Rose O'Neill

Born on June 25, 1874, in Wilkes-Barr, Pennsylvania, Rose Cecil O’Neill was an American cartoonist, illustrator, artist and writer. She rose to fame for creating the popular characters, Kewpies, and was also the first published female cartoonist in the United States. 

The daughter of a book salesman and a homemaker, O’Neill was raised in rural Nebraska. She showed an interest in the arts at an early age and sought a career as an illustrator in New York City. Her Kewpie cartoons debuted in a Ladies’ Home Journal issue in 1910. They were later manufactured as bisque dolls in 1912 by J.D. Kestner, a German toy company, followed by composition material and celluloid versions. The dolls were wildly popular in the early 20th century and became one of the first mass-marketed toys in the U.S. 

Upon success of the Kewpie dolls, O’Neill was for a time the highest-paid female illustrator in the world. During the height of her career, she owned a villa on the Isle of Capri in Italy, two apartments on Washington Square in New York, Castle Carabus in West Port, Connecticut, and her beloved Bonniebrook in Taney County, Missouri. 

O’Neill had deep ties to Missouri, where she spent much of her childhood and returned frequently throughout her life. Bonniebrook became a sanctuary and creative haven, and it now serves as a museum honoring her legacy in the Ozarks. 

She also wrote several novels and books of poetry and was active in the women’s suffrage movement. As a prominent advocate, O’Neill used her fame and artistic talents to support the cause, creating powerful illustrations and speaking publicly in favor of women’s right to vote. 

Her lasting impact on the arts and social progress earned her several posthumous honors, including induction into the National Women’s Hall of Fame (2019) for her suffrage work; the Comic-Con Hall of Fame (2022) as a Comic Pioneer for being the first female U.S. cartoonist; and the National Toy Hall of Fame (2023) for creating the Kewpie. 

O’Neill passed away on April 6, 1944, in Springfield, Missouri.