Children of the Northlights: A portrait of Ingri and Edgar d'Aulaire

Date1976

AbstractPortrait of children's book creators. Authors describe spending five years on Greek myths book. Travel with their children. One of their first books, Ola, about a Norwegian boy, preceded the birth of their own son, Ola. Contains home movies of Ola and Ingri's family in her youth. Used color lithography process to create books during the Depression. Now use lithograph for black base, acetate for colors. Edgar's father was a well-known portrait painter in Italy, he says. He uses his mother's last name. Ingri talks about working as partners. Shows book on trolls at the press; lithographic process; d'Aulaire's in studio and garden.

Viewing NotesIllustrations of trolls and other images. Title Card: ‘CHILDREN OF THE NORTHLIGHTS’. A child reading a picture book. Title: ‘a portrait of INGRI and EDGAR D’AULAIRE’. Ingri and Edgar seated at a table covered with books, talking about their work, creative process and family. Shots of Ingri and her son Ola as a toddler. The family playing in the water. Illustrations from the D’Aulaire’s books. Ingri typing at a typewriter, talking about their creative process. A cat meowing on a couch. The couple typing and drawing. Edgar with stone lithographs. Ingri copying stone lithograph prints using acetate transparencies. The couple trading off drawing. Edgar rubbing ink on a lithograph. A man printing with a lithography press. The couple working in the garden. (Farm in Royalton, Vermont?) Edgar chopping wood. Edgar talking about his childhood and family. Images of their artwork. Edgar drawing. Ingri and Edgar working together. Ingri talking about her childhood. Footage of children playing (Ingri’s family?) Ingri talking about their inspiration and perspective on childhood. Ingri typing and talking about the importance of having time to work on projects separate from her husband. Ingri talking in voiceover about teamwork as the couple works together at a table. A large printer printing pages of the D’Aulaire’s books. Credits: ‘Camera BONNNIE FREIDMAN, KATHY AHERN, JANE MORRIOSN’. A man laying out printed pages. Credits: ‘Edited by JANE MORRISON and LAURA LESSER’. Close up of the illustrations. The D’Aulaire’s and others looking at the pages. Credits: ‘Produced and Directed by JANE MORRISON’. The press printing the cover of ‘The Terrible Troll Bird.’ The D’Aulaire’s examining the cover. Credits: ‘Many Thanks to: COLONIAL OFFSET, Norwalk Connecticut, GEORGE MILLER & SONGS, Lithographers New York City’. ‘Special Thanks to: DR. FRANCELIA BUTLER Editor Children’s Literature, JOANNA COLE Young Readers Editor – Doubleday, GAVIN CORBETT, EMILY and OLA D’AULAIR, ANN JORDAN, HANS NAMUTH, DAVID SCHWARTZ, TIME TIMPANERO, SUZANNE JASPER’. Title: ‘CHILDREN OF THE NORTHLIGHTS ©1976’. [End of Reel]