Else Wenz-Vietor

Else Wenz-Vi�tor (1882-1973) was probably the best known and most prolific children's book illustrator in 1920s and 1930s Germany. She was born in Sorau, a town now in western Poland, and was brought up by her grandparents in Freiburg. It was from her grandfather that she acquired her love of plants and animals which would become favourite themes in her pictures. In 1903 she illustrated the first of over 150 books. She also worked as a freelance artist in the interior design industry. Her work fell out of favour after the Second World War, partly because her style of illustration was popular with the Nazi authorities. The Christmas Angels is the first of her books to be translated into English.