Edward Arthur Wilson (March 4, 1886 – October 2, 1970) was an American illustrator, printmaker and commercial artist best known for his book and magazine illustrations.

Early life Wilson was born on March 4, 1886, in Glasgow, Scotland; one of two sons born to Edward J. Wilson and Euphemia E. Murray."United States Census, 1900", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MSQB-G41 : 13 January 2022), E A Wilson in entry for Edward J Wilson, 1900."Illinois, Cook County Birth Registers, 1871-1915," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:N7HL-2PV : 10 March 2018), Edward J. Wilson in entry for Harold F. Wilson, 14 Apr 1894; citing e 18668 p 374, Chicago, Cook, Illinois, Cook County Courthouse, Chicago; FHL microfilm 1,287,740. In 1893, the family emigrated to the United States and by no later than 1900, the family had settled in Chicago. Edward attended the Art Institute of Chicago, and later studied with illustrator Howard Pyle.Junker, Patricia; McCandless, Barbara; Myers, Jane; Rohrbach, John; Stewart, Rick (2001). An American Collection: Works from the Amon Carter Museum. New York: Hudson Hills Press. p. 244. .

Career In 1921, Wilson designed the cover for William McFee's An Engineer's Notebook. His first full-length project was Iron Men and Wooden Ships (1924), a collection of sailor shanties edited by author and bookseller Frank Shay. Over the next two decades, Wilson illustrated many classic novels, including Robinson Crusoe (1930), The Man Without a Country (1936), Treasure Island (1941), and Jane Eyre (1944). Later, he produced illustrations for magazines and a number of World War II propaganda posters; a number of these are included in Thomas Craven's The Book of Edward A. Wilson (1948)."The Greenwich Village Bookstore Door: A Portal to Bohemia, 1920–1925". Harry Ransom Center. In 1945, Wilson's work was featured in Life Magazine."Art: Illustrator Edward A. Wilson Interprets Adventure Books". Life. April 23, 1945. p. 57–60.

Personal life Wilson was married to Jane Roe and they had two daughters, one of whom was the actress Perry Wilson.

Death On October 2, 1970, after a long struggle with an undisclosed illness, Wilson died at the age of 84 in Dobbs Ferry.

Works Books Shay, Frank, ed. Iron Men and Wooden Ships. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page & Company. Rogers, Cameron, ed. (1925). Full and By; Being a Collection of Verses by Persons of Quality with Designs to Fit All Humours. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Page & Company. Dana, Richard Henry (1930). Two Years Before the Mast. Chicago: Lakeside Press. Attiwill, Ken (1931). Windjammer. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, Doran & Company."From the jacket designed by Edward A. Wilson for 'Windjammer'". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. 1931. p. 48. DeFoe, Daniel (1930). Robinson Crusoe. New York: Heritage Press. Fennimore, Daniel (1932) Last of the Mohicans. Avon, Conn: Heritage Press. Hudson, William Henry (1935). Green Mansions. New York: Limited Editions Club.Library of Congress (1936). Catalog of Copyright Entries. New Series: 1935. Washington: United States Government Printing Office. p. 1038. Loomis, Alfred Loomis (1939). Ranging the Main Coast. New York: Norton. McMurtrie, Douglas C.; Farran, Don; Wilson, Edward A., illustrations (1940). Wings for Words. New York: Rand, McNally & Company. Wilson, Edward; Wright Marine Collection (1941). Blow High, Blow Low. New York: American Artists Group. ."Books and Authors". The New York Times. September 21, 1941 p. BR14. "The American Artists Group, 106 7th Avenue, New York City, is bringing out a boxed set of ten little gift books. Four are for children; [...] The other six include [...] 'Blow High, Blow Low,' a collection of five sea chanties, illustrated by Edward Wilson, who also contributes a poem of his own... " Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth; Candy, Henry Seidel (1947). Favorite Poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company. Shay, Frank, ed. (1948). American Sea Songs and Chanteys. New York: W.W. Norton.C.S. (December 1948). "Books: American Sea Songs and Chanteys". Musical America. p. 33. Mathers, Edward Powys; Mardrus, J. C.; Forester, Cecil Scott (1949). The Seven Voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, Volume 1. New York: Limited Editions Club."The Seven Voyages of Sindbad the Sailor, Volume 1". Google Books.

Magazines Rogers, Cameron (November 1924). "Sailors' Songs and Whalers' Stories". World's Work. pp. 108–111 Service, Robert W. (December 1929). "A New ballad of the Yukon: Sandy MacPherson Held the Floor". Cosmopolitan. pp. 46–47 Filene, Edward A. (October 1930). "The Road to Freedom". The Rotarian. pp. 9–11, 62–64 Ludwig, Emil (January 1933). "Statesmen—Amateur or Professional?". The Rotarian. pp. 6–9, 54–55 Dimnet, Abbé Ernest (January 1935). "We Owe a Debt". The Rotarian. pp. 17–18, 59–60

Collections Wilson's work is held in the following permanent collection: National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.: 7 works (as of 7 May 2022)

References

Further reading Articles "Sea Sagas of the Days of the Windjammer". The Los Angeles Times. January 4, 1925. p. 73 "These Books". The Golden Book Magazine. December 1925. p. 20

Books Art Directors Club (1921). Annual of Advertising Art in the United States. New York: Publishers Printing Company. Craven, Thomas (1948). The Book of Edward A. Wilson: A Survey of His Work, 1916-1948. New York: The Heritage Press. . Carr, A.H.Z. (1952; 1965). How to Attract Good Luck. pp. 147–148. .

External links Edward Arthur Wilson papers, 1911-1962 at Archives West Edward A. Wilson papers at Syracuse University Edward Arthur Wilson Papers at the University of Minnesota