I was looking at my summary page in which I have pictures of the frontispiece illustrations. Since my head is stuffy right now, I am having trouble thinking, but also, I am seeing things differently. Having a cold can have its benefits. I glanced at one of the frontispiece illustrations, and then I really stared at it.
This is the frontispiece illustration for Billie Bradley at Twin Lakes. As I stared at it, I thought of the Outdoor Girl series and how much it reminded me of a couple of Outdoor Girls dust jackets.
Walter S. Rogers drew the Billie Bradley frontispiece, and he drew most of the Outdoor Girls duotone dust jackets. I can't remember at this moment if Rogers drew the duotone dust jackets for The Outdoor Girls of Deepdale or The Outdoor Girls Around the Campfire, but he did draw the color dust jackets of those titles. Regardless, the illustrations are similar.
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I wonder what Walter Rogers must have thought when they first asked him to "update" the artwork on several series.
If he were the "old fashioned" type, he may have been a little reluctant to change the hemlines on some of the dresses, and go from a more matching school uniform style to different outfits for each of the girls (in most cases).
It's interesting to compare the dustjacket covers of the duotones and full color jackets in the Outdoor Girls series you mentioned. #2 Rainbow Lake shows the same car -- minus the undercarriage leafsprings and with a rounded radiator. #3 In a Motor Car has a more revised automobile -- notice how the old carriage light style headlights are modernized, the earlier torneau style seats with a removable top and partial windshield are changed to a closed sedan style. #5 In Florida, the large willow tree is replaced by a few sparse palms. #8 Army Service and #9 Hostess House are completely different illustrations. #12 In the Saddle, the girls go from riding horseback in dresses to wearing more modern riding gear. In #14 On Cape Cod, the nose of the plane has a subtle facelift.
What a treat it would have been to be able to visit Walter Rogers or Russell Tandy and sit down and talk with them about their illustrations and tour their studios. That would have been a really special moment.
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