Collection: Kathleen Hale   1898 - 2000 

Kathleen Hale OBE (24 May 1898 – 26 January 2000) was a British artist, illustrator, and children's author. She is best remembered for her series of books about Orlando the Marmalade Cat. Kathleen Hale was born in Lanarkshire, but brought up in Manchester. Her father died when she was five and her mother decided to take over his job as travelling salesman for Chappell's pianos.

From 1903 to 1905 she lived at the vicarage in Shelf, West Yorkshire and developed her interest in plants, flowers and drawing there. Kathleen Hale moved to London in 1917, intending to make a life for herself as an artist. She worked for some time as Augustus John's secretary while she developed a wide circle of friends, including Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant. During the 1920s she earned a living as an illustrator, accepting commissions for book jackets, posters and illustrations for children's books, as well as selling her own drawings. She also attended the Central School of Arts and Crafts.