JCKL Library Blog

The One Rose

A new display in the north corridor of JCKL is a display celebrating Rose O'Neill, a formidable Renaissance woman with ties to Missouri. Born in June of 1874, she worked as a cartoonist, illustrator, artist, and writer periodically living in the Missouri Ozarks throughout her adult life. She was also a champion for women’s rights and suffrage. At the peak of her career, O’Neill was even the highest-paid illustrator in the world.  

Though being a master of all trades, O’Neill was best known for creating the Kewpie, which would become the first trademarked household name cartoon character.  Kewpies made their first appearance as character drawings in a women’s magazine in December 1909. These characters were fanciful, elf-like babies with a top-knot head, a wide smile, and sidelong eyes. They were both impish and kind and solved all kinds of problems in humorous ways. Immediately popular with both adults and children, Kewpies went on to have a lasting legacy in the hearts of millions.

In 1937, O’Neill retired permanently to her family home in the Ozarks, affectionately known as Bonniebrook, and wrote out her memoirs with close friends. Though she passed away in 1944, her former home reopened as a museum honoring her life and work. 2024 would have been her 100th birthday. In honor of this occasion, come check out a collection of O’Neill’s work and art from the Philip A. Sadler Research Collection for Children and Young Adults located in the North hallway. This display is available for viewing through August. 

Post contribution by Rebekah Mauschbaugh