Timeline

1934 - 1936

Brother Thierry born in November; Pom, Flora, and Alexander join the Babar series as Jean de Brunhoff works on Babar and His Children

1936 - 1937

Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar and Father Christmas commissioned as a serial with black and white illustrations for the Daily Sketch, a London newspaper

1955 - 1959

Laurent abandons all painting other than Babar work until the mid 1970’s also does drawings for advertising, etc to help support family

1925

Born on August 30

1926-9

Cecile de Brunhoff makes up an elephant tale as a bedtime story for her children

1931

Jean de Brunhoff expands, names and illustrates the story; the first Babar book, The Story of Babar, is published

1932

Jean de Brunhoff’s second Babar book, The Travels of Babar, is published

Jean de Brunhoff designs wooden reliefs to decorate the French ocean liner,Normandie; commences work on Zephir book

1933

Jean de Brunhoff’s third book, Babar the King, is published

1936

Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar and His Children commissioned as a serial with black and white illustrations for the Daily Sketch, a London newspaper

Jean de Brunhoff’s fifth Babar book is published, Babar and Zephir, devoted to Laurent’s and Mathieu’s favorite character

1937

1937 Jean de Brunhoff dies of tuberculosis on October 16

1938

Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar and His Children published in book form; Laurent de Brunhoff’s uncle, Michel de Brunoff, who was a famous editior of Vogue in Paris at the time takes charge of turning the text and pictures into a book; teenager Laurent de Brunhoff was asked to assist with color

1940

House in Chessy sold; during WWII and German occupation of Paris family frequently re-locates; children continue their education

1941

Jean de Brunhoff’s Babar and Father Christmas published in book form; again Laurent de Brunhoff consulted on color for the cover

Laurent studies abstract painting at the Academie de la Grande Chaumiere, Montparnasse

1944

Laurent de Brunhoff graduated

1946

Laurent de Brunhoff’s first Babar book, Babar’s Cousin: That Rascal Arthur is published in France; as with his father’s books, Random House publishes the English version with Merle Haas translating

1948

abstract paintings shown in group show, Galerie Maeght, Paris

1949

Babar’s Picnic published

1950

Laurent brief period discontinues abstract work and paints figurative work, craves art that “could be understood by general public”

1951

marries Marie-Claude, wife champions work and offers plot suggestions

Babar’s Visit to Bird Island published; lush, seminal watercolors

1952

Daughter Anne born; family moves from the Montparnasse atelier outside Paris to Velannes; begins work on Babar’s Fair

Resumes abstract work (Klee inspired)

1954

Holiday in St Tropex begins writing commission for publication Elle, Babar and the Professor

Son Antonie born; family moves back to Paris on Boulevard St Germain in Latin Quarter which remains their primary residence for nearly 30 years

1956

Laurent de Brunhoff’s Babar and the Professor published; deep grottoes/darkness and illumination

1957

At the Top of One’s Voice is published; Laurent supplies the black and white pen illustrations

1962

Random House becomes his preliminary publisher; Hachette continues publishing the French language series

1981

Celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the Story of Babar: more than 500 watercolors by Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff included in major museum exhibition at the Centre Culturel du Marais in Paris. This geneis to a travelling USA museum exhibition. Babar’s Anniversary Album: Jean and Laurent de Brunhoff published for the occasion. Babar and the Ghost is also published this year.

1985

Laurent leaves France for America. Settles in New England (Connecticut) Lives with writer Phyllis Rose.