Background
Wright Enright was born Margaret Ellen Wright in Weymouth, Massachusetts, the third child of William and Anna Wright. The name "Maginel" was a later creation of her mother"s, a contraction of "Maggie Nell".
Wright Enright was born Margaret Ellen Wright in Weymouth, Massachusetts, the third child of William and Anna Wright. The name "Maginel" was a later creation of her mother"s, a contraction of "Maggie Nell".
Ten years later they moved to Chicago, to be closer to Frank"s architectural work, where she eventually attended the Chicago Art Institute.
At age two the family moved to Madison, Wisconsin. Her first job as a commercial artist was with the Barnes, Crosby Company of Chicago, where her main task was catalog illustration. The Enrights moved to New York City for their careers and enjoyed an active social life there.
After their divorce, Wright Enright married Hiram Barney, a lawyer who died in 1925.
Wright Enright"s autobiography, The Valley of the God-Almighty Joneses, was published in 1965, one year before her death in East Hampton, New New York lieutenant was under the name of Maginel Wright Enright that she conducted her professional career.
She illustrated 63 children"s books during her lifetime, sometimes working alone and sometimes with other artists. Her first job as book illustrator was on The Twinkle Tales, a set of six booklets for young children published by Reilly & Britton in 1906, and written by L. Frank Baum under the pseudonym "Laura Bancroft".
The books were successful, selling 40,000 copies the first year.
Wright Enright also illustrated Baum"s Policeman Bluejay (1907) and L. Frank Baum"s Juvenile Speaker (1910, with John R Neill). (Her husband also worked on the Baum canon: Walter Enright illustrated Baum"s Father Goose"s Year Book in 1907) She also illustrated editions of Johanna Spyri"s Heidi (1921) and Mary Mapes Dodge"s Hans Brinker or the Silver Skates (with Edna Cooke, 1918). She was acclaimed as one of "the very best artists" for children.
She wrote and illustrated The Baby"s Record Through the First Year in Song and Story (1928), and compiled and illustrated Weather Signs and Rhymes (1931).
She also illustrated textbooks for children, mainly readers for younger children. Her daughter Elizabeth Enright credits Wright Enright with "the revolutionizing of textbook illustration" with lively, graceful, and imaginative picture that appealed to young readers.