Alan and Helen Tiegreen Papers
Scope and Contents
The collection contains correspondence, material for five titles, and a medallion design. The correspondence, arranged in chronological order, is addressed to the de Grummond Collection and dates from 1973 to 1980 and undated. The titles are arranged alphabetically with the material for each placed in the probable order in which it was created.
Carter Rabbit (1972) by Helen Tiegreen is the story of a rabbit who is unhappy because he can't make noises like other animals. He is cheered, however, when he learns some of the special things rabbits do. For this title the collection holds a dummy, typescript, and collage illustrations. Doodle and the Go-cart (1972) by Robert Burch is the story of a farm boy's dream of owning a go-cart, which almost becomes a reality until he decides the price is too high. For this title the collection includes several illustrations and dust jacket material. Kelly's Creek (1975) by Doris Buchanan Smith is the story of an eight-year-old boy's struggle to cope with a special physical problem. He finds relief in daily visits to a marsh and learning about marine life. Included in the collection form this title are sketches, illustrations, a galley, and paste-ups.
For Ramona the Brave (1975) by Beverly Cleary, the story of six-year-old Ramona who tries to cope with an unsympathetic first-grade teacher, the collection holds illustrations and a color separation of the dust jacket. For the title, Silver Woven in My Hair (1977) by Shirley Rousseau Murphy, the collection contains illustrations and color separations for the dust jacket. This book is the story of a medieval sixteen year-old girl who still believes in magic and is helped by an old monk and a young goatherd to escape her dismal life reminiscent of Cinderella's.
Also included in the collection is an illustration for the University of Southern Mississippi Silver Medallion designed by Alan Tiegreen for Madeline L'Engle in 1978. Finally, the collection holds an illustration on posterboard of Ramona with "USM Children's Book Festival" on her shirt.
Dates
- Creation: 1972-1980
Conditions Governing Access
Noncirculating; Available for research
Conditions Governing Use
The collection is protected by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S. Code). Reproductions can be made only if they are to be used for "private study, scholarship, or research." It is the user's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and to obtain all necessary permissions prior to the reproduction, publication, or other use of any portion of these materials.
Biographical / Historical
Alan Tiegreen was born in Boise, Idaho in 1935. His father worked for the government, causing the family to move frequently, so Tiegreen grew up in such places as Nebraska, Alabama, and Ohio. He showed an early interest in both music and art, but his talent for drawing prevailed.
Tiegreen received the Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in 1957 and continued his studies at the Art Center of Design in Los Angeles, earning a Bachelor of Professional Arts degree in 1961. In 1965 he became a teacher of painting, drawing, and illustration at Georgia State University's urban campus in Atlanta.
Tiegreen's paintings have been exhibited at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D. C., the Knoxville World's Fair, and in New York City, Atlanta, and Los Angeles. He and one of his former students, Nena Allen, painted a 112 by fourteen-foot mural for the Grant Simmons plant in Atlanta, Georgia. Among the honors and awards he has received are the Boston Globe Horn Book fiction honor and Newbery honor award in 1978 and the Young Readers Choice in 1980, all for Ramona and Her Father by Beverly Cleary; and the American Book Awards children's fiction paperback award in 1981 for Ramona and Her Mother by Beverly Cleary. He also received the New York Times Notable in 1984 and the Parents' Choice literature award in 1984 for Ramona Forever by Beverly Cleary; the Buckeye (3-5) in 1985, the Newbery honor award in 1982, the Charlie May Simon for 1983-1984, and the Sunshine (runnerup) in 1984 all for Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary; and the Golden Archer in 1977 and the Mark Twain in 1978 for Ramona the Brave by Beverly Cleary. He is also a member of the Society of Illustrators.
Helen Hurt Tiegreen is a native Mississippian and a descendant of four generations of journalists. Her great grandfather, Walter Nesbitt Hurt, was editor and co-owner of the Hattiesburg American. She published Welty's Revisions of the Optimist's Daughter in 1985 and wrote Carter Rabbit in 1972, which her husband illustrated, for their three children.
Sources:
Children's Literature Awards & Winners: A Directory of Prizes, Authors, and Illustrators, 2nd ed., p. 530.
Fifth Book of Junior Authors & Illustrators, pp. 312-313.
Something About the Author, vol. 36, p. 184
Extent
2.10 Cubic Feet (3 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Material donated by Alan and Helen Tiegreen from 1973 to 1978.
- Title
- Alan and Helen Tiegreen Papers
- Status
- In Progress
- Author
- Suzanne (Suzy) Elkins
- Date
- 1992-07
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
- Language of description note
- English
- Sponsor
- This finding aid is the product of a grant funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Repository Details
Part of the de Grummond Childrens Literature Collection Repository
118 College Drive - 5148
Hattiesburg MS 39406-0001
601.266.4345
