In honor of the 75th anniversary of the publication of the first “Madeline,” the New York Historical Society has mounted an exhibition entitled “Madeline in New York: The Art of Ludwig Bemelmans.” In addition to the first book, Bemelmans wrote four others before his death in 1962. His grandson John Bemelmans Marciano continues the adventures of Madeline following in his grandfather’s footsteps.
Although the original stories were set in Paris, Bemelmans was an Austrian immigrant who was given the choice of going to jail or sailing to America. The first Madeline story appeared in Life magazine in September, 1939, the same week that World War II began. The Paris he depicts is otherworldly and would soon become a memory during the world years.
Although the books continue to be very popular in the US, the curator of the NY Historical Society exhibit, Jane Curley, says they have not found an audience in France.
Bemelmans struggled financially for most of his live probably due to his extravagant spending. “My greatest inspiration,” he once said, “is a low bank balance.” In order to spend freely, he embarked on many different ventures–most did not succeed. A menu he designed for the Waldorf-Astoria, matchbooks he created for Luchow’s restaurant, and 21 drawings for Town & Country magazine are on exhibit along with original covers and drawings for his Madeline books. Although he wrote more than 40 memoirs, novels and other works, if it hadn’t been for the little girl in the blue coat and yellow hat, most of his other work would not have created a lasting legacy for this man.