New biography explores life and career of Snap! Crackle! Pop! illustrator Vernon Grant

It’s a Rock Hill tradition to roll in the Christmas season with the annual reveal of a new Vernon Grant holiday card and ornament. [caption id="attachment_16405" align="alignright" width="179"] Image used for the 2013 ornament[/caption] This year's free reveal event, scheduled for Thurs., Nov. 20 from 10 - 11 a.m. at the Museum of York County, will feature a book signing by Rock Hill’s Linda Williams, author of “Beyond Snap! Crackle! Pop! The Story of American Illustrator Vernon Grant.”  Brimming with color images of Grant’s artwork, this new biographical account explores his early life on a South Dakota homestead, his career in New York as an illustrator for magazine covers, advertisements, and books, and his years as a well-known civic leader in Rock Hill. Grant has garnered international fame as the creator of Kellogg’s “Snap, Crackle, and Pop;” his holiday art has been reproduced on magazines covers and as Christmas cards for more than 80 years. Since 2006, Grant’s illustrations have been the inspiration for ChristmasVille, an award-winning regional festival that is celebrated annually in Grant’s adopted hometown of Rock Hill. Grant spent the last half of his life in Rock Hill, where he was well-known as a civic leader who named, promoted, and created Glen-the-Frog, the mascot for the city's annual Come-See-Me festival. Selected Grant images have been reproduced as holiday ornaments and on holiday cards to help celebrate the famed artist’s work and raise money to refurbish and maintain his vast collection of original works and reproductions. The 2014 ornament, “Giddy-Up Go, It’s Christmas!” is the 28th annual holiday ornament produced by Culture and Heritage Museums. The 24kt gold finish ornament has a limited edition of 700. The 2014 Vernon Grant Christmas Card, “Santa’s Stunning Reflection,” has a limited edition of 500; the holiday card marks the museums’ 36th consecutive edition. The 2014 limited edition cards and ornaments as well as additional Vernon Grant items are available at The Museum Store, the gift shops at Main Street Children’s Museum, at Historic Brattonsville, and online at the Culture & Heritage Museums' website. About Culture & Heritage Museums Culture & Heritage Museums is a family of museums in York County, S.C., which includes Historic Brattonsville, Main Street Children's Museum, McCelvey Center and Museum of York County. The mission of the Culture and Heritage Museums is to communicate and preserve the natural and cultural histories of the Carolina Piedmont, inspiring a lifetime of learning. Via: Culture & Heritage Museums