Most of us have probably heard of the toy company Fisher-Price. They’re the manufacturers of classics like Little People, Power Wheels, and the View Master. It’s been around since the 1930s, and was co-founded by Golden Age illustrator Margaret Evans Price. Before she founded one of the world’s most popular toy manufacturers, however, she was a young girl interested in art. And, talented, too; she sold her first illustrated story to the Boston Journal when she was just 12 years old.
Margaret got a formal art education in Boston, and she later moved to New York City to pursue freelance illustration. There, she worked for publications including Rand McNally and Harper & Brothers. But, as we know, that’s not exactly the path that Margaret’s career stayed on. In 1930 she, her husband Irving L. Price, and Herman G. Fisher founded the eponymous toy company. She took on the role as its first Art Director and toy designer, which were a series of pull-toys inspired by characters from her children’s books.
After starting Fisher-Price, Margaret continued to work. Her illustrations continued to appear in publications and she also painted murals. If you’d like to see more of Margaret’s work, check out this extensive Flickr album by Kathie McMillan.
Margaret Evans Price is a Golden Age illustrator who co-founded the toy company, Fisher-Price. She was also their first art director.
