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GUSTAF TENGGREN - Illustrator
Born in 1896, Gustaf Tenggren grew up on a remote farm near Västergötland, Sweden. By age 25, he was a successful illustrator in Manhattan. In 1935 Gustaf Accepted an offer to work as an Art Director at Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs which was currently under production at Disney Studios in Los Angeles. He moved to Hollywood, where, combining the worlds of art and science, he played a key role in the birth of feature animated films.
"Sketching and painting, is my way of relaxing and having fun. Then back to the coast of Maine, where my wife and I have made our home in West Southport for the past twenty years and where living seems to be just right for us."
For almost three years he painted inspirational artwork to help the layout artists to find the right mood for the actual scenes and backgrounds. His paintings had a major influence on some central scenes, such as the interiors of the dwarfs’ cottage, the queen’s laboratory, and the scenes in the woods where Snow White flees from the hunter. He also contributed to Bambi, The Ugly Duckling, Hiawatha and Fantasia.
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But his greatest addition was to Pinocchio which at the largest part obliged to Gustaf Tenggren for the design of environment, clothing and props. From 1942 to 1962, Tenggren worked for Little Golden Books with illustrations for children's books such as Saggy Baggy Elephant, and The Poky Little Puppy, which became the all-time best-selling children's book.​
A period of rootless drifting had followed the breaking up from Los Angeles. Mollie and Gustaf had spent time in Mexico, Florida, and Cape Cod trying to find a place to stay permanently. During a sailing trip by the archipelago coast of Maine in 1943, they finally found what they had been looking for - a seaman's old homestead situated on the cape of Dogfish Head on Southport Island. They bought the property and returned the year after to settle down. The was all out of furniture and the only source of heat was a large cast iron stove in the central room of the house, where they dwelled in a couple of bunk beds.
With the help of Gustaf's ideas and inventions and hired craftsmen's knowledge, a radical refurbishing turned the place into a studio and a combined home, offering the calm and concentration that Gustaf needed to work. All they needed now was furniture as the house was completely empty. The large spaces and well-planned guest rooms welcomed friends and relatives to stay over night. The sailing boat took them to the nearest central place, West Southport, to buy groceries, and in winter when the cold and snow became unbearable, they went south; Florida, Mexico or Arizona were hot holiday resorts that offered Gustaf great views to paint from.​ On June 22, 2017, Tenggren, who died in 1970, was inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame.
Our collection of Tenggren’s books, illustrations and sculptures were generously donated to Southport Memorial Library by the Tenggren Estate.