"Three Little Bunnies" was published in 1950.
A year later, Rooks was back collaborating with author Ruth Dixon on another children's book featuring photographs of live animals, "Three Little Puppies".
In this book, his wife Sally Rooks is also credited and appears in the book. I don't really know if she worked on the first book and was not given credit, or whether she joined the enterprise, as wife?, collaborator?, sometime in the period between the two publications.
If the information I found previously about his age was correct, he was born in 1920, and would have been thirty or thirty-one when he was collaborating with his wife on these unusual photographs.
It is tempting to project something innocent and bucolic about their artistic process; making the clothes, the sets, working with the pets, coming up with the ideas for each composition, lighting, retakes, even the hand-touched quality of the coloration in the final pictures.
My wife is an amazing artist. Maybe someday we will collaborate on a project? One problem though: I am allergic to cats and dogs and other animals! So we will have to find our OWN path; however we will certainly be inspired by the fantasy we have of Mr. and Mrs. Rooks, and their elysian studio way back in 1950!
william
You have collaborated on two amazing projects already !!! I can see an animated short film in your future . Natalie could help with the artwork. She is an amazing little artist and we will watch with great expectation as Diego develops his talents.
Posted by: Margaret Oomen | September 25, 2008 at 03:10 PM
Yay Billy!
I agree with Margie. I think that one day we should make an animated movie with Natalie's and Diego's drawings. I can't wait to collaborate with you in a new project. One day you should blog about the comic books that you made (with a little bit of my collaboration) That was a fun thing to do together, we make a good team.
Elsita :)
Posted by: Elsita :) | September 25, 2008 at 06:51 PM
I love this pre-Photo Shop collaboration, even if it is a little demented.
Posted by: Patricia | October 18, 2008 at 10:28 AM
Amazing pets pictures. It is tempting to project something innocent and the pastor of their artistic process.
Posted by: מנהלת חשבונות | November 24, 2011 at 04:23 AM