Florence Kate Upton (22 February 1873 – 16 October 1922) was an American-born English cartoonist, illustrator and author most famous for creating the Golliwogg character, featured in a series of children’s books.
Upton began to sketch out ideas for a children’s book, using “penny wooden” dolls as her models. However, without a central character on which to hang the tale, progress came to a standstill. Her aunt, Kate Hudson, found an old toy in her attic that had belonged to the Upton children, left behind from an earlier visit. This toy, which she named Golliwogg, provided inspiration, and the first story was completed in 1894. The publishing house of Longmans, Green & Co. offered her a contract and The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls and a Golliwogg was published for Christmas 1895.
Books illustrated by Florence Upton
- The Adventures of Two Dutch Dolls, Longmans, Green & Co, 1895
- The Golliwogg’s Bicycle Club, Longmans, Green & Co, 1896
- The Golliwogg’s at the Sea-Side, Longmans, Green & Co, 1898
- The Golliwogg’s in War, Longmans, Green & Co, 1899
- The Golliwogg’s Polar Adventure, Longmans, Green & Co, 1900
- The Golliwogg’s Auto-Go-Cart, Longmans, Green & Co, 1901
- The Golliwogg’s Air-Ship, Longmans, Green & Co, 1902
- The Golliwogg’s Circus, Longmans, Green & Co, 1903
- The Golliwogg’s in Holland, Longmans, Green & Co, 1904
- The Golliwogg’s Fox Hunt, Longmans, Green & Co, 1905
- The Golliwogg’s Desert Island, Longmans, Green & Co, 1906
- The Golliwogg’s Christmas, Longmans, Green & Co, 1907
- The Golliwogg in the African Jungle, Longmans, Green & Co, 1909
