Bethann Thornburgh, 58, Dies; Post Artist, Book Illustrator
Hyfler/Rosner
<Washington Post>
Bethann Thornburgh, 58, an award-winning artist whose whimsical drawings
regularly appeared in publications including The Washington Post and
Washingtonian magazine, died Aug. 29 at the Hospice of Washington. She had
lung cancer.
Ms. Thornburgh worked from 1969 to 1976 at The Post, where she became
assistant art director of the Washington Post Magazine. After that, as a
freelance artist, she illustrated a number of children's books and created
watercolor drawings that were used on greeting cards.
Over the past three decades, her pen-and-ink drawings were used in nearly
all sections of The Post, among them Style and Health. She created a series
of how-to cartoon strips for the newspaper's Food section called Recipix and
published a book called "50 Step-By-Step Recipes in Pictures from Around the
World." Other clients included Washington Women and Ranger Rick and Country
magazines.
Last November, the Independent newspaper in London named a
Thornburgh-illustrated children's book, "My Ballet Bag," third on its list
of the 50 best books for Christmas giving. Other books she illustrated
included "Dawn Daring," "The Jewish Mother Goose," "The Birthday Jewelry
Book," "Fairy Friends," "Princess Party" and "A Child's First Library of
Learning" for Time-Life Books. In 1993, she was chosen to draw the cover for
"Christmas With Dickens," a book by the British writer's great-grandsons
commemorating the 150th anniversary of "A Christmas Carol."
Her work also included painted furniture for children, portraits, and
soft-sculpture toys and cooking ornaments that were sold at the American
Spirit gallery in Washington. She also exhibited at the Kathleen Ewing
Gallery in the District and the Griffith Gallery in Coral Gables, Fla.
Ms. Thornburgh was born in Richland, Wash., and raised in Pittsburgh. She
attended Cazenovia College and was a graduate of Kent State University.
After moving to the District in 1968, she worked briefly for the Hecht Co.
designing newspaper ads.
Her honors included the print regional design award of the Illustrators Club
of Washington, Maryland and Virginia.
Survivors include her mother, Ennid Thornburgh of Pittsburgh; a brother; and
a sister.