Vernon Simeon Plemion Grant (April 26, 1902 – July 9, 1990) was an American illustrator known for his whimsical
gnome
A gnome is a mythological creature and diminutive spirit in Renaissance magic and alchemy, first introduced by Paracelsus in the 16th century and later adopted by more recent authors including those of modern fantasy literature. Its characte ...
characters and
fairy tale
A fairy tale (alternative names include fairytale, fairy story, magic tale, or wonder tale) is a short story that belongs to the folklore genre. Such stories typically feature magic, enchantments, and mythical or fanciful beings. In most cult ...
drawings. Over seven decades, Grant created hundreds of illustrations for advertising (
General Electric
General Electric Company (GE) is an American multinational conglomerate founded in 1892, and incorporated in New York state and headquartered in Boston. The company operated in sectors including healthcare, aviation, power, renewable ene ...
,
Gillette
Gillette is an American brand of safety razors and other personal care products including shaving supplies, owned by the multi-national corporation Procter & Gamble (P&G).
Based in Boston, Massachusetts, United States, it was owned by The Gill ...
,
Hershey's.
Kellogg's
The Kellogg Company, doing business as Kellogg's, is an American multinational food manufacturing company headquartered in Battle Creek, Michigan, United States. Kellogg's produces cereal and convenience foods, including crackers and toa ...
) and major magazines, including ''
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
'' and ''
Ladies' Home Journal
''Ladies' Home Journal'' was an American magazine last published by the Meredith Corporation. It was first published on February 16, 1883, and eventually became one of the leading women's magazines of the 20th century in the United States. In ...
''. He is best known as creator of Kellogg's
Rice Krispies
Rice Krispies (known as Rice Bubbles in Australia and New Zealand) is a breakfast cereal, marketed by Kellogg's in 1927 and released to the public in 1928. Rice Krispies are made of crisped rice (rice and sugar paste that is formed into rice ...
cereal characters
Snap! Crackle! and Pop!
Biography
Early life and education
Grant was born on April 26, 1902, in
Coleridge, Nebraska
Coleridge is a village in Cedar County, Nebraska, United States. The population was 537 at the 2020 census.
History
Coleridge was platted in 1883 when the railroad was extended to that point. It was named for Lord John Coleridge, the Lord C ...
, to Oliver Simeon Grant and Chloe Barkley Grant. When Grant was six years old, his family moved to
South Dakota
South Dakota (; Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who comprise a large po ...
where they
homesteaded. His experiences living on the prairies served as the inspiration for many of the artworks he would create throughout his career. While there he also learned illustration techniques from his beloved school teacher cousin Nellie Grant.
[Norton, Mary Lynn. "Vernon Grant, Artist and Illustrator," ''Vernon Grant's Mother Goose'' (Harry N. Abrams, 1998).] As a teen, Grant moved with his family to
California
California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...
. He studied business law and public speaking at the
University of Southern California
, mottoeng = "Let whoever earns the palm bear it"
, religious_affiliation = Nonsectarian—historically Methodist
, established =
, accreditation = WSCUC
, type = Private research university
, academic_affiliations =
, endowment = $8.1 ...
and, at age 21, enrolled in the
Art Institute of Chicago
The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mill ...
. To help pay for his education, Grant developed his
chalk talks, which became a popular act on the
vaudeville
Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment born in France at the end of the 19th century. A vaudeville was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a dramatic composition ...
circuit.
Illustrations
In 1932, a Grant
Santa Claus
Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, Saint Nicholas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle, or simply Santa, is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring children gifts during the late evening and overnigh ...
illustration was used for the cover of ''Ladies' Home Journal''. The next year, a radio commercial for Kellogg's Rice Krispies inspired the gnome-like mascots Snap! Crackle! and Pop! He soon became the lead illustrator for Kellogg's products, becoming so popular that in 1935 the company sent him on a world tour to promote their cereals.
