Early Life and Artistic Beginnings

• Born: Mile End, London, 4 June 1879
• Parents: Augustus Attwell (butcher) and Emily Ann Attwell
• Education at Coopers' Company School and Regent Street Art School.
• Initially studied at Heatherley’s and Saint Martin’s School of Art, but developed a preference for imaginative subjects over traditional art training.
• Early sales to magazines like The Tatler and The Bystander marked the beginning of her professional career.

Development of Style and Major Works

• Initially influenced by artists such as Hilda Cowham, Jessie Willcox Smith, John Hassall, and the Heath Robinson brothers.
• Developed a distinctive style around 1914 characterized by sentimentalized, rotund, and cuddly depictions of children.
• Illustrated numerous classic children's books:
  • Mother Goose (1910)
  • Alice in Wonderland (1911)
  • Hans Andersen’s Fairy Tales (1914)
  • The Water Babies (1915)
  • Peter Pan and Wendy (abridged edition, 1921)
• Created the "Boo Boos," a series of fairy characters featured in books and merchandise.
• Designed popular children's china ware for Shelley Potteries starting in 1926, including the iconic “Boo Boos” collection.
• Illustrated greeting cards extensively for Valentine & Sons.

Commercial Success and Historical Significance

• Achieved significant commercial success throughout her career, with her illustrations appearing on a wide range of products.
• Her work resonated deeply with audiences during both World Wars, offering comfort and cheerfulness.
• Became one of Britain's most popular commercial illustrators of the early to mid-20th century.
• Her style influenced subsequent generations of children’s illustrators.
• The continued publication of The Lucie Attwell Annual for a decade after her death demonstrates the enduring popularity of her work.

Later Life and Legacy

• Married painter and illustrator Harold Cecil Earnshaw in 1908; they had one daughter, Marjorie, and two sons.
• Continued to produce illustrations throughout her life, even contributing a comic strip, "Wot A Life," to the magazine Playbox in 1943.
• Died at her home in Fowey, Cornwall, on November 5, 1964.
• Her daughter, Marjorie, continued her business after her death.
• Webster Wickham, Peggy's grandson, is now the licensing agent for Mabel Lucie Attwell’s work.
• Today, Mabel Lucie Attwell is remembered as a beloved artist whose charming illustrations continue to bring joy to people of all ages.