My mother, Joyce McKittrick Kroll, was a sought after fashion illustrator in the 50's and 60's. Aren't these amazing. These were for O'Neils and she also worked for Gimbels, MayCo., and Goldwaters as well as other freelance accounts. She could draw anything despite her hands being badly deformed. She hid them in her pockets so when she applied for work the potential employer would not judge her for this. She told me that she had asked one of these art directors "would he have hired her if he had seen her hands?" His reply was, "No". And never once did she show pity for herself in front of us even though we know how deeply embarrassed she was.
I just love these Peggi! Thanks for sharing this wonderful story about your mom. I lived in Akron, Ohio in the late 50's and early 60's. I did some modeling for O'Neil's occasionally. These fabulous illustrations bring back so many memories.
ReplyDeleteHi. I grew up in Pittsburgh and did some modeling for our Gimbels. My scrapbook has some clippings of newspaper ads that look like your mother's style. Would Gimbels in Pittsburgh, PA have used her work as well?
ReplyDeleteWhao! How beautiful. About the hands, judge not a book by it's cover. I love your work too, I'm a big fan. Now I know where you get your talent.
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