In the 1930s and 1940s Grant became one of the country's most popular and prolific illustrator of children's fairy tales, creating at least ten booklets and 25 individual prints. He did covers for ''
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
'', ''
Collier's
''Collier's'' was an American general interest magazine founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was launched as ''Collier's Once a Week'', then renamed in 1895 as ''Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal'', shortened in 1905 to ''Coll ...
'' and other magazines. In 1938, ''
Life
Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy ...
'' magazine ranked Grant as "America's favorite children's artist."
Grant worked with the
USO during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...
, entertaining troops with sketches and fast-paced
chalk talks
A chalk talk is an illustrated performance in which the speaker draws pictures to emphasize lecture points and create a memorable and entertaining experience for listeners. Chalk talks differ from other types of illustrated talks in their use of r ...
. After the war, he moved to
South Carolina
)''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
while still working for New York clients.
South Carolina farming
In 1936, Grant met and married Elizabeth Fewell, a native of
Rock Hill, South Carolina
Rock Hill is the largest city in York County, South Carolina and the fifth-largest city in the state. It is also the fourth-largest city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte, Concord, and Gastonia (all located in North Carolina, ...
. They had two children, son Chip and daughter Kay. In 1947, Grant and his family established a farm outside Rock Hill, raising
Angus cattle In cattle, Angus may refer to:
* Aberdeen Angus, a breed of beef cattle in Scotland and the United Kingdom
* American Angus
* German Angus
* Red Angus
See also
* Australian Lowline
The Australian Lowline is a modern Australian breed of small ...
and
Concord grapes
The Concord grape is a cultivar derived from the grape species ''Vitis labrusca'' (also known as fox grape) that are used as table grapes, wine grapes and juice grapes. They are often used to make grape jelly, grape juice, grape pies, grape-f ...
. Grant became active in farming organizations, and his farming practices were recognized with awards from state agricultural associations.
In the late 1950s, Grant led the Rock Hill Chamber of Commerce, promoting changes in city planning and public housing. He served as the city's first director of public housing from 1965 to 1971.
Grant continued making art until, in 1985, he felt he could no longer work to his own expectations and was forced to retire. When he died in 1990 at age 88, the ''
Charlotte Observer
''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American English-language newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. I ...
'' noted that although Grant's illustrations would delight people for years, "in the long run his greatest gift to the community may be the standard of citizenship he exemplified."
[''Charlotte Observer'', January 13, 2008.]
Influence and legacy
In his book ''Great Cartoonists and Their Art'', political cartoonist Art Wood wrote:
Archives
The Museum of York County has exhibited Grant's artwork since 1979. A permanent Vernon Grant Gallery was established at the Museum in 1990. In 2006, the Grant's family donated a collection of more than 1,000 items, including scrapbooks, studio furniture and original artwork, to the Culture & Heritage Museums which manages the Museum of York County. The Museum gift shop sells merchandise based on Grant art, including limited edition prints, books, Christmas ornaments, coloring books and playing cards.
Kellogg's Archives houses another substantial collection of original Grant artwork. In 1993, Kellogg's gave the Museum of York County reproduction rights to produce merchandise of art featured in the exhibition "Seventy-five Years of Gnomes and Folks—A Tribute to Grant's Career".
Festivals
In the early 1960s, the city of Rock Hill created its
Come-See-Me festival to feature the city's Glencairn Garden, with an owl drawn by Grant as a mascot. In 1965, Grant created Glen the Frog, which has been the festival mascot ever since. A new festival, ChristmasVille, was begun in Rock Hill in 2006. The festival spotlights Grant's many Santa Claus and winter illustrations. The festival mascot is Grant the Gnome.
Bibliography
''Children's books written and/or illustrated by Vernon Grant.''
Citations
General and cited sources
*
*
External links
Vernon Grant's History��Museum of York County
History of Snap, Crackle and PopChristmasVille Holiday FestivalAndrew Jackson Hotel / Vernon Grant Historical MarkerWall of Whimsy
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grant, Vernon Simeon Plemion
1902 births
1990 deaths
American cartoonists
Artists from Nebraska
People from Cedar County, Nebraska
People from Rock Hill, South Carolina