A Philadelphia Childhood & Artistic Awakening Jessie Willcox Smith, born in the vibrant city of Philadelphia in 1863, emerged as a pivotal figure during the Golden Age of American Illustration. Her story begins not within an artist’s studio, but amidst the conventional expectations placed upon young women of her era. The daughter of Charles Henry Smith, an investment broker, and Katherine Dewitt Willcox Smith, Jessie initially pursued a path toward becoming a teacher, attending private elementary schools before continuing her education in Cincinnati. However, this pragmatic direction soon ga…