Who is Rose O’Neill?
A Women's Trailblazer
It all began with Rose O'Neill, born in 1874, was a pioneering illustrator, artist, and writer who revolutionized the intertwining of marketing and political activism. She grew up in poverty in Omaha, Nebraska but brought her self-taught drawing skills to New York City at the young age of 19.
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Learn more about Rose O’Neill. Included in our Kewps® Procreate kits, we have included a miniatured Rose O’Neill biography plus every Kewps® purchase kicks back a % of our sales to the restoration of Bonniebrook; Rose O’Neill foundation.
In 1909, O'Neill introduced the world to the Kewpies, a series of cherubic, childlike characters with large heads and small bodies. She described them as "a sort of little round fairy whose one idea is to teach people to be merry and kind at the same time.
O'Neill used the Kewpies to champion causes she felt passionately about, including the fight for women's right to vote. She was able to use this popular character for suffrage, gaining people's attention.