quebec, Canada, a small Scottish community east of Montreal. He was the son of Michael Cox, a military officer, and Sarah Miller Cox. During his childhood, Cox especially liked hearing about the Brownies, a group of pixies living in Scotland’s Grampian mountains, and one of his favorite pastimes was drawing sketches of them.
After graduating from Granby Academy in 1863, Cox went to San Francisco, where he was employed by a railroad company and then worked as a ship’s carpenter. Meanwhile, he submitted light verse and political cartoons to local papers and brought out an illustrated book entitled Squibs of California. In 1876, Cox decided to try his luck in New York City. There he found a job on Wild Oats, a comic weekly that lasted only five years. He also published three illustrated books.
However, he did not achieve real success until 1880, when St. Nicholas, the most prestigious children’s magazine of its time, accepted one of his poems and then asked him to do some illustrating for them. That same year, the Brownies made their first appearance when they were shown holding the letters in a poem about the alphabet. Three years later, St. Nicholas published “The Brownies’ Ride,” a verse narrative that was both written and illustrated by Cox. For the next thirty years, Cox’s Brownie stories were regular features both of St. Nicholas and of the Ladies’ Home Journal. In 1887, the first Brownie adventure appeared in book form. In all, there would be thirteen published volumes, all but one of them written in verse.
There were even dramatic productions featuring the Brownies. In 1894, Cox wrote a cantata for children’s groups, The Brownies in Fairyland, and that same year, his three-act musical play Palmer Cox’s Brownies opened in New York City. After a hundred performances there, it toured the United States, Canada, and England for several more years. Because Cox had strong convictions about what children’s literature should contain, his stories did not include either death or suffering. Moreover, instead of being mischief-makers like the Scottish Brownies, Cox’s Brownies were good, benevolent creatures. However, they were not dull. Not only did each Brownie have a unique personality, but they led exciting lives, driving cars, flying airplanes, and traveling around the world.
Cox’s Brownies made him a wealthy man. In addition to payments from magazines and the royalties from more than a million books sold during his lifetime, he realized profits from the use of his Brownies in advertising. After he retired, he built a seventeen-room medieval castle in Granby. During his summers there, he would often entertain his young fans. Cox died at Brownie Castle on July 24, 1924.
Cox was one of the most popular children’s writers of his time and probably the most influential. His stories entertained and delighted two generations of children. At the same time, Cox’s Brownies informed young readers about what was going on in their world and, without being didactic, exerted a moral influence that, the author hoped, would make them better adults.