Elenore Abbot
An American Illustrator
A favorite of the Fantasy-art famous illustrators

I was especially pleased when presented with the opportunity to write about Elenore Abbott, one of my favorite and American illustrator.

Although you may not recognize her name, you surely know her work if you have read the timeless classics such as Grimm’s Fairy tales , Swiss Family Robinson, and Treasure Island. I must also confess a bit of bias as to her enchanting illustrations because she is part of my family history.

Elenoere Plaisted (1875-1935) was born in Lincoln, Maine. Plaisted is an English: topographic name for someone who lived by a piece of land used for playing games, from the Middle English word pleye meaning ‘play’ + sted(e) which means ‘place’, thus- plaisted is a ‘place for play or sport’.

It was a fitting name for an accomplished children’s book illustrator. It was later written about her, “... Abbott loved her fairy tales, and no child who receives such a book will be disappointed.”

She studied at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Philadelphia School of Design for Women, and in Paris. Her work was exhibited at the Academie des Beaux Arts. When she returned from France at age 24, she enrolled at the Drexel Institute.

There she was greatly influenced by the world-renowned illustrator and art teacher, Howard Pyle. Some twenty years later, She wrote to Pyle’s secretary that she felt her best artwork could be attributed to her study under the tutelage of Mr. Pyle.

Howard Pyle wrote and illustrated mainly children’s books. His beloved 1883 classic, The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood is still in print.

In 1907, when she was 32 years old she married Charles Yarnall Abbott, a fellow artist. They had one daughter together named Marjorie after E Abbot‘s sister. C. Yarnall Abbott and I are related through my third Great Grandfather John Abbott. My great Grandmother was named after her, as was her daughter and granddaughter.

E. Abbot was acclaimed nationally as a portrait and landscape artist, book illustrator, scenic set designer, and artist. She was a major contributor to fantasy fairy tale and folklore art illustration, which is all-important element in the Irish culture.

In Ireland, they have an uncommon admiration for the wee folks. Elenore drew her creations with a fine attention to detail that she brought the legends to life.

Abbott's illustrations appeared in many popular magazines, including Harper’s Weekly, Scribner’s, and the Saturday Evening Post. Elenore’s dazzling illustrations in Grimm’s Fairy Tales are probably her best-known work. Abbott also wrote stories in magazines and she drew the original illustrations as well.

Not a lot is known about E. Abbott personally but her legacy as a captivating artist of inner strength and beauty comes through in her artwork.

She moved to an artist community called Rose Valley in 1911. Her husband designed a unique home there complete with two artist studios. C. Yarnall Abbott was trained as a lawyer and practiced law for ten years before giving it up to pursue art.

She painted their house on Possum Hollow Road hot pink! Elenore’s nieces, Sonya and Elenore who also lived at Rose Valley often were the models for her fanciful drawings.

E. Abbott was a wonderful influence on fairy tale literature. Whatever she lends her hand to come away with style and grace from Cinderella to her skillful artistry seen in Two Brothers.

A rustle in the wind reminds us a fairy is near. Author Unknown