Randolph Caldecott

Born in Chester, England, on March 22, 1846, he first worked as a bank clerk while developing his skills as an artist and contributing drawings to magazines. He later built a wider career as an illustrator and artist, producing book illustrations, humorous drawings, paintings, and sculpture.

He is especially remembered for a series of children’s books published in the late 1870s and 1880s, including The House That Jack Built and The Diverting History of John Gilpin. His pictures brought unusual energy to nursery rhymes and stories, and he is often credited with helping shape the modern picture book.

Caldecott died in St. Augustine, Florida, on February 12, 1886, at just 39 years old. His influence endured long after his death, and the American Library Association’s Caldecott Medal was named in his honor.