Ludwig Bemelmans

Ludwig Bemelmans, the creator of the beloved Madeline stories, didn't have an easy start in life. Born in 1898 to a well-off family in Tyrol, Austria, he dropped out of school and was apprenticed to his uncle, who owned several resort hotels. At age 16, he fought with and shot a head-waiter. His family said he could either go to reform school or emigrate to America. He came to America.

Life didn't get much easier in the United States, where he arrived with two pistols expecting he'd have to fight Indians. He soon lost another job as a waiter-this time for wearing mismatched shoes and went on to join the U.S. Army and fight in World War I.

After the service, he began to settle down. He became part owner of the Hapsburg House and began writing and illustrating children's books. Madeline was rejected by his original publishers and he had to submit it to several houses before finding an editor that would take it on. The others said the book was too sophisticated for a children's tale.

Bemelman went on to write 40 books for children and adults and contributed stories and drawings to many magazines. His books earned a Caldecott Award in 1954. Bemelman died in New York in 1962.

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