100 Years of Illustration

Walter King Stone - 3

More wildlife in its natural habitat by Walter King Stone. Click on images to enlarge.

"The duck-hawk nests on the ledges of rock precipices," from "Huns of the Air," a title reflecting a World War reference to German aircraft probably created by Walter Prichard Eaton in the January 1919 issue of Harper's Monthly Magazine.

"The sparrow-hawk in a pretty little falcon that does more good than harm," from the same issue. The tacky picture captions also reflect a perfunctory attitude on the part of story editors in this immediate post-war period.

"The cotton-tail rabbit beneath a tent of swamp shrubbery," from "Little Folks that Gnaw," by Walter Prichard Eaton in the Januar 1919 issue of Harper's Monthly Magazine.

"A chipmunk waiting expectantly for breakfast," from the same issue.

"In the fairy forests of the weeds," from the same issue. Can you believe this writing?

"Pawing up the snow for frozen apples," from "Deer in the Berkshires," by Walter Prichard Eaton in the February 1920 issue of Harper's Monthly Magazine.

Walter King Stone - 2

Walter King Stone's animal life in its environment. Click on images to enlarge them.

"The Mountain Woodchuck crawls out on a height to sun himself." From "A Rocky Mountain Game Trail" in Harper's Monthly Magazine for December 1917.

Another woodchuck "You will see a shrewd face and fat body up on the wall. From "The Ways of the Woodchuck by Walter Prichard Eaton in the November 1915 issue of Harper's Monthly Magazine.

"In the hushed naves of the forest," from "The Friendly Chickadee" by Walter Prichard Eaton in the September 1915 issue of Harper's Monthly Magazine.

"The heavens declare the glory of God," from "Naure and the Psalmist," by Walter Prichard Eaton in the May 1915 issue of Harper's Monthly Magazine.

"All the beasts of the forest do creep forth," from "Naure and the Psalmist," by Walter Prichard Eaton in the May 1915 issue of Harper's Monthly Magazine.

"The otter will frisk on the river bank like a puppy," from "Our Wild Animal Neighbors" in the January 1918 issue of Harper's Monthly Magazine.

Introducing Walter King Stone - 1

There isn't very much known about this unique illustrator. Perhaps the search engines will add some links in the future. He was also a painter but for me, these are much more interesting than his easel paintings. Ask Art is a link to about eight paintings. Click on the following images to enlarge them.

I love this one. It's from the August 1909 issue of Scribner's Monthly Magazine, "Dips into all the happiest, friendliest valleys." illustrating "A Black Forest Pathway (from Pforzheim to Basel) by Frederick van Beuren, Jr., who wrote the article when he was 29. I Googled the only Frederick van Beuren, Jr. and found this link.

"Through all the greenest, most delicious mysteries of the Schwarzwald." from the same article.

Harper's Monthly Magazine on the other hand, chose to run Stone's work in two colors, or black-and-white, and assigned him a lot of night scenes with and without animal life. This is from an article in the issue of September 1910 entitled simply "Night." The caption for the illustration reads, "The Fields are bathed in Moonlight. " I do not have the name of the writer.

"The Night Gloom of the Waters," from the same article.

"There is plenty of testimony that foxes do eat wild grapes." This illustration and the one which follows are from "The Harvest of the Wild Places," by Walter Prichard Eaton in the November 1914 issue of Harper's Monthly Magazine.

"An Autumn Harvester."