This Granby author famous in America before Disney

Palmer Cox is world-renowned for his wonderful children’s books with fantastic creatures known as Brownies. He first became famous with the first Brownies story, “The Brownies’ Ride,” which appeared in the February 1883 issue of St. Louis. Nicholas, a popular children’s magazine of the time.

Native of Granby

Born on a farm between Adamsville and Granby in 1840, Palmer Cox attended Granby Academy. As a young man, he moved to California where he began writing humorous comics, poetry and magazine pieces.

His manor in Granby

Cox made millions, lived in Europe for years and then, for some reason, decided to return to Granby where he built Brownie Castle between 1902 and 1904. The castle has 17 rooms, an octagonal tower and stained glass windows illustrating the Brownies. It still exists today.

His characters

His first series of Brownies stories was published in 1887 and sold over a million copies. Palmer Cox has published 25 books, 16 of which are devoted to the adventures of the Brownies.

The Brownies were based on the stories he grew up with of his Scottish heritage, especially his mother who was from the Highlands. In Scottish folklore, Brownies were tiny spirits that helped people at home. The “Brownies” were small spirits or good-natured goblins of the fairy order. They were all small men, and appeared only at night to perform useful good deeds or to enjoy harmless pranks while tired households slept, never letting themselves be seen by mortals. No one, except those with second sight, could see the “Brownies”; but among the privileged few, mainly old women, who could thus catch an occasional glimpse of their goblin guests, it is said that they obtained correct information about their size and color.

Precursor of merchandising long before Disney

In addition to books, Cox’s characters have appeared in comic books, magazine stories, toys, rubber stamps, card games, blocks, puzzles, furniture such as rugs, wallpaper, fireplace sets, china, glassware, flatware and promotional items for the Kodak Brownie camera. Brownie images have been used to promote dozens of products such as soaps and shoe polish. In many ways, it was the precursor to what we see the Disney company doing these days with their animated characters.

At the Broadway Theatre

With composer Malcolm Douglas, he wrote, produced and directed a musical that ran for five years on Broadway and around the world.