{"title":"Gruelle, Johnny","description":"\u003cp\u003eJohn Barton Gruelle (1880-1938) was an American artist, political cartoonist, children's book and comics author, illustrator, and storyteller. He is best known as the creator of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls and as the author\/illustrator of dozens of books. He also created the Beloved Belindy doll. Gruelle also contributed cartoons and illustrations to at least ten newspapers, four major news syndicates, and more than a dozen national magazines. He was the son of Hoosier Group painter Richard Gruelle.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn was exposed to art and literature at an early age. His father, Richard, was a self-taught portrait and landscape painter who became associated with the Hoosier Group of American Impressionist painters. In addition to Richard Gruelle, the informal group included William Forsyth, T. C. Steele, Otto Stark, and J. Ottis Adams. Another Gruelle family friend was Hoosier poet James Whitcomb Riley, whose poems \"The Elf-Child,\" later titled \"Little Orphant Annie\" (1885), and \"The Raggedy Man\" (1888), eventually formed the name for John Gruelle's iconic Raggedy Ann character. Gruelle later honoured Riley's memory in his own book, The Orphant Annie Story Book (1921), written in tribute to Riley's famous poem.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eJohn was the eldest child of the Gruelle family, which also included a younger sister, Prudence (1884-1966), and a brother, Justin (1889-1979). Gruelle's parents exposed all three children to music, literature, and art. John, who likely attended public schools in Indianapolis as a youth, became interested in art and learned drawing from his father. Prudence trained as a vocalist in New York City, performed in vaudeville theaters, and married Albert Matzke, an illustrator and watercolourist. She also became an author of children's books and a syndicated newspaper columnist. Justin studied art in Indianapolis and New York City and became a landscape painter, illustrator, and muralist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGruelle began his career as an illustrator and cartoonist for Indianapolis newspapers. His work was eventually syndicated nationwide. He also completed commissions for illustrations of well-known fairy tales, as well as writing and illustrating his own stories. Gruelle is best known as the creator of a series of stories about a rag doll named Raggedy Ann and her friends. He also created the iconic Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy dolls. In addition to becoming a successful commercial artist and illustrator, cartoonist, writer, and businessman, Gruelle was a nature-lover, storyteller, and spiritualist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe died unexpectedly of heart failure at his son Worth's home in Miami Springs, Florida, on January 9, 1938, two weeks after his fifty-seventh birthday. Following Gruelle's death, his widow, Myrtle (Swann) Gruelle, took legal action to secure the rights to his works, trademarks and patents. She also continued her efforts to promote his legacy through the Johnny Gruelle Company, the Bobbs-Merrill Company, and other commercial agreements.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"raggedy-andy-stories-1920-johnny-gruelle-1880-1938-67-images","title":"Raggedy Andy Stories 1920 - Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938) - 67 images","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe origins of Raggedy Andy are uncertain, but a common myth is that creator Johnny Gruelle was inspired to create the rag doll after seeing his young sons, Worth and Dickie Gruelle, play with his daughter Marcella Gruelle's beloved doll Raggedy Ann, with some accounts stating that the boys wanted their own boy doll to play with.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis download features 67 images, in jpeg format, that are 300dpi and range from 1096 pixels wide\/tall by 4365 pixels wide\/tall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pictures are out of copyright and in the public domain, so you are free to use them in whatever way you'd like, including commercial use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead more about \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/publicdomainimagelibrary.com\/collections\/gruelle-johnny\" title=\"Johnny Gruelle\"\u003eJohnny Gruelle\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Digital Download - 67 images","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50562392359242,"sku":null,"price":3.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0776\/7965\/7290\/files\/Gruelle_Johnny_1880-1938_-RaggedyAndyStories1920-Peering_main.jpg?v=1747057393"},{"product_id":"raggedy-ann-stories-1918-johnny-gruelle-1880-1938-64-images","title":"Raggedy Ann Stories 1918 - Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938) - 64 images","description":"\u003cp\u003eRaggedy Ann is a character created by American writer Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938) that appeared in a series of books he wrote and illustrated for young children. Raggedy Ann is a rag doll with red yarn for hair and a triangle nose.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis download features 64 images, in jpeg format, that are 300dpi and range from 3322 pixels wide\/tall by 8520 pixels wide\/tall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pictures are out of copyright and in the public domain, so you are free to use them in whatever way you'd like, including commercial use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead more about \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/publicdomainimagelibrary.com\/collections\/gruelle-johnny\" title=\"Johnny Gruelle\"\u003eJohnny Gruelle\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Digital Download - 64 images","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50564414898506,"sku":null,"price":3.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0776\/7965\/7290\/files\/Gruelle_Johnny_1880-1938_-RaggedyAnn1918-Chair_main.jpg?v=1747057392"},{"product_id":"raggedy-ann-and-andy-and-the-camel-with-the-wrinkled-knees-1924-johnny-gruelle-1880-1938-58-images","title":"Raggedy Ann and Andy and the Camel with the Wrinkled Knees 1924 - Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938) - 58 images","description":"\u003cp\u003eRaggedy Ann is a character created by American writer Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938) that appeared in a series of books he wrote and illustrated for young children. Raggedy Andy followed as Johnny Gruelle thought his sons would prefer a boy doll to play with.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis download features 58 images, in jpeg format, that are 300dpi and range from 1865 pixels wide\/tall by 9073 pixels wide\/tall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pictures are out of copyright and in the public domain, so you are free to use them in whatever way you'd like, including commercial use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead more about \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/publicdomainimagelibrary.com\/collections\/gruelle-johnny\" title=\"Johnny Gruelle\"\u003eJohnny Gruelle\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Digital Download - 58 images","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50564622909770,"sku":null,"price":3.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0776\/7965\/7290\/files\/Gruelle_Johnny_1880-1938_-CamelwithWrinkledToes1924-Ann_Andylayondollbed_main.jpg?v=1747057391"},{"product_id":"bam-bam-clock-the-1920-johnny-gruelle-1880-1938-26-images","title":"Bam Bam Clock, The 1920 - Johnny Gruelle (1880-1938) - 26 images","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Bam Bam Clock is a book by J.P. McEvoy, illustrated by Johnny Gruelle. It features Mary who could never get up in the morning. The Queen of the Fairies decides to help Dorothy Mary with the gift of a magic Bam-Bam Clock. With the help of the clock and the fairies inside it, Dorothy Mary soon learns to be on time.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis download features 26 images, in jpeg format, that are 300dpi and range from 1070 pixels wide\/tall by 3618 pixels wide\/tall.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pictures are out of copyright and in the public domain, so you are free to use them in whatever way you'd like, including commercial use.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRead more about \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/publicdomainimagelibrary.com\/collections\/gruelle-johnny\" title=\"Johnny Gruelle\"\u003eJohnny Gruelle\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Digital Download - 26 images","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50564990566730,"sku":null,"price":2.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0776\/7965\/7290\/files\/Gruelle_Johnny_1880-1938_-TheBamBamClock1920-Fairiesinthemeadow_main.jpg?v=1747057389"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0776\/7965\/7290\/collections\/Gruelle_Johnny-358706.jpg?v=1743601414","url":"https:\/\/www.publicdomainimagelibrary.com\/collections\/gruelle-johnny.oembed","provider":"Public Domain Image Library","version":"1.0","type":"link"}