Dorothy Craigie (Dorothy Glover)

Meanwhile, back at Robin Annual (yes, I'm still working on that!), we take a look at someone who contributed to the first two editions.

The British Library lists our author as "Dorothy Craigie, later Dorothy Glover" but the evidence is against them. Miss Dorothy Glover was how she was born and how she remained her whole life; Dorothy Craigie was a pen-name, pure and simple.

Dorothy Mary Glover was born in Wandsworth, London, the daughter of Albert (a gas engineer's bar keeper) and his wife Isabella Glover.

She is probably best known as an illustrator for a series of children's books written by Graham Greene for Eyre & Spottiswoode and Max Parrish and her collaboration with Greene on a bibliography of Victorian detective novels.

A rather useful website relating to the Dorothy Craigie Collection at Georgetown University reveals that:

"Graham Greene (1904-1991) and Dorothy Glover (1901-1971) met in the spring of 1939 when he rented a studio from her in Mecklenburg Square for writing. At the time she was working as a theatre costume designer in London. They began an affair shortly after, Greene moving in with Glover as his family was in the countryside. During the Blitz of London in 1940-1941, Glover and Greene both served as neighbourhood fire wardens. By 1946 his loyalty and interest in the affair was decreasing, but they continued to live together until the summer of 1948, when he moved into an apartment adjacent to Catherine Walston's, who he had met and begun an affair with the year before."

Their first collaboration, published in the autumn of 1946, was The Little Train, which originally appeared under the name Dorothy Craigie, "with illustrations by the author," and only reissued as by Greene in 1957. She continued to illustrate stories for Greene after they split but Glover subsequently sold a number of manuscripts at Sotheby's in 1964, including the MS to The Power and the Glory, A Burnt-out Case, three children's books and the screenplay of Brighton Rock.

The above illustration (from The Little Horse Bus by Graham Greene, 1966) comes from this site which notes, "Dorothy Craigie's work should be better known -- her own stories (Rufty Tufty) as well as work for other authors. She is one of the minority of English illustrators who could handle large areas of flat colour with no inhibition. She uses advertising signs and other forms of commercial lettering to great effect in her work."

Following the release of The Little Train, she wrote two further books for Eyre & Spottiswoode, Summersalts Circus as by Dorothy Craigie and The Voyage of the Luna I as by David Craigie. She continued to write under these two names until 1960 as well as illustrating books for Ruth Ainsworth (the 'Rufty Tufty' series) and others. The majority of her work was published by Max Parrish, although she also produced illustrations for The Sphere and Tatler.

She lived at Alberta, West Beeches Road, Crowborough, where she died on 23 November 1971.

Books as Dorothy Craigie (all illustrated by the author)

Summersalts Circus. London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1947.
The Little Balloon. London, Max Parrish, 1953.
Akoo and the Crocodile who Cried. London, Max Parrish, 1954.
Akoo and the Sad Small Elephant. London, Max Parrish, 1954.
The Little Parrot who Thought he was a Pirate. London, Max Parrish, 1954.
The Saucy Cockle. London, Max Parrish, 1955.
Captain Flint, Detective. London, Max Parrish, 1957.
Tim Hooley's Hero. London, Max Parrish, 1957.
Captain Flint to the Rescue. London, Max Parrish, 1958.
Tim Hooley's Haunting. London, Max Parrish, 1958.
Captain Flint, Kidnapped. London, Max Parrish, 1959.
Captain Flint Shipwrecked. London, Max Parrish, 1960.
Nicky and Nigger and the Pirate. London, Max Parrish, 1960.
Nicky and Nigger join the Circus. London, Max Parrish, 1960.

Books as David Craigie
The Voyage of the Luna I by David Craigie. London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1948.
Dark Atlantis by David Craigie. London, William Heinemann, 1951.
Mick of the River by David Craigie. London, Max Parrish, 1960.

Non-fiction
Victorian Detective Fiction. A catalogue of the collection, with Graham Greene; bibliographically arranged by Eric Osborne. London, Bodley Head, 1966.

Illustrated Books as Dorothy Craigie
The Little Train, by Dorothy Craigie. London, Eyre & Spottiswoode, 1946; as by Graham Greene, London, Max Parrish, 1957.
Chimney Cottage by M. E. Atkinson. London, Bodley Head, 1947.
The Little Fire Engine by Graham Greene. London, Max Parrish, 1950.
Clever Polly by Catherine Storr. London, Faber & Faber, 1952.
The Little Horse Bus by Graham Greene. London, Max Parrish, 1952.
Rufty Tufty the Golliwog by Ruth Ainsworth. London, William Heinemann, 1952.
The Little Steamroller by Graham Greene. London, Max Parrish, 1953.
Rufty Tufty at the Seaside by Ruth Ainsworth. London, William Heinemann, 1954.
The Adventures of Clara Chuff by Harry Harrison. London, Hulton Press, 1956.
Rufty Tufty Goes Camping by Ruth Ainsworth. London, William Heinemann, 1956.
Rufty Tufty Runs Away by Ruth Ainsworth. London, William Heinemann, 1957.
Buster by B. A. Benson. London, Max Parrish, 1961.