Kemble's Coons: Drawings of Colored Children and Southern Scenes
Earliest independently authored book in the bibliography and a representative collection of Kemble's drawings.
Author guide
E. W. Kemble Books in Order
Edward Winsor Kemble, commonly cited as E. W. Kemble and sometimes catalogued as Edward Windsor Kemble, was an American illustrator and cartoonist born in Sacramento, California, in 1861 and died in Ridgefield, Connecticut, in 1933. He worked extensively for newspapers and magazines and illustrated many books by other authors, but his independently authored bibliography consists chiefly of humorous graphic collections and children’s books featuring his drawings. His work often depicted African American life through the racial stereotypes common in late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century popular culture, a legacy that is now critically examined.
cartoon collectionsgraphic workschildren's bookshumor
Catalog record updated .
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Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Children's books (3)
- The Blackberries and Their Adventures
children's-book · 1897
- A Coon Alphabet
children's-book · 1898
- The Billy Goat and Other Comicalities
children's-book · 1898
Other (5)
- Kemble's Coons: Drawings of Colored Children and Southern Scenes
graphic-collection · 1896
- Comical Coons
graphic-collection · 1898
- Coontown's Four Hundred
graphic-collection · 1899
- Kemble's Sketch Book
graphic-collection · 1899
- Kemble's Pickaninnies
graphic-collection · 1901
Frequently asked questions about E. W. Kemble
Who was E.W. Kemble?
E.W. Kemble was an American illustrator and cartoonist, born in Sacramento in 1861. He is best known for illustrating the original edition of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.
What was E.W. Kemble’s full name?
He is generally identified as Edward Winsor Kemble. Some library records, including the Library of Congress, use the variant Edward Windsor Kemble.
Sources: wwnorton.co.uk (opens in a new tab)loc.gov (opens in a new tab)
What was E.W. Kemble’s career like outside Huckleberry Finn?
Kemble worked as a newspaper cartoonist and magazine illustrator, contributing to publications such as the New York Daily Graphic, Life, Harper’s Bazaar, Century, Collier’s, and Harper’s Weekly. He also illustrated books by other writers and created political cartoons.
Sources: sil.si.edu (opens in a new tab)encyclopedia.com (opens in a new tab)
Why is E.W. Kemble important to Adventures of Huckleberry Finn?
Mark Twain selected Kemble to illustrate the novel, whose original edition included 174 Kemble illustrations. The commission gave Kemble’s career a significant boost and helped establish his reputation.
Sources: twain.lib.virginia.edu (opens in a new tab)marktwainproject.org (opens in a new tab)
Did E.W. Kemble receive any notable honors?
Yes. The Society of Illustrators lists Edward Windsor Kemble as a 2007 Hall of Fame inductee, recognizing his distinguished achievement in illustration.