Caldecott, Randolph (kôl`dəkət), 1846–86, English artist and illustrator. He is famous for his drawings of contemporary English country life and for his charming and humorous illustrations, including those for Washington Irving's Old Christmas and Bracebridge Hall and Blackburn's Breton Folk. Perhaps his best are the colored illustrations for a series of 16 children's picture books, including The House that Jack Built and The Grand Panjandrum Himself. The Caldecott Medal for excellence in children's-book illustration is named for him.

Bibliography

See memoir by H. Blackburn (1886, repr. 1969).

Caldecott, Randolph

(born March 22, 1846, Chester, Cheshire, Eng.—died Feb. 12, 1886, St. Augustine, Fla., U.S.) British graphic artist and watercolourist. While working as a bank clerk, he began drawing for periodicals such as London Society, and, after he moved to London, Punch and Graphic. He developed a gently satirical style and achieved success with illustrations for Washington Irving's books The Sketch Book (1875) and Bracebridge Hall (1876). Caldecott is best known as an illustrator of children's books, including William Cowper's John Gilpin (1878) and Oliver Goldsmith's Elegy on a Mad Dog (1879). Always frail in health, he died at age 39 in Florida, where he had gone to improve his condition. Since 1938 the Caldecott Medal has been awarded annually to the illustrator of the most distinguished U.S. picture book for children.