Aurelius Battaglia

Aurelius Battaglia (January 16, 1910 – May 29, 1984) was an American illustrator, muralist, writer, and director.

Early life and education Battaglia was born on January 16, 1910, in Washington, D.C.. He was the son of Giuseppe and Concetta Battaglia, who had emigrated from Cefalù in Sicily, Italy.

He attended the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design.

Battaglia married fellow student Edith Richmond after they graduated in 1932, from Corcoran School of Art. He later married Eleanor Mill (1929–2008), and they were together for 15 years before separating.

Career Battaglia and Edith Richmond bartered paintings for dental work and other necessities. He worked as a caricaturist for The Washington Star and Reporter. The result is a whimsical panorama of anthropomorphic animals at play, still viewable on the second floor of the Mount Pleasant Library. He later worked for the Resettlement Administration, a New Deal federal agency that, between April 1935 and December 1936, relocated struggling urban and rural families to communities planned by the federal government.

Move to California and subsequent career Battaglia migrated west in the late 1930s and worked for the Walt Disney Studios from 1937 to 1941. Battaglia started as an in-betweener and soon after moved to the story department. He worked on Dumbo, Fantasia, and Pinocchio and is credited as one of the writers of the latter.

Battaglia was a prolific children's book illustrator, favoring bold colors and stylized pen and brush work. Titles include "Cowboy Jack, the Sheriff," "The Fire Engine Book," "Little Boy With a Big Horn," "When I Met Robin," "Captain Kangaroo's Read-Aloud Book," and "The Fireside Book of American Folk Songs." He contributed to the Childcraft book series published by Field Enterprises.

Battaglia moved to Provincetown, Massachusetts, where he continued to work until his death on May 29, 1984.

Illustrated books